Overview Scanning VHS or VHS-C can be done into DV codec and AVI container or FFV1 codec and AVI container. For now this is a description of scanning to FFV1 on Rack#1.

Input

Tape input can be via the following VCRs: VHS, S-VHS, VHS worldwide

Output

Output will be onto SPACE.

Video Path

From VCR --Svideo--> switch box --Svideo--> DPS-295 --component--> BM Decklink Studio card in SPACE

Audio Path

From VCR --RCA--> switch box --RCA--> BM Decklink Studio card in SPACE

Steps

On SPACE's desktop double click theVHS-NTSC batch icon. There will be a few times you need to click or return before the VirtualDub capture window shows.
Select the correct VCR on the switch box.
Turn on the DPS-295and set up the Input on the front panel:
1. Input - Format: SVHS
2. Input - Mode: NET(use DIRECT for Umatic/DVcam)
On SPACE set up the input via the BM (Blackmagic) Desktop Video Utility
1. Video: component
2. Audio: XLR
Change audio cable connections into the BM Decklink Studio card in SPACE
1. Plug in the black and red RCA audio cable with 1/4" phono connectors into the Decklink cable collage....
  1. Plug left (black) into 14 Audio Channel 1
  2. Plug right (red) into 15 Audio Channel 2
2. (When switching cables back, there is a piece of paper on the LEFT cable saying LEFT. Otherwise the Left and right cables are identical.)
Test DPS-295 connection by clicking on "Function - Select" to show TSG, WFW and back to TBC.
1. Watch the VirtualDub capture window to make sure you see the colour bars and the wave form monitor...and finally back to the black screen.
Confirm VirtualDub is capturing fine:
1. Play video....make sure video appears in VD capture window
2. Make sure both audio bars along the bottom of the VD capture window are moving

We transfer VHS tapes using three different machines, the Panasonic AG5210, the Sony SVO-9500MD, and the Samsung SV5000W. For general transfers we use the Panasonic, for SVHS tapes (Super VHS) use the Sony, and for international format tapes use the Samsung. Transfer VHS to AVI

Make sure the cables are plugged into the back of the correct VHS player. The other end of the cables should always be plugged into the Canopus.
Make sure the firewire is plugged into the Canopus and that the Canopus is on.
When the Canopus is turned on, SAM should immediately detect a new device and want to open Vegas capture.
Open Vegas.
Select capture video in Vegas
Select 'DV'
Go to preferences and select mange disk space.
Create a folder for the VHS transfer on the X drive (this drive is local to SAM).

Transfer VHS to DVD

Make sure the cables are plugged into the back of the correct VHS player. The other end of the cables should always be plugged into the Canopus.
Make sure the firewire is NOT plugged into the Canopus.
Turn on the Canopus.
Turn on the Hitachi DVD recorder.
Find the input channel.
Record the VHS tape to the DVD recorder's HDD.
Trim, chapter, etc on the DVD recorder and then copy to a DVD.

Why is there a few lines of noise at the bottom of the captured picture?

The distortion a few lines up from the bottom is called "head switching" which occurs in most helical scan analog videotape formats. It varies in distance (number of lines up) from the bottom and from format to format and machine to machine within a format.

As you apparently know, most TVs crop out at least 5% (often more) of ALL sides of the picture which should also mask the color edging on the left.

Solution:

The only solution to the lines of noise is to mask the noisy areas with a black mask. Don't crop as this will degrade the picture quality.

When using the Sony player the the tape plays too fast or does other weird things!

Use the Panasonic as some standard VHS tapes do not seem to like being played in the SVHS player.

When using the Samsung SV5000W little meteors on the screen

These are caused by a grounding issue with the VCR. Usually some twisting of the VCR will clear those up!

VHS to FFV1

VHS transfer Issues