Digitizing VHS-C tapes - VCR questions
 

I am digitizing VHS-C tapes. Would this VCR display overlays on the image such as "Tracking..." or "Play" that blink away? Or is there an option to disable on-screen overlays? This is an issue with many VCRs since some of the action on the VHS-C tapes occurs in the very beginning of the tape or after there is a break in video.

If the video can be played out via S-Video or Component with no overlays, is this still for sale?

This question has been split from another post or thread. This was done in order to address the topic more in depth, make it easier to find via forum searches, as well as prevent the other post/thread from going too far off-topic. Please continue this part of the conversation here. Thanks for understanding our tech Q&A policies.

It can be disabled on JVC units. Blue screens, too.

JVC decks like to eat the compact tapes

get a Panasonic AG-1970 or AG-1980 and the powered JVC VHS-C adapter.

and the panny decks have no on-screen crap

The AG-1980 seems to have field TBC, not line TBC. Found out that some JVC pro units have field TBC. Not sure if this is an issue or not. Suggestions?

Amongst the formats I must digitize is MiniDV. Would the JVC SR-VS30U be an option? Kill 2 birds with 1 stone? Or would I have to deal with the overlays/blue screens with this model?

the AG-1980 has a great TBC
the combo decks are ok, but with Mini DV you can just as easily use the camcorder.
JVC's still are more prone to eat the compact tapes than a Panny.
i have taken many VHS-C tapes apart and transferred the tape inside into full size VHS shells.

I am trying to be cost-efficient as I do not have the accessories for the MiniDV camcorder; long story. Is there a combo Panasonic you'd recommend? There are more than 140 MiniDV tapes that need to be digitized. And about 100 VHS-C's.

i dont really care for combo decks, mostly are cheaply made and more failure prone.
you should be able to find a working miniDV cam cheaply- use that and tranfer via firewire to a PC.
for the compact VHS i would get a good AG-1970 or AG-1980, a standalone TBC and an ATI capture card.
and alternate good deck would be a Mitsubishi HS-HD2000U -it has the JVC TBC with a much better transport.

So AG-1980 and DP-X7000 (http://www.world-import.com/dp-x7000...stabilizer.htm) ? I already have a Blackmagic Intensity Pro capture card.

for a TBC the Datavideo TBC-1000 or the AVT-8710 are generally accepted as good.
ive never heard of that Dp-x7000.

when buying an AG vcr. just make sure it has been serviced or the seller has fully tested it and will stand behind it. many of the cheap ones on ebay are sold by seller that dont have a clue.

How many tapes are there? It may be cheapest to pay a service to do less than 50 tapes.

Number of Tapes
 

100+ VHS-C, 130+ 8mm/Hi8, 140+ MiniDV

Going a bit off topic here. VHS-C tapes can be a pain, with that amount I would suggest getting the Panasonic AG-1980 recommended above plus a late model JVC SVHS-C camcorder (usually $40-60 on ebay, hardly used, some even include the JVC C-P7U tape adapter) for troublesome tapes that don't like the adapter.

Sounds like a plan!

The Digital TBC feature on these JVC SVHS-C's....does this apply to video played out/captured? Or do I still need a standalone TBC?

The JVC SVHS-C camcorders don't have the full Digipure system that the VCRs have. They have a line TBC, and basic chroma noise reduction. Its not quite the same level of signal cleaning you get with a JVC VCR or the AG-1980. You will still need the full frame TBC if you use one.

Okay. So if I use a JVC camcorder, I would use a AVT-8710 standalone TBC. Otherwise, using a JVC VCR, I could get away with just the AG-1980.

You'd need the AVT-8710 with the AG-1980 and standalone JVC VCRs as well.