Canopus ADVC55 vs. ADVC110?

[pgoelz]

Is the only difference between these two units the lack of video out on the 55?

And do either of them (or any other converter) contain a TBC? I'm trying to eliminate some very slight wiggles I get from one scan line to the next on some of my really old VHS videos (made on pre-1980 equipment) when captured with my Dazzle. I thought I read somewhere that the Canopus units had some form of TBC.

Plus, I want to get as far away from Pinnacle as I can Pinnacle of.... what? Ironic name for that company....

Paul

[Chuck Engels]

Hi Paul,
The 300 has TBC

The ADVC300 is the ultimate bi-directional analog to digital video converter unit for the video enthusiast. Featuring high-quality image enhancement technology including digital noise reduction and image stabilization using Line Time Base Correction (LTBC), ADVC300 instantly cleans, stabilizes and preserves old VHS and Hi8 videos in clean DV format. Supporting Windows and Mac OS, ADVC300 is compatible with all widely used video editing applications including Canopus EDIUS, Final Cut Pro, Avid Xpress DV and Adobe Premiere Pro.

The 55 and 110 do not have TBC. How good is your VCR?

[Dave McElderry]

I've had a 300 for several years and capture of VHS is one of the things that I've used it for rather extensively. I've never had any problems with these transfers. It's always rock solid.

[pgoelz]

Thanks.... and drat! Thought I read the 110 had a TBC.

My VHS machine these days is so-so. I had a nice Sony but it bit the dust yesterday when I started it up for the first time in years so I'm using a lower grade Phillips. The other variable is the original recorder, which varies from tape to tape. Hence the wish for TBC functionality.

Anyone know of a good VHS machine of decent quality that can be found used? Most of my tapes are recorded at SP with some at LP.

Paul

[Chuck Engels]

I found my current JVC on eBay for under $100. It isn't the best but has done well with my old VHS-C tapes.

[pgoelz]

What model / family is it? There are tons of used VHS machines on Ebay for reasonable prices but it has been so long since I paid any attention to the various models that I have no idea how to choose a used machine that might offer better playback than the one I currently have (lower end consumer model Phillips). And I have a suspicion that any of the "professional" versions on Ebay may have significant hours on the heads.

The tapes I am working on right now were recorded in 1982 but I have a suspicion that they may have originated on 3/4" U-matic and were copied onto VHS later. I have been asked to transfer the VHS versions (the only ones to survive, I think) to DVD for archival and future DVD purposes. I'd like to do the best job I can without breaking the bank, and after this project I have a bunch of my own VHS tapes I would like to preserve. But at the end of the day I don't want to spend a lot of money on a format I will never use again.

Note that I still have the portable machine I used for nearly all of my own recordings and it is 100% functional. But it is an early 1980s vintage Panasonic and I don't know if later machines can outperform it in playback.

And back to the original question for a moment.... what is the difference between the ADVC-55 and the ADVC-110?

Paul

[John 'twosheds' McDonald]

Paul, a Google search brought these up. Hope it helps

http://www.videohelp.com/forum/archive/ ... 58908.html

http://ediusforum.grassvalley.com/forum ... php?t=2560

http://ediusforum.grassvalley.com/forum ... hp?t=14461

[Chuck Engels]

As far as I can tell the 55 does not have audio lock (although that shouldn't matter) and it does not have video out so you can preview on a TV and you probably couldn't export anything back to tape. Looks like the 55 just has video and audio inputs and then a Firewire out. Maybe someone that has tried both units will pop in and comment.

JVC has built VCRs with DigiPure, a form of built-in TBC, those are the best for this type of thing. But in my opinion the older units can be better than the newer ones.

The DigiPure VCRs from JVC are primarily in the HR-S9###U range.
HR-S9911U, HR-S9500U, HR-S9900U are some of the models, none available on eBay and they usually sell in the $500 range when they are there.

Are you having problems with your Panasonic? It may not be a problem but you won't know until you try it out.

[pgoelz]

Thanks John, I'd seen the first and third of those links but not the middle one. Pretty well spells it out. I don't have any need to monitor while capturing and I don't have a monitor in the same room as the PC anyway so the 55 will do it for me I think. Especially if I can find a player with built in TBC.

No, I'm not having trouble with the Panasonic portable. It works perfectly. But my captures aren't quite as good as I think they could be and I have no real objective way to determine if that 25 year old Panasonic (roughly 1985 vintage) is doing the recordings justice. Since my "good" machine died, I'm looking to replace it with the best bang for the buck I can find.

No real rush though. I am pressing ahead and capturing anyway, figuring this is either the best I will do.... or a learning experience. Worst case, I put one more pass on the original tapes if I replace the recorder and / or my Dazzle capture device. My gut says the Dazzle is the weak link. Seems like a good idea to ditch it, get the ADVC-55 and capture to DV and do the final compression in the PC. ?? The Dazzle is actually working though, which surprises me. I have to boot to XP and put up with Studio 9 though. Much better to capture in DV to Vegas and use the larger preview screen and analysis tools it provides.

Paul

[Ken Jarstad]

The tapes I am working on right now were recorded in 1982 but I have a suspicion that they may have originated on 3/4" U-matic and were copied onto VHS later. I have been asked to transfer the VHS versions (the only ones to survive, I think) to DVD for archival and future DVD purposes. I'd like to do the best job I can without breaking the bank, and after this project I have a bunch of my own VHS tapes I would like to preserve. But at the end of the day I don't want to spend a lot of money on a format I will never use again.

It sounds like you are doing archival preservation. The best consumer A/D converter, hands down, is the Canopus ADVC-300 which not only has a line TBC but also gives you the ability to adjust the hue/saturation/brightness/contrast and sharpness on the video as it is being fed into the capture stream. When you are done you could probably recover most of your investment ($380) since these items are sought used by folks like you with a need for such a project. If the new price is too much then keep watching places like eBay since they come up every once in a while.

Here are some very useful links:
http://forum.videohelp.com/forums/41-Restoration
http://www.digitalfaq.com/guides/video/capture-playback-hardware.htm

[pgoelz]

Thanks Ken. Yes, I am doing a form of archival preservation. On a budget. Thanks bunches for those links. They will keep me occupied for a while. Off to Ebay. Again

EDIT:

Back from Ebay with a Panasonic AG-1970P. Couple that with the Canopus ADVC-55 and I think I'm set.

I've gone about 50% through the first set of tapes I am digitizing using the little Phillips and my Dazzle. I can't wait to see what (if any) difference there is using the Panasonic and capturing to DV instead of hardware encoded MPEG.

The really hard part is going to be putting my nice Sony that suddenly eats tapes in the trash. The transport motor spins but the mechanism doesn't move and there is a tape in it. Either a gear has come loose from the shaft or there is a clutch and something is jamming. Either way, even if I got it un-stuck I'm not sure I could trust it not to eat a tape. Since it is a slot loader, if the mechanism jams with the tape inserted and threaded, you either have to convince it to release the tape or break something to get the tape out undamaged.

Thanks again for the links.

Paul