VHS to computer trouble. need help

lt03 wrote on 11/19/2015, 4:34 AM

I want to digitalize a few old vhs tapes to my computer. So I bought magix video saver! I hooked up, my old VCR machine as per instructions, quickly got a connection and then proceed to capture a few minutes, but the quality is horrific bad.

Here is what I got (youtube):

I then went to google to figure out what is wrong. I found a few options:
1) Connection, wires, usb, scart… I just bought this from magix should be okay. And 3*checked the plugs. The scart into the 2nd plug on the VCR. No change

2) The VHS tape itself. VHS tapes degrade over time, google says. Especially if not stored correct. I tested by capturing a few minutes from 2 different Disney VHS movies of more recent date, that I kept my self in a closet. This looked 99% same, so 3 tapes with 10 years of age difference  exact same decomposition? All tapes looked undamaged and in perfect working order.

3) Which leads me to the old VCR this can become dirty and bad to, apparently. I am using a Philips, 6 head, tubodrive VCR machine, which looks very nice and undamaged on the outside. Model nr. VR675/13. Could it be bad video heads inside the VCR?

I am hoping very VERY much, that I find a set of experienced eyes who can look at the video and say: It looks like……………… There is now way to be certain, just by looking at a video, but experienced guess’s are valuable and any help / advice would be appreciated.

Comments

johnebaker wrote on 11/19/2015, 7:28 AM

. . . . Could it be bad video heads inside the VCR? . . . .

I would say yes - the tracking is bad and sync is being lost - probably due to worn heads.

John EB

browj2 wrote on 11/19/2015, 8:30 AM

Hi,

Does the video look the same if you hook the VCR to a TV?

lt03 wrote on 11/19/2015, 11:32 AM

Hi,

Does the video look the same if you hook the VCR to a TV?

I don't have any TV with a scart any more nor do i have s-vhs wire.

I did check my stuff. I would like to make sure too, but....... and i don't wanna spend money checking stuff. The usb plug and scart is new from magix, so that will have to do. :-(

lt03 wrote on 11/21/2015, 7:15 AM

2015.11.21

Tried it on another VCR same result.

I am now looking at the usb converter from magix or the tapes. Will continue testing and update this thread,

browj2 wrote on 11/21/2015, 8:47 AM

Hi,

Doesn't the VCR simply connect to a TV using the RGB cable - video out on the VCR to video in? That is normally the yellow wire from video out to to video in. Someone must have a simple phono jack wire to try it out. You only need to check the video, not the sound, correct?

lt03 wrote on 11/21/2015, 11:56 AM

I found a family member with and old TV with a scart plug. Testet it, and also got some scart - RCA stuff and started swittching and testing.

So:

VCR - OK, both of them

Tapes - OK

Scart -->RCA wire (new from magix.com) - OK

USB video grabber (new from magix.com) - FAIL

So if i had listen to you browj2 in your first answer i would have saved about 3-4 hours. Tryed many things, including barrowing a VCR. Also would have misseds 1 hour of headache. Lesseon learned: new stuff can be broken, never think new = working.........

I will keep you updated about my progress or total fail.

lt03 wrote on 11/21/2015, 3:59 PM

SOLVED

It was the USB grabber software that was shit.. It was the composit option that failed and messed up all. Solution: download a FREE AVS video recorder softeware and FREE avidmux to crop the edges. I know it is proberly not "hardcore" video software, but i think my homemovie from 1991 looks as good as i expekted from VHS.

One point though: paid software from magix FAIL + hours of troubleshooting. FREE google stuff win the first time, although i most admit i spent 2-4 minutes on settings before it was a win.

browj2 wrote on 11/21/2015, 5:11 PM

Glad you got it sorted out!

What editing software are you using?

We found that there is a plugin called Neat Video that helps reduce the video noise from those old VHS tapes. The difference is amazing. Look it up on the internet and do a search under the video forums. I think that we discussed this a few times under the Video Pro X forum.

lt03 wrote on 11/22/2015, 4:33 AM

I use FREE AVS video recorder softeware and FREE avidmux for "edit". I don't know i would call it editing what i am during. Right know i am just grabbing homemovie clips in high quality and then makeing smaller versions for sharing with family.

I will proberly edit later on, for now "saving" the homevideos and pictures is more then enough work. Thx for the tip. I'll look it up if i get the time to enter the "real" editing world.

johnebaker wrote on 11/22/2015, 7:58 AM

. . . . It was the composit option that failed and messed up all. . . . .

Having eliminated the VHS Recorder and USB device, your comment above would suggest that the Recording view, Advanced view, Display, VideoProcAmp settings are incorrect eg the green channel level has been reduced, or the red and blue channel levels increased, - this would account for the magenta caste to the recording.

The other issues with the recorded video may be due to other factors - what is your computer specification and Windows version?

John EB

lt03 wrote on 11/22/2015, 10:50 AM

Thanks for checking in johnbaker, but the issue got resolved by using a free AVS program. . I bought the program magix as it said very easy and step by step instrutions. The instructions was followed, the program was simple, but it did not work. The magix program is either broken or just not good and logical, in both cases finding another software is the solution. Thx for all your answers, espcially browj2, who steered me in the right direktion.

lt03 wrote on 11/28/2015, 10:55 AM

Hey guys

I have contiued with this projekt and thanks to the help from you guys i have gotten like 8 hours worth of OLD video. Which is priceless and fantastic to watch. (Me doing bungee jump 14 years ago)

I have now gotten my hands on 3 old mini VHS (the ones for camcorder) and a adapter. 1 works fine got 30 min of old video out of it. The other 2 looks like this:

No physical damge to see on the tape it self. I have been trying google, but there seems to be no hope. Maybe spend a lot of money a get a professional restore, but even that seems like a very very expensive long shot.

Any hope? or trick?

The VCR, software, wires, adapter works.. Only the 2 tapes i mentioned does not work on the setup i use.

johnebaker wrote on 2/8/2016, 5:42 AM

Looking at the short video clip it looks like the recorder cannot sync the video, this may be due to many reasons - the most likely being that the recording has lost most of its data due to loss of signal level on the tape - ie the old tapes magnetic information has 'faded' / deteriorated and is no longer readable.

If this is what has happened then even professional restoraton may not work.

John EB