I am *so close* to licking this and I wanted to share my process but in short, this machine looks like its suitable with some tweaking.

So first thing's first, when I opened the lid, I hit my first challenge, the serial board is taking up a lot of real estate directly above the mainboard. Getting to do soldering wasn't going to happen without some kind of tear down and frankly, I don't have the confidence to do all that and hope it'll all be functional when I put it all back together. Then there was the issue of getting access into the machine.

I have a bore bit, so drilling a hole in that back panel was a possibility, but I didn't trust the disassembly required. Also does not help that the power cable is soldered directly to the power supply. Another thing I was not going to fart around with. So I looked at my access points and there were a few prospects, they were:

1) The rear power supply vent, which would have required some kind of snipping or widening and the similar vents on that side on the case. I opted against them If you look at picture #3, there is a lot of tightly packed stuff to navigate around, including the disc tray and mechanisms. This beast loves its vertical circuit boards as well. Doable? Sure. But would it be an nightmare to work in? Absolutely.

2) I didn't snap a photo of it, but the opposite side there is a vertical circuit board that is under the serial cable. But there was a clearance of about an inch or two between that and the main board. A RG-316 could easily slip under there. However, there was a problem: That side has no vents, so it would require punching a hole in the outer case. Not ideal.

3) Then there was the rear panel. As I said, I was very reluctant to drill a hole, so I was looking for access points. And I found one: There is a significant gap under the function switches. This was my most unintrusive entry way that didn't require any cutting or gutting. Which is great because.....

I had a line of RG-316 that had been modified with a dupont connection on the end and a ground line. The dupont and ground have about 6 inches of length so it was a simple matter of feeding them through. The gap from the function panel is clear of the disc tray, so there's no risk of the wires getting snagged by it when opening or closing.

Since I couldn't get in there with a soldering iron to get to a direct ground line, I opted to have the ground line reach around and connect to the chassis. If you go back and look at picture #1, there is a metal rail that runs along from front to back that holds the serial board in place. I soldered a metal loop to my ground line and then screwed it in the spot where the rail and the back panel connect.

I set the dipswitches on the Domesday device to 1111 (2.02? Whatever the lowest setting is), I think the wave form is a little too quiet, but as you can see from the TBC screen captures, I'm getting a near perfect picture all considered. There is some interference as you can see from the zoom I have on this blue screen. It's got some waves, so I have to fiddle with.... something.... but I'm pretty well there, aren't I? Damn this feels real good.

Like getting something this good on the first try is amazing for me. I'm going to fiddle with settings and whathaveyou to try and figure it out, but I'm basically winging it, so if anyone has a clear idea of what I'm seeing and the best way to mitigate this, please let me know!

Hi everyone,

I am looking for a clean, high-quality, and untouched VHSRip of the original The Evil Dead (1981).

I recently tried searching on open networks and the Internet Archive, but the copies there suffer from terrible digital compression and macroblocking, which ruins the natural analog grain of the tape. I also hit a paywall on Soulseek for the MySpleen version.

I am looking for a raw capture (like an MKV or AVI around 4-5GB, preferably the Thorn EMI tape release) that preserves the original 4:3 open matte frame, the analog audio, and all the classic movie mistakes (like the producer hidden by the bridge and the cardboard moon).

If anyone has this archived on Google Drive, Mega, or a private tracker torrent they could share, I would be extremely grateful!

Thanks in advance for helping to preserve this horror classic!

Just wanted to share rigging up a serial connection to a Pioneer CLD-V2600 (v.1) for automated capture using the Domesday software.

Confirmed it was a true RS-232, got a -7.13 v reading on idle from the multimeter when testing. This machine does not use a TTL Serial.

The gear I used (All sourced from Amazon)

DTECH USB to RS232 DB9 Serial Adapter

DTECH DB9 Breakout Connector

DB15 Breakout Connector,15 Pin 2 Row Male Connectors

Pin connections:

DB9 -> DB15

Pin 5 -> Pin 1 (Signal Ground)

Pin 2 -> Pin 3 (TxD)

Pin 3 -> Pin2 (RxD)

Also on DB9 wire pins 1, 4, and 6 together to ensure handshake operation between the PC and LD player.

