How can I get problem SVHS tape copied to DVD?

happyhero

Where can I get my problem SVHS tape copied on to DVD properly? I know loads of people do this but I took it to a proper photography shop that had all the equipment and it was even run by a geeky guy who might be able to do more than normal but when I got the DVD it was terrible. They guy just said it could be tracking and he couldn’t track it any better with his equipment.


I then tried another photo shop that advertised that they do it, quite a decent shop and explained to the guy what trouble I had had and he said all he can do is copy it and check it after but it seems certain that will just produce another bad DVD.


Why can’t they fiddle with tracking etc. and check it before copying.


It has been suggested to me that maybe the tape has stretched through lots of use but although this tape is 30 years old, I don’t think so. I bought an expensive SVHS machine 30 years ago (I think it was something like £700) but it went wrong after a few years so I could no longer use it. Anyway when it was quite new still maybe a year old I went out and bought a decent SVHS tape (JVC S-xg SVHS SE-180). These were supposed to be a few steps higher in quality than the standard VHS or SVHS tapes. I then copied a camcorder tape to it and added soundtrack, music etc. and titles via the camcorder trickery (quite clever at that time, easy now of course).


So I played it once to record on to it. I played it maybe 5 times showing it to people and then 5 times I played it to copy it on to normal VHS tapes for my friends (it was of a skiing holiday we had all been on and so it’s valuable to me). Then I put it in a cupboard to store and have never replayed it.


So let’s say it was a good quality tape played on a good quality machine less than 15 times so I don’t see how it could be worn out or stretched. I’m thinking that maybe the tracking is a bit tricky to match maybe at the limit of some machines so maybe you need a machine that has some extra wriggle room in its abilities. I think modern machines auto track and maybe that is a problem here although not sure why that would be the case.


Crazily I am no longer in touch with the friends I made copies for so I can’t copy the copies I made them.


I did try buying a SVHS machine on EBay to copy it myself but that was a disaster as it played too bad to copy and I had doubts as to whether the machine was faulty as I had got it cheap and maybe I was slightly conned with a faulty machine, I couldn’t be sure at the time.


I would hate to think my tape has had it. I just want a copy on a safe DVD that is as good quality as it can be. Hopefully since it was on SVHS it won’t be too bad quality to watch if anybody can resolve the problem.


Some places charge loads for copying and don’t seem to bother how it copies. They just put in the tape and a new blank DVD and set both machines off and then ask for £40, easy money for them but an expensive waste of money for me. What should I do and what can I do?

Farway

You could ask here

http://www.memoriesonvideo.co.uk/

I had my 50 years old 8mm copied to DVD and it came back as good as it was when I took it, content remained rubbish still;)

I found them very helpful and responsive. Worth asking anyway

googler

Well, you've now tried three machines, none of which seem to be able to play it. Copy house 1, copy house 2, and your own machine purchased off eBay. That would seem to suggest the tape is at fault, but without seeing the results for myself, I couldn't really say for certain.

All I can suggest is making friends of people who have S-VHS playback, and simply seeing if a playback of the tape looks OK. If you can establish this, then move on to copying, but for the time being, just find a machine that will play it back to your satisfaction.

Jon_01

You'd need to take to a professional video company, by the sounds of it the tracking is so far out none of the machines you'd tried can get a lock on it.

It would been to be played from pro SVHS deck through a TBC (time base corrector) and then converted to digital.

That is not going to be cheap.

(In a past life I was tech director of a video duplication company, we had stuff like this all the time come through the door)

googler

Do you still have the machine you recorded it on?

happyhero

googler wrote: »

Do you still have the machine you recorded it on?

No, but I think the fault was expensive to fix when I asked, so I didn't go ahead as I had it a while by then. I can't now remember what happened to it, it might be burried in my attic somewhere which means it will be even worse off so I don't think that is the way to go anymore.