Mitsubishi HS-MD3000 - a VHS VCR with built-in time base corrector (TBC)

📼 A hands-on review of the Mitsubishi HS-MD3000 VCR, originally designed to capture images of medical examinations. It has all the features of a high end consumer-grade VCR like Super-VHS capability with Expansion Technology, Hi-Fi audio, jog dial for accurate playback and editing, flying erase head, digital Y/C separation, digital noise reduction. It also has an RS-232 connector and a USB port.
For someone who wants to convert analog videos into digital form, the most prized feature of this machine is a built-in time base corrector (TBC), allowing to dub or digitize a tape with the highest quality. The TBC has a full frame memory, which allows it not only to straighten the frame, but to ensure there is no picture roll and to minimize the number of dropped frames.
Text version on Medium: reflectiveobse...
More info on what is TBC and why you may need it: • What is Time Base Corr...
#vhs #svhs

[@reel_images]

Thanks so much for sharing and creating this video. As a video editor I understand how much time goes into a 6min video of this quality, hours and hours. Well it's appreciated! I'm getting closer to getting a decent workflow for capturing all my home videos, I've setup a Windows 10 machine to QTGMC deinterlace footage, however still at the trial phase and playing with the import methods , like you... I have a VHC-C S-Video JVC camera that I can capture all my little 30min tapes with TCB however I'm struggling finding a decent workflow to capture VHS, I did a few tests. One test, I captured live to VirtualDub from a Panasonic DVX100b MiniDV camera 29.97i using the DVC-100 Dazzle, not using a tape just to test. On play back after deinterlacing it looks great, however like the Doc Hollywood video I have jagged edges around things like a house window frame. I'm kinda lost as I wouldn't think a live video to VirtualDub would need timebase correction..?

[@ConsumerDV]

Thanks! I would think that composite signal generated from live digital camera would be more steady, interesting. BTW, MD3000 nicely corrects tiny jitter, but does not seem to handle severe errors well, so not a bulletproof solution.

[@reel_images]

@@ConsumerDVGreat video again, awesome job! Yes in regards to the video being more steady, the video that I sent live from my Panasonic DVX100b was from s-video camera out to DVC-100 Dazzle S-Video in and captured on VirtualDub2 in the Apple ProRes 29.97i. I remembered you saying in one of your posts that you didn't intend to be a trouble shooter or life long tester to capture VHS footage. It seems there is not one straight solution, it's having the right OS, computer hardware, drivers, capture hardware. Then in between you need a few other things, VHS player with S-Video and TBC hardware all this with the right combination in order to capture. Then a different workflow to de-interlace like a QTGMC system with a 64bit OS. I'm still in the stage of finding the best workflow for both capture and de-interlace. I do like the look of QTGMC and AVISynth. I just picked up a VHS player with S-Video out, it's Mitsubishi HS-423ur, I need to find the large 2mm square belt to get it working, then I'm on the hunt for a decent TBC. Looks like you got a great SVHS player, again, thanks for the video and the reply. :)

[@tookeydookey]

Never knew A&E made tapes on EP mode! Also to say that VCR is nice might as well be an understatement! Love the white color on it, speaks medical to me!

[@ConsumerDV]

It reminds me a 1980s desktop PC, it is about as deep. I like large illuminated buttons, I wish they had longer travel. I also like that I don't need a remote to invoke the menu.

[@BenJonesVideographer]

Saw one on eBay not that long ago! Cool stuff!