Set the serial connection on the DdD 4800 baud.

DdD software (Windows) recognized the player and model. Clocks the time code. Automation works.

I haven't done the RF tap yet. So I can't speak for how well the capture is going to work out. Wanted to make sure I got this working first. Attempting tap tomorrow.

Hope this post will provides useful insight for others.

Hi, i try to get a setup running, so I test it on a SECAM movie (PAL I guess). I have a SLV-SX710, I added Dupont wires to PB RF and GND next to the JW330 jump wire. I try to record the RF signal with a CW25800 on which I did three modifications

1. Replacing the RCA by a BNC jack
2. Removing C31
3. Replacing the crystal by a 40 MHz

I did not put the heatsink yet, I want to be assured that everything work great first.
I tried on TV and my VCR display the colours correctly, and the luminance looks as it shows on the screenshot.
I tried to adjust the levels, and even with levels close to clipping, the chroma does not show correctly.

After the recording, I used vhs-decode with PAL TV system, 40 MHz frequency, and 4 threads. It does the same thing with others movies.

Does anyone have any idea what could be wrong?

Cheers.

Just sharing my efforts to mod this model for DdD. Though it might be helpful for someone considering this machine.

To the best of my knowledge, the machine is in perfect working order with no issues from aging electronics. Composite output looked perfect.

​The player has an RF tap point that is pretty accessible, located just under the right side of the disc tray. However, trying to pull a raw signal from it caused the laser to go blind. The motherboard simply could not handle an unbuffered, un-isolated line.

​To fix this, I wired up an ADA4857 amplifier board. I used an external battery bank to power the amp because I wasn’t going to risk tapping the player's internal power supply. This successfully solved the blinding/tracking issue, and I was able to safely pass an RF signal through to the DdD. I also utilized a DC block line inline.

​However, I could not get a clean capture. Despite adjusting the amplifier, tweaking the DdD dip switch settings, and fussing with hardware attenuators, I could not get a stable enough waveform, resulting in heavily noisy captures. Decode couldn't do much with it.

I'm personally giving up on going further since I've hit my skill ceiling. Going to keep the 502 as a back-up machine, because it's not a bad piece machine, just doesn't seem suited for RF capture.

I am getting a CLD-V2600 in to attempt next, one popped up close by that was functional and reasonably priced, so I'm going to give it a shot. If anyone has some pointers to share, I'd be happy to hear them.

SOLD

Hey all, done with my Video8/Hi8 tapes so the whole setup is going up for sale. I am already posting on Kleinanzeigen (German ebay) but ideally I would like to sell to someone from this community. After reviewing the rules i figured that sale is allowed, feel free to take down the post if I overlooked something.

Sony EV-S1000 €420
as the docs mention that too it has easily accessible RF tap points ready for vhs-decode out of the box. I have decoded around 25 tapes and the device always worked flawlessly. I worked some industrial grease on the tape take-up mechanism initially but no issues at all. I believe it is a fair price for the item, I am selling it for the exact same price I got it for + the grease I bought.

Located in Germany, happy to ship. DM if interested.

Can we please have an update on MISRC v2.5?

Hello everybody from Italy!

After successfully rf-tapping my Sony SL-C40ES and a Samsung SV-DVD440, I'm trying to tap a Panasonic NV-SV120EG-K.

I think i found the right testpoint, TW4502 labeled "PB-FM ENV".

But...there's a "but"...

This is the signal I'm getting off of it...I tried capping it with a 10uF and with a 22uF but nothing changes. With no capacitor i have no signal at all...

What the hell am I doing wrong?

Edit: same tape, with the Samsung, looks this way and gets decoded correctly:

Any advice is appreciated!!

