Frame Skipping When Capturing Old Vhs Tapes

[GaryAllen 0]

I have been converting some old tapes - most are '88-'94 vintage - of college plays, musicals, etc. for friends. Most are fine but several exhibit frame skipping at a few places in the program. All of the tapes are dubs, and most are VHS-120 recorded at LP or even EP, but that does not appear to correlate with the skipping problem.

 

At the places where frame skipping occurs during EV2D capture, the video freezes on the EV2D monitor screen, but the audio track continues at the normal rate. After 20-30-45 seconds, the video unfreezes at the point in sync with the audio track again. When this region is replayed, all motion is very fast (as is the audio) until the point at which the capture unfreeze occurred, and then the program continues normally.

 

I have tried using a different VHS player, but the frame skipping still occurs in the exact same place and for the same duration.

 

I also tried fast-forwarding the tape to a spot a minute or so before the freeze and starting capture there, but the frame skipping still happens in exactly the same place with the same duration.

 

I usually import the capture mpg file into Mpeg Streamclip (a GREAT! program), and the skipping is visible there, so I am pretty sure that it is in the mpg capture file. But I have also tried sending the capture file to Toast 10 (full version) to make a disk image file, with the same results.

 

Playing back the VHS tape on a regular TV set exhibits no problem.

 

Me: G5 Dual 2.3 / 4GB / 10.4.11 - EV2D 1.0.3 recording at High quality.

[ogdens 85]

I have been converting some old tapes - most are '88-'94 vintage - of college plays, musicals, etc. for friends. Most are fine but several exhibit frame skipping at a few places in the program. All of the tapes are dubs, and most are VHS-120 recorded at LP or even EP, but that does not appear to correlate with the skipping problem.

 

At the places where frame skipping occurs during EV2D capture, the video freezes on the EV2D monitor screen, but the audio track continues at the normal rate. After 20-30-45 seconds, the video unfreezes at the point in sync with the audio track again. When this region is replayed, all motion is very fast (as is the audio) until the point at which the capture unfreeze occurred, and then the program continues normally.

 

I have tried using a different VHS player, but the frame skipping still occurs in the exact same place and for the same duration.

 

I also tried fast-forwarding the tape to a spot a minute or so before the freeze and starting capture there, but the frame skipping still happens in exactly the same place with the same duration.

 

I usually import the capture mpg file into Mpeg Streamclip (a GREAT! program), and the skipping is visible there, so I am pretty sure that it is in the mpg capture file. But I have also tried sending the capture file to Toast 10 (full version) to make a disk image file, with the same results.

 

Playing back the VHS tape on a regular TV set exhibits no problem.

 

Me: G5 Dual 2.3 / 4GB / 10.4.11 - EV2D 1.0.3 recording at High quality.

 

 

This is taken from a Roxio KB article on this forum, but it's worth reading:

 

 

"A VHS tape can become defective for the following reasons:

 

• Storage. If the tape has been stored in a moist environment or where the tape isn't fully wound in either direction, this can cause environmental wear on the tape surface and break in the signal causing the error. Also, if the tape is stored near a magnetic field (on top of a TV, for example) - or even some metals - this can disrupt the signal.
• Over usage. If the tape has been repeatedly recorded over or has recording inserted in the middle of the video, this creates a new sync pulse and data that can throw the device or software off causing the capture to stop. Also, if the cassette has been recorded over many times, this can degrade the tape reducing the signal strength.
• Age. An old VHS cassette tape can become more brittle with age, and while able to play back, some of the magnetic data on the tape may decompose or demagnetize enough to create data breaks or reduce the signal strength.

 

To verify if the tape is defective, use a brand new VHS cassette - or your newest cassette available - and record a fresh section of video for about 10 minutes. Playback 30 seconds into the new recording and begin capturing to see if it's successful."

 

 

So you could try a newer tape and see if you experience the same problem.

Edited January 3, 2011 by ogdens

[GaryAllen 0]

This is taken from a Roxio KB article on this forum, but it's worth reading:

 

 

"A VHS tape can become defective for the following reasons:

 

• Storage. If the tape has been stored in a moist environment or where the tape isn't fully wound in either direction, this can cause environmental wear on the tape surface and break in the signal causing the error. Also, if the tape is stored near a magnetic field (on top of a TV, for example) - or even some metals - this can disrupt the signal.
• Over usage. If the tape has been repeatedly recorded over or has recording inserted in the middle of the video, this creates a new sync pulse and data that can throw the device or software off causing the capture to stop. Also, if the cassette has been recorded over many times, this can degrade the tape reducing the signal strength.
• Age. An old VHS cassette tape can become more brittle with age, and while able to play back, some of the magnetic data on the tape may decompose or demagnetize enough to create data breaks or reduce the signal strength.

 

To verify if the tape is defective, use a brand new VHS cassette - or your newest cassette available - and record a fresh section of video for about 10 minutes. Playback 30 seconds into the new recording and begin capturing to see if it's successful."

 

 

So you could try a newer tape and see if you experience the same problem.

 

Thanks for the ref. The "over usage" part brings to mind how these dubs were probably made: Originals doubtless were recorded in camera at SP and the tapes were swapped out at intermission or scene change, as needed. Then the dub master was created - at SLP or EP - by going deck-to-deck. At the end of the first SP orig, the dub deck was paused while the orig tape was swapped out on the source deck, and the copy continued. This would definitely introduce at least a non-regular SYNC pulse, and maybe a short noise segment. After that, the dub master would certainly propagate this to all the copies.

 

I will go back and watch the VHS on a TV to see if the tape exhibits a little static spot before the fault. I'll bet there is a quick roll or some noise in the video or some other similar indication.

 

Good suggestion. Thanks.

[Jreb 0]

I just put in 20+ hours of recording only to find out EVERY CLIP I RECORDED SKIPS ALL OVER THE PLACE!!!!!! What a TURD of a product!!!! I want my money back!!

[ogdens 85]

Contact Roxio Support (top of this page).

[tsantee 231]

I just put in 20+ hours of recording only to find out EVERY CLIP I RECORDED SKIPS ALL OVER THE PLACE!!!!!! What a TURD of a product!!!! I want my money back!!

Try recording a medium quality to see if that takes care of the problem. The medium quality setting is actually the better choice for other reasons. It encodes at the popular (and high quality) h.264 format and takes up much less space than the Apple Intermediate Codec (AIC) used by the high-quality setting. Because (AIC) is such a large file size it is possible that the hard drive is having trouble keeping up with writing the video in real time.

[olicoolg 0]

on the VHS to DVD 3 there is no option of changing the quality of recording. I have the same problem. You can watch the video perfectly on your laptop through the program without issues. However its after you press the record button that everything changes. Skipping and sound problems throughout. I would love to know when Roxio will produce a quality product.

[d_deweywright 118]

on the VHS to DVD 3 there is no option of changing the quality of recording. I have the same problem. You can watch the video perfectly on your laptop through the program without issues. However its after you press the record button that everything changes. Skipping and sound problems throughout. I would love to know when Roxio will produce a quality product.

 

olicoolg, you've posted in a nearly three year old thread, regarding the Mac version of Easy VHS to DVD. Is that the product you have?

 

You also haven't given us any information about your tapes, your system, or anything we can really work with.

 

Please start a new thread, here, if this is the proper product, or else in the correct product forum, and let us know some more details about what you have. How old are your tapes? What are the specs of your system (processor, OS, etc.)? And what things (if any) have you tried beside "playing the tape and capturing." (Have you retensioned the tape?)