White streaks/bands from hi8 tape

[akcorcoran]

OK, so I invested in the ADVC300 hoping that it was my import quality but now I've brought in the offending Hi8 tape and it still has the same problem: Anything I can do to reduce this horizontal white streaking that appears in video captured from hi8 tape?

It's anywhere that is particularly light (on edges, where white appears, if there is light like from a window, and even on a date stamp that appears in white). It's pretty distracting - otherwise quality of hi8 capture is great. As I said, I'm capturing with an advc300 so I have options to change settings there - or I have iMovie and FCE (which has a "Reduce Banding option", not sure if that would help?)

Here's a brief clip of part of the footage so you can see the placement and extent of the streaks - thanks for your help:
http://vimeo.com/2074258

Thanks -
Alexa

[Steve Grisetti]

That looks like dirty heads to me, Alexa.

Do you see these same streaks if you just plug the camcorder into your TV and play it? If so, it's dirty heads or problems with the recording itself. (This can happen if the tape is old or if it was recorded on one camcorder but you're playing it back on another.)

If it looks crystal clear when you play it directly into the TV but shows streaks when you capture it through your DV bridge, then, yes, you'll know it's definitely a setting in the ADV unit.

[akcorcoran]

ha - sounds a little risque! But, no it plays that way when I plug camera into tv as well - BUT it is not the camera with which they recorded it, she no longer has it. I have a Sony Video8 Handycam that I had and am playing it with that (she had a sony handycam as well, but a different model). So, that could be the issue - not sure what I could do about that - ?

A friend suggested a Deinterlacer - could that help? (Not quite sure the workflow with this)?
http://www.xs4all.nl/~jeschot/home.html#DEI

Or is there any settings that could improve within editing - it's fine save the white light jagged lines...

Thanks -
Alexa

[Steve Grisetti]

If it looks fine when you play it on the TV, then you're probably okay, from the camcorder point of view.

(I'm assuming, if it was shot in Hi8 that it was shot on Hi8 tape -- not regular 8mm tape -- and that you're also playing it back on a Hi8 camcorder.)

So it most likely is a setting in your DV bridge. I don't know enough to make a recommendation but, since it seems to happen on high-contrast areas, that could be clue what's causing the problem.

[akcorcoran]

Sorry, I wasn't clear. No, it's not fine on the TV - when it's played directly out of the camera with analog output to the TV, it looks the same - as in bad with white streaks. And, yes, I am using an Hi8 camera for a (an?) Hi8 tape. Still, I think the playback in this particular camera may be the issue but I don't have any other way to play for capture. Why doesn't someone invent one single machine that takes the various "older" tapes (Hi8 and VHS-C) and gives analog outputs - I can't imagine everyone will forever play from the camera with which it was recorded.

It seems like it is a contrast issue as it is just the whites - I guess I'll try to play around with settings.

[Steve Grisetti]

No! Wait, Alexa! Don't mess with the settings on the DV bridge if the camcorder playback is the problem!

Instead, try something basic first. Run a head cleaner through the camcorder. As I said, my first thought was that the heads are dirty.

There could also be some breakdown on the tape itself -- but this isn't likely unless this tape is a good 10-15 years old and/or has been kept in some damp or hot spot (like a basement or an attic).

So I'm staying with my initial diagnosis for now.

Unfortunately, 8mm head cleaner cassettes are pretty hard to come by. You may need to order one from Amazon. Or, even better, take your camcorder in to Circuit City or a camera shop. They should be able to clean it and re-align the heads for $30 or so. Then it should play like new!

[Bob]

But, keep in mind, that it may have been the original camera that had the problem. If so, then you pretty much to deal with what you have.

[akcorcoran]

Hi all -

OK, so I feel like a total schmuck but I just went through and tried all 5 of the hi8 tapes that I have to convert. Well, surprise, surprise - the Sony HandyCam plays the SONY hi8 tapes perfectly. Crystal clear (a little horizontal banding or noise?) but amazingly sharp, even in one clip which was shot in a moving 2-personal PLANE! BUT, no such luck on the two Fuji or Maxwell Hi8 tapes. So, it's not the camcorder itself - it's the camcorder in combo with the tapes (which were originally shot on a different camera). Not totally surprised because Sony *always* loves Sony best, but still didn't expect this kind of issue. I haven't seen same problems when playing VHS-C or DV tapes on my two Pansonic camcorders (of same formats, respectively).

