VCR video converter working but only in Black and White

fanny-vanthemsche wrote on 9/6/2018, 12:40 PM

Hi everyone,

I'm having trouble digitizing old homemovies made while I living in Brazil in the late '90's early 2000. I'm using Magix Easy Converter 2018 and Windows 10. I have an LG V280 VCR bought in Belgium in 2007. I'll give you it's speification for better understanding

The User's guide Specifications says it has:

Inputs (VCR)

Audio:

-6.0 dBm, more than 10 kohms (SCART)

-6.0 dBm, more than 47 kohms (RCA)

Video:

1.0 Vp-p, 75 ohms, unbalanced (SCART/RCA)

 

Outputs

Audio: -6.0 dBm, less than 1 kohms (SCART)

Video: 1.0 Vp-p, 75 ohms, unbalanced (SCART)

RGB output: 0.7 Vp-p, 75 ohms

 

The problem I'm having is that when I try to transfert the videos to my computer, it looses all its color, while it's fully colorized on my TV. So looking on forums I realized that I should try changing formats, which I did. I realized that I get the clearest image when I'm using the NTSC format: the quality is nearly perfect, but it's all B&W! Seeing that the standard for Brazil is PAL-M, I tried that one but it doesn't work, the film continues playing but it's all green and red stripes.

So I tried all of them and I noticed something strange. The image turns full color when I changes the format to PAL (the one working best with mine being PAL-H) but the image turns still.

I'm getting desperate I've been at it for hours and can't seem to be getting anywhere! :)

Can anyone help me?

Thank you so much!

Fanny

Comments

johnebaker wrote on 9/6/2018, 1:43 PM

@fanny-vanthemsche

Hi

. . . . standard for Brazil is PAL-M, the film continues playing but it's all green and red stripes. . . . The image turns full colour when I changes the format to PAL (the one working best with mine being PAL-H) but the image turns still . . . .

The problems you are having is because you have 2 incompatible TV standards ie the relevant parts listed below do not match.

PaL-M is 525-line, 30 fps, a Sound carrier separation of +4.5 MHz and Chrominance (Colour signal) sub carrier of  4.43 MHz

whereas

PAL-H is 625 lines 25fps, a Sound carrier separation of +6 MHz and Chrominance (Colour signal) sub carrier of 3.58 MHz.

As you can see the Chrominance frequencies do not match so the VCR cannot decode the colours correctly and because of the other differences the synchronisation of the image will fail ie the image turns still. There may also be audio issues as well.

AFAICS there is no way round this other than to use a PAL-M player/camera to play back the video for capture

John EB

 

VPX 16, Movie Studio 2025, and earlier versions 2015 and 2016, Music Maker Premium 2024.

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fanny-vanthemsche wrote on 9/6/2018, 7:04 PM

That's too bad... Thank you anayway!