Panasonic DMR-ES35V - a VHS+DVD recorder with built-in time base corrector (TBC)

[@Lfe-l8n]

I know what i have to see today! Always a pleasure to see news vidéos about that technology on your KZbin channel 🙌

[@DGGamer_]

The Panasonic unit appears to have a better TBC than the JVC unit. Is the TBC used on this model similar to the one on the DMR-ES10?

[@ConsumerDV]

Frankly, I don't know. It is the only DVD recorder I have (so far). The ES10 is 2005, the ES15/25/35... are 2006. Does being newer make it better? IDK.

[@mooct1]

@@ConsumerDV The ES20 isn't a good model, and it is an ISL version and has barely any TBC on it. I've gone through 2 ES20's because of compactor issues. Newer isn't better. Stick with the ES10/ES15.

[@harysuper]

I just got on one of these to digitize some old VHS C tapes, I also am making some VHS C tapes of my own with my new camcorder. How do you utilize TBC with this unit? Is it DVD only that benefits from TBC?

[@ConsumerDV]

From my experiments I figured that the DVD/VHS Common outputs bypass the TBC, while the Video Priority outputs go through the TBC (see the image at 00:47). When you play a tape, you can use either of these outputs. Naturally, I use the Priority S-video output. Also, if you copy on a DVD, the unit uses the TBC as well.

[@harysuper]

@@ConsumerDV thank you! The video was very helpful!

[@coolcatrick3454]

​@@ConsumerDVhow about this question. If the unit has a TBC, can i connect a composite cable to the VCR output, send it through a macrovision defeating device, and send it back through to the input of the DVD recorder?

[@ConsumerDV]

I am not sure how a Macrovision defeating device is related to TBC. I mean, a TBC would strip Macrovison pulses. I suppose, a combo VHS+DVDR machine would not dub from a Macrovision-protected tape onto a DVD, but it will play the tape, and you can pick up the video from the analog output, and I suppose that when using Video Priority output, the video would be Macrovision-free. But I have not tested this.

[@coolcatrick3454]

@ConsumerDV you are right. what does one have to do with the other? totally unrelated. i apologize. But i still am wondering if a macrovision-defeating device could be used with this unit. i will experiment. it would be just as easy to use a separate VHS player to go from that player's composite output jacks to the ES48v's IN1. I am just thinking for simplicity, i guess. Just using 1 VCR/DVD Recorder to do the work.

[@lunaremissions1859]

This is the "Diga version". I have the pal version and these functions are not there.

[@ConsumerDV]

Which functions in particular?

[@lunaremissions1859]

@@ConsumerDV black level control. The menu is different.

[@ConsumerDV]

I think that black level control is particular to NTSC, which may have black at 0 IRE or 7.5 IRE. PAL does not have this discrepancy.

[@emerickscott]

I'm going to be running this through an external TBC (Retrotink 4K). The TBC on looks great here though. I wonder why the DVD Priority out has the digital garbage at the top.

[@ConsumerDV]

Does Retrotink have a TBC? The output is not perfect but considering how bad it looks without a TBC I think it is quite acceptable, also about 5% on the edges would be hidden in the overscan area of an old-school TV.

[@iclaudio5230]

@emerickscott could you upload or share a video sample using Retrotink 4K as external TBC?

[@coolcatrick3454]

i have a Panasonic EZ48v. I understand it was just an EZ45v equipped with an HDMI cable. I read that the unit does NOT have TBC-like passthrough like it's cousin, the Panasonic ES15 DVD recorder. is this a fact?

[@ConsumerDV]

I have not used the EZ48V, so cannot comment on its features, I apologize. The operating manual does not seem to mention TBC. You can try digitizing a wiggly recording via the EZ48V and without it and compare the results, that is what I did.

[@coolcatrick3454]

@@ConsumerDV i believe in any of these Panasonic DVD Recorders, there is no actual TBC. I think they just call it DIGA.

[@ConsumerDV]

What is an actual TBC? If it performs tasks of a TBC, it is a TBC to me. All I can say is when I send a wiggly video through the ES35, it comes out straighter, I see a positive effect. Is it as good as a "real" TBC? Does it cover all sorts of defects that can happen to a video? Probably not. You can see from my samples that TBC in a camcorder actually delivers a more stable video, but it shifts the frame up. With the ES35 there is no shift, just some jitter on the very top of the frame, which I find acceptable. Sure, I would want to have a "real" TBC, but I've got the ES35 for $20 in a thrift store, so for this money it works for me :) DIGA is just Panasonic's branding for their DVDRs, like VIERA for their plasma TVs, I would not read too much into that.

[@coolcatrick3454]

@ConsumerDV I guess if the tape is not too degraded, it is acceptable to call DIGA a TBC if it helps stabilize the video. It is, i guess, like a line TBC. My tapes are 40+ years old. They need a frame TBC. It is a harsh reality that ebay has so many frame TBC's selling for $1,500 or more. I understand that a Panasonic video mixer, the WJ-AVE5, has frame TBC similarities, and are on ebay for $300, or so. I am gonna buy one to see if i have any luck on my tapes.

[@goatmen7996]

Will the quality be better if you record VHS to DVD or the same

[@ConsumerDV]

This depends on the format you are capturing into. If you record to DVD, you get DVD quality, which is at best around 9 Mbit/s MPEG-2 4:2:0 interlaced SD. I capture into Cineform at around 60-90 Mbit/s with 4:2:2 color subsampling. Truth to be told, DVD quality is usually enough, you lose quality elsewhere, like you image is unstable or has wrong aspect ratio or wrong scanning type or crushed blacks or blown out highlights, tons of other things can degrade your video.

[@goatmen7996]

@@ConsumerDV so the dvd quality is ok for vhs

[@ConsumerDV]

Different people will give you different answers :) To me, DVD is good enough for good quality VHS. The more noise or other high-frequency artifacts your recording has, the more bitrate you need to preserve all this information, which you may not need at the first place, but it is either preserving it or your picture breaks into macroblocks. Also, some people do not like that DVD uses 4:2:0 color subsampling, not 4:2:2. I think it is good enough if you do not plan to edit it.

[@goatmen7996]

@@ConsumerDV yah i bought a panasonic dmr es-25 and its comming in 1 week

[@ConsumerDV]

Congrats! Are you going to record to discs? I still have a half-used 100-pack of DVD-R discs from more than a decade ago. But I burned my DVDs on a computer. I also burned quite a few AVCHD discs.