Time Base Corrector Advice Required....

Hi..I am in New Zealand ..I have searched for a TBC and come to the conclusion I will have to buy on Ebay(USA)....BUT...I do not have any experience with one and do not know what is a good brand to buy...Except I have read the DataVideo 1000 is one of the best in the lower price range eg $200-$400....
Can anybody offer advice here ...
Thanks Ron.

I live in the UK and i'd like some advice too.
The Sima Copymaster is obsolete and isnt available now. What was its successor called and where can you buy it in the UK?

Thanks,

A.

To both you guys... you may already know this, but make sure you get a TBC that will accept your video format (eg: NTSC, PAL, SECAM) especially if you get one on eBay. Most modern TBCs will work with PAL amp; NTSC, but better to be sure! (BTW, I don't know of any SECAM TBCs)

Thanks for the info.
I've just thought of two possible scenarios, would either of the following work? (Using composite connections)

1)
Pipe the video and audio from a vcr INTO a pci capture card then connect the OUTPUT from this pci card INTO an AGP based Radeon VIVO? Thus defeating macrovision?
By my reckoning, the SOURCE video and audio for the Radeon should be filtered and useable by ATI MMC etc
*Both cards in the same pc*

I can get hold of a Hauppage Win TV FM PCI, the idea struck me last night.

2)
Connect the output of a vcr to the input of a standalone dvd player, then, pipe the output of the dvd player into an 'anti-macrovision' device (I bought a macro-blocker scart lead, not quite 100% performance, but close) and from this device into an AGP based Radeon VIVO.
*The dvd player doesnt have 'disable macrovision' built-in*
*If a dvd player has two scart sockets, can one by used as input and the other as output? Does it work that way?*

My Radeon is the 9800SE VIVO and macrovision protection is a real beaut of a problem with this card, the existing ati-hacks dont work, btw)

Any thoughts gladly received,

Thanks,

A.

The AVT-8710 TBC should defeat macrovision. It's the cheapest one I have found but the shipping outside of USA is expensive if you buy it here: avt-8710.htm

But I have also seen a TBC that is sold under the name CTB-100, which seems to be exactly the same unit: tbc.htm
The shipping is not expensive but the price is higher than in USA.

Some VCR has built-in TBC, like some older JVC SVHS models, but I'm not sure if they defeat macrovision. But a TBC will make the picture from VHS captures more stable and then easier to compress so it may be a good investment anyway.

This site has good information about ATI capturing with TBC: from--(check out quot;VCR and TBC suggestionsquot;)

Thanks for the TBC info, will take a look over the weekend.

I looked at the Hauppage tv card and theres no tv out connectors, so there goes that idea!!!

How about this one..........(i've been all over the net, cant find any reference to my new suggestion!)

Play vcr into a macro disabled dvd player using scart leads, then, from scart2 on the dvd player into a Radeon VIVO card?
Bearing in mind that the dvd player can disable macrovision from its outputs, would the macro enabled signal from the vcr be 'cleaned' by the dvd player?
So, macro-vcr signal -- into dvd -- dvd player cleans signal(?) before outputting to Radeon card?
I'm not sure if dvd players operate this way (as a sort of 'passthrough' device).
Has anyone tried this method? Any thoughts appreciated.

Thanks again,

Ali.

Play vcr into a macro disabled dvd player using scart leads, then, from scart2 on the dvd player into a Radeon VIVO card?

Won't work, since a DVD layer does nothing with an analogue signal. Even if it would loop through (which it probably won't) you would end up with the same signal.

Macrovision disabling on a DVD player is a purely digital event. The macrovision signal is not present in the MPG2 file on the dvd; the dvd is marked as protected, and the player generates the signal on playback when it sees the mark and mixes it in with the analogue signal. That why it is so easy to switch off. You only have to convince the player to ignore the mark and play back the DVD without generating the signal.

Wit the tape, the macrovision signal is in the signal on the tape, and the signal has to be processed/filtered to get it out again.

Thanks Arachnotron, wasnt entirely convinced that it would work.
Oh well, suppose its time for a tbc instead

Ali.