[@slayufa]

I have some SONY SVO , but it hasn't TBC on board. It's medical too and S-VHS machine

[@ConsumerDV]

The GE VIVID 3 service manual specifies the following VCRs: Sony SVO-9500MDP2 (PAL), SVO-9500MD2 (NTSC), Mitsubishi HS-MD3000E (PAL), HS-MD3000U (NTSC), Panasonic AG-MD-835E (PAL), AG-MD-835P (NTSC). According to the respective brochures, both the Sony and the Panasonic do have TBC and frame memory and can record in SVHS with Hi-Fi audio. So, very similar. I looked on eBay, Sony and Panasonic seem to be more expensive. There are other models as well, like the AG MD830. It is a whole new rabbit hole :)

[@slayufa]

@@ConsumerDV May be it is SVO-9500. But there's no any pic about TBC on the front panel

[@ConsumerDV]

This leaflet says that the SVO-9500MD has TBC: www.ampronix.com/pdfs/Sony-SVO9500MD-Brochure-EN.pdf

[@slayufa]

@@ConsumerDV That's correct!

[@joeshmoe000]

This whole series of VHS capture videos are great and I learned more than I did from any other vids about this! I'd love to see a video on using an ATI All in Wonder card. I can't find a proper vid on youtube. This is an old (maybe better?) solution to capturing VHS and requires an old computer with an AGP slot, but it seems like people on forums are saying it's the best method. I also have several old computers sitting around and it would be easy for me to get one of these cards on ebay. I just want to know if it's worth it.

[@ConsumerDV]

Thanks! Regarding an ATI card, I don't have one and do not plan getting one. My favorite capture card came with a 2008 HP Pavilion and it works great for me. With an SVHS/TBC VCR I am getting good enough results.

[@snugray_p1659]

That's pretty cool how it can do that!

[@trog1212]

Would it work as a passthrough device?

[@ConsumerDV]

I haven't tried. In all fairness, it is a lovely machine that outputs rock-solid picture if the tape is in good condition, but for bigger errors it tends to repeat the previous frame, which is fine for medical use, but does not work for normal video. So, for really effed-up tapes I use a Digital8 camcorder with TBC in passthrough mode.

[@ScottGrammer]

What software are you using to correct the chroma shift?

[@ConsumerDV]

I use FlaXen VHS filter for VirtualDub.

[@ComicMelon]

Is a difference in the quality of audio between this and the 778, how is hi-fi playback? Second question, functioning as a pass-through, so it add TBC to output from another deck?

[@ConsumerDV]

I don't know whether there is a discernible difference, I have no equipment to measure frequency response. The MD3000 allows selecting either linear, or Hi-Fi, or a mix of both. The mix does not sound good, so need to specifically select Hi-Fi for Hi-Fi tapes. As for passthrough, I haven't tried it to use it like this.

[@AkronDIY]

I have this same model - but I can't figure out how to bring up the menu to access the settings that you have. Pressing the Menu button does nothing - did you use a remote?

[@ConsumerDV]

Long press brings up the menu. Then you navigate between page items with Jog/Adjust wheel, and between pages with Menu/Enter.

[@AkronDIY]

@ConsumerDV thank you! I wasn't holding the menu button long enough + I realized I could only access the menu if a video was Stopped.

[@derrick_builds]

Can you use the unit as a TBC? As in feed a signal to it and then take the output to your capture card?

[@ConsumerDV]

I don't think so, although I haven't tried. I have only one SVideo cable, and regular RCA cables do not fit BNC jacks. Maybe I'll buy a second SVideo cable and try it sometimes later.

[@Bigboxpro]

@@ConsumerDV I know some of the pro Panasonic units would offer passthrough TBC.

[@elijahmodnar1]

TBC colour phase looks yellowish

[@WrappedInPlasticine]

Has anybody used this with the VHS-Decode project?

[@mikegeykhman]

Hi, I have the same model and it seems to me that the output luminance level is higher than it should be. This is especially noticable when changing from fast or slow playback - brightness seems correct in anything but standard playback mode. Is it just me or do you see the same? Thanks

[@ConsumerDV]

Indeed, I noticed that compared to my other VCR the levels are higher with this one using the same A/D converter. I compensate by using proc amp during capture, I reduce level from 5000 units, whatever they are measured in, to 4500, this brings it on par with the other VCR, and to me it looks that I am able to preserve most of the highlights.