So, what to do? I tried altering the ADVC settings per advice (something around the White Peak Adjust) - no luck. Is my only option to try to find the other camera (or any model not sony) - will this likely work with other Fuji/Maxwell tapes? I'd be willing to find another Hi8 camcorder if it would solve the issue for future imports.

Does a commercial company have a piece of equipment that compensates for the issue? If so, I'm inclined to have her take them there and I'll do the others (along with 10 other DV tapes she has). I'm pulling my hair out here!

Sorry for not trying all before. Still doesn't change question of whether I can fix the white streaks (sort of high voltage) after the fact - and the answer to that seems to be no.

Suggestions on where to go next? Thanks -
Beleaguered,
Alexa

[jackfalbey]

Not sure if it applies here, but with some formats of tape there is an issue with wet vs. dry lubricant... different companies use different methods of getting the tape to roll smoothly past the heads, and mixing different brands can lead to the heads getting gummed up. It's always a good idea to run a head cleaner through your camcorder for 5-10 seconds when moving between brands of tape.

Additionally, professional conversion houses have "timebase correctors" which can sometimes bring wayward analog footage back into compliance. I have one, and while it doesn't work miracles it does do a pretty good job of cleaning up old worn-out tapes.

[Ken Jarstad]

Hi Alexa,

My Hi8 Handycam CCD-TRV72 manual says when "Editing onto another tape" to be sure set EDIT to ON in the menu system. JVC VCRs tell you to do the same thing. I think it shuts off some of the automatic circuits needed for TV viewing and optimizes the video for transfer to another recording device.

Another thought: My model has a feature I only discovered a couple of years ago. This machine is optimized for HME, metal evaporated tape and has a tiny piston switch within the mechanism which matches with a hole that is only found on HME tape cassettes. If that piston exists on your Handycam - and if it somehow got broken off - then it may add additional video "peaking" that only the HME tapes were intended to support. This one is a bit of a long shot, but - - - maybe.

You might try the real experts on the VideoHelp Restoration forum. http://forum.videohelp.com/restoration-f43.html

[akcorcoran]

Hey - thanks! I can't seem to find an "edit" button. I actually don't have the manual so I appreciate the help (tried to find online on Sony but no luck). I'm assuming it's inside, opposite the display LCD, but the only thing I can find that has an "On/Off" switch says, "Commander" above it. Do you think that's it? There is an editsearch with a +/- option at the top but I thought that was just for finding the next clip.

Now - on your second suggestion, that is interesting because the tapes that play clearly are not only SONY but MP tapes (metal particle) - wonder if that does have something to do with it?

And, thanks for the forum suggestion - appreciate it!

Thanks -
Alexa

[Ken Jarstad]

On my TRV72 opening the display reveals a number of buttons, one of which is Menu. Pressing Menu brings up the Menu on the display. The TRV72 uses a Selection Wheel to scroll through the options on the menu. Pushing on the wheel is just like a pushbutton and toggles the desired selection.

Commander is the top-level item in the menu and refers to the Remote Control. Edit is my second menu item. Pressing on the scroll wheel should toggle it to ON. Normally, you would restore this to OFF but since I no longer shoot video with this machine I just leave it in the ON position.

I bought some MP tapes also and I'm sure they are excellent performers but they don't have the little hole in the shell that the HME tapes have so won't be able to tweak the very best performance out the camcorder. Moot point now, since DV and better tech has superseded. Just a long-shot theory about the performance of your playback.

What you are seeing in the picture is extreme "overshoot" of the transitions between black and white areas of the picture. My theory is that this would be consistent with the gain boost offered by using the special HME tape.

If you can't reduce or eliminate the problem on playback then you might be able to correct it using some rather exotic filtering techniques suggested by the people on the the Videohelp Restoration forum. There is a whole world of restoration information available on the 'Net if you should care to immerse yourself in it. Weigh the cost in time vs benefit of doing so.