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Trying to capture REALLY bad video
I have a VHS tape that is 20 years old. It’s in pretty poor condition and it breaks up frequently as it plays. I’m trying to digitize it for a client – just want to get it in and export it so they can post it on a web site (they’re willing to live with the garbage video). But during the sections where the video breaks up fairly badly FCP stops capture – says there’s a problem with the video. Is there any way to lower the tolerance during Log and capture so will just take in anything?
RJ Thomas
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4 Replies
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If there is real value in the material on this tape it might be time to consider a preservation service.
There are several reasons a tape may fail. Continued attempts at playing it will often exacerbate the problems. Tape restoration companies have ways of treating the tapes, specialized playback equipment and tools to correct and stabilize whatever signal can be recovered. It unfortunately does cost a good bit.
2 companies I know of, there are others:
https://www.videointerchange.com/
https://www.bavc.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=566&Itemid=733 -
Best to dub your VHS to a DV or Beta tape. Short of that, a time base corrector between your deck and FCP, and/or set your capture to non-concontrolable device.
Have a wonderful day.
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Go into Preferences and uncheck the box “Abort capture on dropped frames”
Maybe this will help.
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One trick we used to use was to first transfer the VHS to a Betacam SP or Digibeta tape (if you have such a beast). You loop the video signal through the composite in on the beta deck and then feed it to the reference in…
Then capture it from the beta transfer.. going through the decks TBC seems to get some of the wrinkles out. Of course your tape may simply be too mucked up to do much with…
Good luck!
jason
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