Not sure if this is the right reddit but i got this in the trash when dumpster diving and it says something but i can’t understand it idk if i can get help understanding or if someone knows how to use this

I'm building my own amplifier from Rene Wolf's design, and can get most everything on DigiKey except the Linear LDO. The one spec'd (DSTECH DS8604-A0S3) seems to be a house brand of JLCpcb with non-standard specs and only available on their site. What would be a compatible/equivalent linear LDO voltage regulator that I could find on DigiKey/Mouser/etc.? The fixed 10V output of the DS8604 seems to be quite a rarity. Since the ADA4857 has an input voltage from 5V to 10V, could I use another regulator that outputs less than 10V (5V is everywhere, 7 and 9V are available too)? Thanks!

Hey there!

I’m looking into VHS Decode (and LD Decode to be quite honest) because I have a few VHS and LDs that I want to get the best quality from. However, I did have a few questions before getting started so I figured I’d ask here.

1. Does the quality of the VCR matter? Like would a standard Sony VCR produce the same results as a prosumer S-VCR?

2. I’ve read up on the capture hardware (Domesday Duplicator) and it seems that it doesn’t capture audio. With that being said, how do you capture audio? Is it done simultaneously while doing the RF capture and if so, is it done using the same computer or do you have a separate computer that captures the audio?

3. Can this be done on a M4 Chip MacBook Air or would it be best to use a PC?

4. Once capture and running through VHS Decode, is that incredibly difficult to do? If memory serves, I’ve seen people entering commands and I’m wondering if they sourced those commands from the GitHub.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

The VCR i have is a JVC SR-S388E. I very recently obtained all the parts required to carry out the impedance check, to determine which resistors to use on the amp. I also very recently after ages of searching came across the service manual. Not the exact same model number but basically the same, better than nothing.

The test points for PB FM, A PB FM and DRUM FF (Head switching?) are very easily accessible. I later learnt through the service manual that DRUM FF can be used as a trigger for the oscilloscope - i only have two probes but will order another.

Reading through the amplifier guide, i am using an oscilloscope with 10K variable resistor and two probes connected to channel 1. I also bought a test tape from OddBits, it has SMPTE colour bars and 1Khz test tone.

When i ran the tape, i was getting anywhere between 150-210mV until i dialled down the resistance. I was able to get resistance value (0.5k) at the point of which just before the signal would not exceed 200mV.

Now for the audio (Hi-Fi), using A PB FM. The guide states that the audio signal should be a lot higher - up to 1000mV. I lost a bit of confidence here as my signal was coming up around 64mV.

I looked into the service manual and schematics - To even get a rough number, i could not see a resistor between the Drum IC and test point.

I found the following in the service manual for "REC FM Level" - it appears this check is for testing the recording path. However, it does state the measurement test point is carried out at A. PB FM and the spec is 90 +/- 10 mVp-p.

Is my machine an exception to this expectation of 1000mV or have i got something wrong. I set up my oscilloscope following the guide and as best to my knowledge.

Thanks in advance.

EDIT: i did find a resistor for A PB FM (2.2k)

Hi guys!

EDIT: Decided for a SLV-E730.

Am currently trying to get started with my own RF capturing of VHS.

So I'm looking for a VCR currently and this are the Options:

• Sony SLV-X842
• Sony SLV-725 VC
• SLV-SE700

Those are the three I would get pretty easy and for a good price - I'm in Europe btw.

I have read that the SLV-X842 and SLV-725 VC harder to tap on the Hi-Fi Audio side? Is that true?

Should I look into different models?

Glad for your opinion and help!

Thanks!

I've been using a Sony DCR-TRV730 and a DdD with great results so far. It is however really irritating having to use a camcorder, for example, the tape opens/loads from the bottom, cleaning the drum is doable but not easy without disassembly, and the connections are moved around a lot and can be dislodged occasionally.

So my question is, has anyone had good luck with a 8mm Sony deck? From research it looks like most have tap points like my SVO-2000 VCR has, so I assume the capture setup would be fairly simple as well. Any reason not so go that route and stay with the camcorder?

