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VHS To DVD Problem

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Hey there guys!!!

Need some help on a problem I'm having and I know some of you out there have some experience with this.

I am converting some old VHS stuff to DVD. I'm using a Sony DVD recorder with a Sony VHS player going throught the LINE IN input. I have a converter in between the recorder and the player that will allow me to copy copy-protected stuff (and you can buy it at Best Buy!!!!) with no problem.

Here's my issue......on some VHS tapes, I'm having this line of distortion appearing toward the top of the screen about a quarter of the way down in the picture. It shows up in a full frame movie and in a widescreen movie that I'm trying to copy. It shows up in the beginning of the film, but seems to go away after a few minutes. Then, it will come back for just an instant or two and then eventually disappear for good.

Here's what I've tried so far......I went out and bought another VHS player and tried one tape on it and the distortion line showed up while playing on the new player also. I only tried one tape, not any others. I also plugged the player directly into the TV and did not use the copy protect gizmo and I still got the distortion line. So, to me, that eliminated the copy protect and recorder as a cause of the problem. I figured it was the tape, so I returned the new VHS player I bought and got a new copy of the movie.

Now I just recorded 3 VHS tapes to DVD and the first one recorded with no problems. The second had the distortion line like I originally described. The third tape went like this: I popped it in and forwarded to the part where I wanted to start recording. Got everything going, pressed record and play....everything was fine for a second and then the distortion line came up and was only visible for a few seconds and then disappeared altogether.

Any ideas what is causing this?

I've looked at it from every angle and I can't see that the player or the tapes are the problem. Nothing is making sense here.

I super-appreciate any help!!!!
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Could you give us some screen caps by chance?

From what you're saying it could be a weird interlacing issue I run into when playing back interlaced material on an LCD screen. I notice a weird thing especially when you play NES emulators.

But in all honesty, your description is very vague. Is it a digital distortion? Analog? Send some pics.

What’s the internal temperature of a TaunTaun? Luke warm.

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How close is the VCR to the TV and/or speakers?

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

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Originally posted by: MeBeJedi
How close is the VCR to the TV and/or speakers?


I would say the VCR is about a foot underneath the TV in a TV stand, but the speaker is right next to it. I have tall floor speakers. The VCR is practically on the floor.

I'm currently recording, so I will have pictures in a little while.

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Are your speakers shielded? Try moving them away from the VCR.

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

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Originally posted by: MeBeJedi
Are your speakers shielded? Try moving them away from the VCR.


As far as I know they're shielded. But if the speakers are so close, wouldn't that affect the whole recording not just a specific time? It always happens just at the beginning, even right now....the picture is clear and fine.

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Also, if it helps.....when the distortion line disappears.....I let the tape run a while....then I rewind it and the line appears and then disappears at the exact time as before.

The distortion line is a line that goes all the way across the screen from left to right and it's about a quarter of the way down from the top. There's really no other way I can describe it other than a distortion line and messes the picture up.

Pics to follow soon.
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Is there a girl buried in a well underneath your TV room?

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

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Originally posted by: MeBeJedi
Is there a girl buried in a well underneath your TV room?


ROFL!

What’s the internal temperature of a TaunTaun? Luke warm.

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Have you tried tapping the tape hard on your hand? Sometimes the tape gets just slightly misaligned with the heads and needs a short, sharp shock, just to get back into place. Also you could try ffing the tape to the end then rewinding. Sometimes that helps.
"Give us all your money and a tank of gas. We're taking this bird to Cuba" ~Stimpy
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Wrong film.

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

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Here's the pics of that problem......they're the best I can do......but the line is clearly visible....

Pic 1

Pic 2

Any ideas, anyone?

Have you tried tapping the tape hard on your hand? Sometimes the tape gets just slightly misaligned with the heads and needs a short, sharp shock, just to get back into place. Also you could try ffing the tape to the end then rewinding. Sometimes that helps.

I tried both of these suggestions and neither helped. The line is still there and goes away at the same time as before.


Is there a girl buried in a well underneath your TV room?


Thanks MBJ.....now I'm not going to answer the damn phone for the rest of my life!!!!
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*cough* It's called Macrovision *cough*

Dr. M

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Originally posted by: Doctor M
*cough* It's called Macrovision *cough*


WHOOOOOOOOOOOSH!!!!!

You know what that was? That was your post going right over my head.

Seriously now...what do you mean? Macrovision?

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Macrovision is a copy protection originally introduced in 1979 at the beginning of the VCR age. Essentially it prohibits users from a 1:1 copy of a protected video. Largely apparent as contrast shifts in your copied tape, I believe this may be an early form of the macrovision copy protection which manifests itself as obnoxious lines in your output signal.

Of course I may well be wrong, but I do seem to remember watching a copied tape of Jaws back in '79 or '80 which shared this same feature.
"Give us all your money and a tank of gas. We're taking this bird to Cuba" ~Stimpy
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"*cough* It's called Macrovision *cough*"

The device he's using is designed to circunvent that, and he's seeing it both with and without the device.

Cable-X1, do you see these lines when playing the original tapes?

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

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Originally posted by: MeBeJedi
"*cough* It's called Macrovision *cough*"

The device he's using is designed to circunvent that, and he's seeing it both with and without the device.

Cable-X1, do you see these lines when playing the original tapes?


Yep.....when the problem first happened, I plugged the VCR directly into the TV to see if the copy protect gizmo was causing this....and the line was there. The exact same line has popped up on 3 different tapes. Two of them are Star Wars and Empire from the 95 faces release. The other is a music video that I bought about 4 or 5 years ago, but it was originally released in '87 or '88. I think the tape was manufactured a lot later than that though. Figured I throw this info out there as Davidian talked about copy protection from '79 or '79.

I haven't tried your suggestion yet MBJ, of moving the VCR away from everything cuz I don't think that is what is causing it. I have one tape that played flawlessly already and I tried another and it played okay too, but it is a very old tape that is going bad already. I looked for the line as best as I could and I didn't see it.

Nothing is matching up......the line pops up on several different tapes, on two different machines, with or without the copy protect gizmo. One tape has played perfect. Sounds like a damn riddle.

Any other ideas?

Appreciate the help everyone!!!

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Run it through a TBC and the problem will probably disappear.
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And you thought macrovision flew over your head...

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: Sadly, I believe the prequels are beyond repair.
<span class=“Bold”>JediRandy: They’re certainly beyond any repair you’re capable of making.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>MeBeJedi: You aren’t one of us.
<span class=“Bold”>Go-Mer-Tonic: I can’t say I find that very disappointing.</span></span>

<span class=“Italics”>JediRandy: I won’t suck as much as a fan edit.</span>

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Originally posted by: Laserman
Run it through a TBC and the problem will probably disappear.

Okay...what's a TBC?

Let me clarify this a little more....I AM A TOTAL NOVICE AT THIS STUFF. You'll need to explain yourselves a little more. I appreciate the help nonetheless.


And you thought macrovision flew over your head...


LOL!!! These flybys are making my head spin!!!
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A Time Base Corrector (TBC) is a box, that will rebuild the video signal from the ground up, effectively removing the Macrovision pulses from the video signal.

Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabris, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.

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From my own experience with VHS and those screen shots, I'd say that the tape is scratched. Unfortunately, it's possible that your VHS machine (the first one, not the new) did it to the tape. Test this out by using a new machine with tapes that have never been played through your old one.

This happened to me about 5 years ago. It drove me crazy because I couldn't figure it out until I tested a new machine with new tapes.