Possible to capture DigiBeta or Beta SP PAL with USB h.264 video recorder?

[Simeon Pines]

No need for digi and SP. Just hire a Sony J30 and it’s got firewire (iLink) built in.

[Sarah Jones]

Hi Raoul,

BetaSP and DigiBeta shouldn’t be an issue with the Video Recorder. If you do decide to use the s-video output, make sure you also grab a Y-C splitter to separate the luminance and chrominance onto two RCA cables. You can find them on Amazon, B&H, and other places fairly cheaply. Also, since you are going to be capturing from VHS tapes, be aware that due to the ability of tape to stretch over time, you may run into issues where the tape has stretched in places and falls in and out of spec. When renting a deck while in Europe, you might consider something with a time base corrector built in or even a separate TBC to keep the tape in spec.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Sarah
Support Representative
Blackmagic Design Inc.

[Raoul Hernandez]

Hi Sarah,

Thanks for the response. It sounds very reassuring.

Thanks for the tip regarding the VHS tapes. As the tapes are really old, it is very likely that it will be stretched in certain places. If I can’t find a TBC device, how does the out of spec video manifest itself when being digitized? Will the Video Recorder capture everything as is (tracking problems and all), or will it stop recording altogether if the signal is lost for a moment, (in the way a DV tape with dropped frames cut out during transfer via firewire).

Thanks again,
R.

[Sarah Jones]

Hi Raoul,

An out of spec signal will typically manifest as black through the hardware. More often that not, you’ll see the video flicker between picture and black at a high frequency. The tracking issues you would see on the VCR would not show the same through the Video Recorder (i.e. static and scrolling lines). In their place you’ll see the flickering I’ve described.

Regards,

Sarah
Support Representative
Blackmagic Design Inc.

[Raoul Hernandez]

Ok, thanks for clarifying!

Best,
R.