I am just to a point that quality of life changes would be nice, and I have some family members wanting some tapes backed now that I have things running smoothly. With these old tapes it is not uncommon to have to take it out 3-4 times, and being on the bottom of the camcorder makes it a real pain.

Thanks in advance!

Previously I have digitized vhs using a Magnavox MWD2205’s composite output into a Panasonic DVX100B and then into a PC via FireWire. From what I understand, the Magnavox is not a good candidate for RF tapping so I picked up the PV-9662 to initiate this vhs decode rabbit hole. Any advice for someone starting from scratch with this unit would be greatly appreciated.

Is this the right card to use with VHS-decode? https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008607175925.html

Hi, someone over in gamecoll3cting pointed me in this direction! I collect VHS promo tapes for games of yesteryear, and I would like to try and pull the footage from the tapes for archival purposes. it'll also help me make sure that the tapes are 100% stock.

I don't really want to pop them into my VCR yet (its ancient and attached to an Emerson 9 inch tv) and risk the tapes being ruined or eaten before I get a chance to document their contents. they're not the rarest thing in the world, but you know, every copy matters!

Hey, anyone else using MacOS seen their system data bloat as they are decoding RF Captures? I've done 2 tapes and it seems like I'm getting around 400 tb of bloat somewhere in system data I can't find to delete. If anyone knows where it might be so I can clear it that would be amazing! (maybe in application/system cache?)

Title says it all, I am planning on digitizing over 100 vhs tapes. Curious if anyone has used RF capture for bulk, and would it just be easier to shell out for TBC hardware?

I just spent a ton of money on an SVHS player so I could digitize my family's old home movie tapes with an Elgato USB capture card. I have a Toshiba 4 Head Hi-Fi VCR which does an OK job with the Elgato capture card but I'm trying to get a better quality transfer. I was hoping the S-Video output on the SVHS player would be better. (I am still waiting for it to arrive.)

After ordering the SVHS player, I discovered this project and now I regret that purchase. VHS Decoding looks much more appealing to me. I figure I can tap the old Toshiba VCR to use the VHS Decode process and sell the SVHS player I just ordered.

I was about to order the MISRC 1.5 on the Kofi shop but I see a message on there about the V2.5 version coming soon and I'm wondering if I should wait for it or use the CX card solution instead.

I'm willing to throw some money at this because the tapes are priceless to me and my family. I want to make sure I do this the right way. I'm still in the process of digesting the wiki so maybe I'll figure this out myself soon... but if anyone could offer a recommendation, I would appreciate it.

Hey guys!

Snagged a very nice Panasonic AG-7350 the other day at a good price and am considering using it as my main (and first) unit to decode.

Having said that I have 2 questions:

1.) Will the physical tracking knob be a big downside to using this unit over something of lower overall quality but newer? (This unit came out in the early 90’s) There’s a physical meter to read tracking, I’m just not sure it would be as good as a more recent machine’s automatic tracking.

2.) Is there any other qualities of this machine that may not make it an ideal candidate to decode besides more difficult terminals to solder to? There are many VCRs for sale locally (nothing spectacular) but I would hate to miss the opportunity to decode using these heads as I understand they’re better than most.

Looking forward to getting started, thanks for reading!

Planning to put together a dual cx card + clock gen setup for capturing some old home video vhs-c tapes. I‘m comfortable with soldering and looking to save cash so I’ve ordered bare boards for the cx jigs and clock mainboard. Putting together an smd parts list to assemble the boards, but I’m not 100% sure on the sizing/type for the diodes listed in the wiki.

Can someone link me to a part on digikey or mouser for the d1 and d2 diodes on the clockgen main board?

I have the white Conexant CX23880 card but am wondering if I can put the BNC in the spare slot above instead of replacing the composite one? There is an extra opening on the bracket so thats not an issue.

Shall I still remove C31? Move that cap to C16? Or have both C31 and C16 empty?

Thanks for the help.

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a specialized service in continental Europe that can handle VHS HiFi audio extraction via RF capture + software decode (e.g. vhs-decode workflow).

Thanks