Dropouts in old Hi8 tapes at DVinfo.net

Ron Evans · September 17th, 2006, 09:13 AM

I am re-editing some video from the 1990's and have a lot of dropouts from these old Hi8 tapes. Are there any filters that can remove these dropouts? A manual filter would be Ok to just remove the worst ones. I have Vegas 6, PPRO 1.5.1 and Edius PRo3. I have wound and rewound the tapes several times which does improve the output but I am now at the point of little change. I am transfering to PC with a TRV740 D8 camcorder too.

Ron Evans

Bob Hart · September 17th, 2006, 05:50 PM

Try a variation on a method used to recover vintage audio recordings on 78rpm disks.

I assume you only have one copy of the tape.

Try playback and capture of the same tape on several different playback machines. Each may have a different and unique version of the dropout defect and you might cumulatively get enough extra frames to reduce the amount of cutting or correction you have to do.

Your original recording camera might be best for playback but it might not be so good as another playback machine if it has done a lot of work since it recorded that tape. With mechanical wear, relative to the tape it originally recorded, it may no longer be exactly the same machine.

Sometimes, the actual position of the playback machine, ie., on its side, upright or one one end or another, can affect the severity of dropouts, especially if it is a worn specimen.

Be careful there is no loose dust or trash inside the tape compartment of the playback machine before you start moving it about.

Ron Evans · September 18th, 2006, 07:12 AM

Yes, that is what I have done so far. Even captured several copies ( 2 hours 30 mins!!!!) to PC and edited the cleanest together. Just felt there must be a filter to do this. Like a region filter that takes the info from frame before and after to get a new region. These dropouts only last a few frames on a small horizontal line. I have it in a reasonable state now but it would be nice to have the equivalent to some of the clean up filters for audio that are in Sound Forge!!! FOr interest to everyone the most expensive Sony ME tapes have suffered the most, the cheap MP tapes I used for second camera back then are just fine!!!!

Ron Evans

David Kennett · September 21st, 2006, 04:09 PM

Ron,

Some time back, I had trouble capturing HI-8 with a sony camcorder. I don't remember the model, but a friend has a sony HI-8 deck with TBC and DOC. I think he paid $2K or $3K for it. I fed audio and video into a sony analog to firewire converter box I had. It was soooo much better than camera pb.

Richard Alvarez · September 21st, 2006, 06:43 PM

Te Canopus ADVC300 (I think that's the model number) has a tbc in it. I think it's around three hundred dollars or so... if it's worth it to you.

Three Prong makes a GREAT filter that does just what you want...

http://www.3prong.com/

Unfortunately, it only runs on Avid at this time I think.

Ron Evans · September 22nd, 2006, 07:19 AM

I have the Sony EVS7000 Hi8 deck with TBC and also have an external TBC. I think that the pro Sony Hi8 decks had better DOC than the EVS7000 though. OF all the methods I have tried the D8 transfer is the best. I think it reads from the heads,stabilizes and converts to DV at the same time. I have Canopus equipment and software too. The ADVC300 will work with any NLE, it just converts analogue input to a DV file, even works standalone between decks.

Ron Evans

September 17th, 2006, 09:13 AM	#1
Ron Evans Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,220	Dropouts in old Hi8 tapes I am re-editing some video from the 1990's and have a lot of dropouts from these old Hi8 tapes. Are there any filters that can remove these dropouts? A manual filter would be Ok to just remove the worst ones. I have Vegas 6, PPRO 1.5.1 and Edius PRo3. I have wound and rewound the tapes several times which does improve the output but I am now at the point of little change. I am transfering to PC with a TRV740 D8 camcorder too. Ron Evans

September 21st, 2006, 04:09 PM	#4
David Kennett Major Player Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: North Ridgeville, Ohio Posts: 407	Ron, Some time back, I had trouble capturing HI-8 with a sony camcorder. I don't remember the model, but a friend has a sony HI-8 deck with TBC and DOC. I think he paid $2K or $3K for it. I fed audio and video into a sony analog to firewire converter box I had. It was soooo much better than camera pb. __________________ Dave

September 17th, 2006, 05:50 PM	#2
Bob Hart Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: PERTH. W.A. AUSTRALIA. Posts: 4,477	Try a variation on a method used to recover vintage audio recordings on 78rpm disks. I assume you only have one copy of the tape. Try playback and capture of the same tape on several different playback machines. Each may have a different and unique version of the dropout defect and you might cumulatively get enough extra frames to reduce the amount of cutting or correction you have to do. Your original recording camera might be best for playback but it might not be so good as another playback machine if it has done a lot of work since it recorded that tape. With mechanical wear, relative to the tape it originally recorded, it may no longer be exactly the same machine. Sometimes, the actual position of the playback machine, ie., on its side, upright or one one end or another, can affect the severity of dropouts, especially if it is a worn specimen. Be careful there is no loose dust or trash inside the tape compartment of the playback machine before you start moving it about.

September 18th, 2006, 07:12 AM	#3
Ron Evans Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,220	Yes, that is what I have done so far. Even captured several copies ( 2 hours 30 mins!!!!) to PC and edited the cleanest together. Just felt there must be a filter to do this. Like a region filter that takes the info from frame before and after to get a new region. These dropouts only last a few frames on a small horizontal line. I have it in a reasonable state now but it would be nice to have the equivalent to some of the clean up filters for audio that are in Sound Forge!!! FOr interest to everyone the most expensive Sony ME tapes have suffered the most, the cheap MP tapes I used for second camera back then are just fine!!!! Ron Evans

September 21st, 2006, 06:43 PM	#5
Richard Alvarez Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: San Mateo, CA Posts: 3,840	Te Canopus ADVC300 (I think that's the model number) has a tbc in it. I think it's around three hundred dollars or so... if it's worth it to you. Three Prong makes a GREAT filter that does just what you want... http://www.3prong.com/ Unfortunately, it only runs on Avid at this time I think.

September 22nd, 2006, 07:19 AM	#6
Ron Evans Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,220	I have the Sony EVS7000 Hi8 deck with TBC and also have an external TBC. I think that the pro Sony Hi8 decks had better DOC than the EVS7000 though. OF all the methods I have tried the D8 transfer is the best. I think it reads from the heads,stabilizes and converts to DV at the same time. I have Canopus equipment and software too. The ADVC300 will work with any NLE, it just converts analogue input to a DV file, even works standalone between decks. Ron Evans