[@eddieduff]

I picked up a very lightly used model (8 hours on heads) on Ebay. One thing I noticed is it's image seems to be aggressively sharpened as there are white halos to the right of subjects in normal playback. This would make sense as it was intended for medical images. I've tried all the video adjustment settings in the menus but can't seem to get rid of it. Any ideas on how to minimize the sharpness/reduce halos? I'm using for video playback and not capture.

[@ConsumerDV]

In my case, the capture from the MD3000 looked better and with fewer artifacts that from another VCR. Try turning off all enhancements as well as sharpening in you capture hardware and software.

[@seminiferousbuttnoid]

@mikegeykhman Does it do this with SVHS, VHS or both? I have a Sony medical VCR and I don't notice a burned out luminance value on SVHS recordings but you can see it on regular VHS.

[@slayufa]

Классное видео! Но на мой взгляд и вкус интерлейсное видео смотрится чётче прогрессивного. Разумеется если не делать скриншоты кадра. Все таки человеческий глаз видит в видео не статичную картинку как в картинной галерее, а меняющиеся друг за другом картинки, и это уже воспринимается по-другому. Был бы Вам очень признателен, если бы на русском вкратце описали работу ТВС! Особенно где он с настройками, и я говорю не о настройке уровня черного, или насыщенности! Есть настройки хрома фазы например, или написано хрома коарс. Вот что они дают и меняют? Спасибо!

[@ConsumerDV]

Спасибо! Позволю себе согласиться лишь частично. В чересстрочной картинке 50 (или 60) полей в секунду, поэтому она кажется плавной по сравнению с 25p или 30p. Но 50p/60p имеет столько же изображений в секунду, при этом картинка чище, без дефектов, и с большим разрешением, потому что чересстрочную картинку фильтруют по вертикали, чтобы избежать дрожания строк. Интерлейс это прошлый век, был он придуман по необходимости, и выглядит терпимо лишь на старорежимном кинескопе. Другое дело, что дешевые ЖК мониторы не обладают высокой частотой обновления и удерживают пиксел по 1/50 секунды, что, в сочетании с большим разрешением и высокой контрастностью, приводит к дерганью. У плазмы, например, сами элементы моргают с частотой до 600 Гц. Я поэтому отказался от покупки ЖК телевизора пятнадцать лет назад, когда они только появились, картинка выглядела неестественно. Но с тех пор частота обновления ЖК экранов была существенно увеличена, так что проблема по большей части решена. Насчет настроек корректора временны́х искажений, я не профессиональный телевизионщик и не радиоинженер. Начал с того, что купил видеокамеру для дома для семьи, а потом стало интересно. Я, конечно, почитываю тематическую литературу, но базовых знаний не хватает. Вот, например, в книге "Телевидение" под редакцией проф. Быкова написано достаточно понятно о функционировании КВИ, но нет конкретных указаний "нажмешь на кнопку, получишь результат". Там, кстати, понятно объяснено, что разъем для КВИ на видеомагнитофоне сделан для обратной связи, для коррекции скорости воспроизведения с помощью опорных сигналов, что позволяет уменьшить требования к внутренней памяти самого корректора. Если же корректировать уже на выходе, то нужно закачивать целое поле, а то и кадр в память, а потом уже выравнивать. Отсюда бóльшие требования к объему памяти и задержка воспроизведения на одно поле или кадр. В этом видаке есть, кстати, буфер для целого кадра. Рекламируется как фича для стоп-кадра, но я думаю, что и для коррекции он тоже используется. Если я найду понятную мне инфу и смогу ее систематизировать, то, безусловно, поделюсь. Вот как я сделал видео про wow & flutter, я сам сначала не понимал что и как там измеряется.

[@MohammadShahnawaz772023]

Can it play PAL International vhs's?

[@ConsumerDV]

Model with "E" suffix is PAL, model with "U" or "UA" is NTSC.