Removing Analog Artifacts from Video Capture

kleb wrote on 8/16/2003, 10:25 PM
I'm using a DV camcorder to feed VHS video to Vegas video capture through firewire. Mostly for archiving old recordings and tapes, etc. One tape has a terrible sync or artifact problem. It appears to be on the source tape, may also be some kind of copy protect(?). Is there a way to remove or correct the vertical sync line artifacts in Vegas? Do I need TBC before video capture? Any other software to use for this?

Thanks, kleb

Comments

farss wrote on 8/17/2003, 4:09 AM
I'd suspect its a macrovision thing. As far as I know a TBC will get bid of it but you didn't mention how you wnet from composite to firewire. Most of the devices for doing that already have a TBC.

There's nothing any software can do as the problem is occuring before the frames are convereted to DV.
kleb wrote on 8/17/2003, 12:20 PM
The camcorder has composite input. I used a standard A/V cable.
HeeHee wrote on 8/17/2003, 12:29 PM
You didn't say where the artifacts were. Typically when you capture analog tapes, even though youare doing so thru firewire, you will get a distortion at the bottom of the display. This was never a problem for analog since this area was not seen on a standard TV set.

If this is the issue, then you can just leave it alone if you intend to watch the final on TV. If you are creating video for the web, then you can crop the area out.
kleb wrote on 8/17/2003, 12:38 PM
Okay, you're right. I could describe it a little better.

The vertical sync line artifact I'm talking about is the horizontal vertical frame sync information that scrolls up or down the screen when tracking is bad. The video also typically jumps and jitters (including sound). I'll play around with manually adjusting the tracking on the VCR, but was wondering if there's a solution if no other option.
HeeHee wrote on 8/17/2003, 12:48 PM
Good idea, you can do this will playing in the Vidcap preview windows so you know whether it is corrected throught the passthru.
kleb wrote on 8/17/2003, 4:43 PM
Well the tracking adjustments made no change to the original video. The tape is a fairly crappy production and I should have gotten my money back! It's a guitar lesson video by an off brand. I'd recommend steering clear of the brand MVP (at Musician's Friend) if anyone cares. Transferring this to DVD will save my VCRs head/belt wear not to mention delicate tapes.

This video does say it's protected by DM Copy Protect, duplication may cause permanent damage to your VCR. Yeah right! The tape NEVER played right, alway had sync glitches on every new shot transition, also got chewed and spit out by my VCR. I think I got burned on this one! Think I'll have to just put-up with the poor production.
riredale wrote on 8/17/2003, 5:04 PM
Years ago I bought a cheap (~$20) little box that could take out the simple Macrovision protection. It ran on a couple of AA cells, as I recall. You might see if passing the signal through such a box could clean up the sync.
jboy wrote on 8/18/2003, 1:06 PM
You might also try a different player. Not uncommon at all for a tape made on one machine to play poorly, or not at all, on another. Escpecially when were talking about older vcr's and older analog tapes..