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Harry Munday edited this page Aug 4, 2025 · 17 revisions

WE NEED SAMPLES!

Support List (Issue #20)

Ideally 1-5min FLAC compressed, at 28-40msps or higher upload samples to Telegram or email (harry@opcomedia.com)

BetaMax NTSC/PAL needs more samples from fresh media and old media.

Betacam/Betacam SP & MI/MII

W-VHS/MUSE.

Video2000

2" Quadruplex (any and all format versions)

1" SMPTE A/B/C

Capturing Tape Formats

Caution

  • LaserDisc, Video8/Hi8 & Betamax NTSC are single channel FM RF formats, i.e DdD is suitable for use capturing.

  • VHS, Betamax PAL and other formats require multiple ADC channels for Video RF & HiFi audio (and Baseband or Linear audio)

  • Umatic & SMPTE and other broadcast formats require an ADC for Video RF but also requires standard audio ADC's for Linear & timecode audio tracks.

  • Betacam & W-VHS require duel ADC's for the video tracks alongside the above-mentioned for audio.

Please look at the Clockgen Mod & the new MISRC which provides synchronised at the clock source level capturing of multiple channels of signals.

Index

Open Reel Formats

Colour Under Formats

Broadcast Formats

Toy Formats

Types Of TV Systems

525 Lines (NTSC)

625 Lines (PAL)

405 Lines / 819 Lines / 655 Lines (Older/Obscure now)

NTSC / NTSC-J (Black level difference is all)

PAL / PAL-M (525 line with PAL colour encoding)

SECAM / MESECAM (The French being French)

HDVS/MUSE/Hi-Vision/UniHi (1125-lines 1035-lines active 1035i)

Composite Video

Signal Format Resolution Field System TV System Aspect Ratio RF Capture Support Decoding Support
CVBS 525 Lines Interlaced 525 NTSC 4:3 / 16:9 Yes* Yes*
CVBS 625 Lines Interlaced 625 PAL 4:3 / 16:9 Yes* Yes*
CVBS 240p 240 Lines Progressive NTSC 4:3 / 16:9 Yes* Yes*
CVBS 288p 288 Lines Progressive PAL 4:3 / 16:9 Yes* Yes*
960h CCTV 960 x 576 Interlaced N/A 16:9 Only Yes* Not Tested

*Capture is currently only reliable with the MISRC

Capture is possible via CX Cards currently (Other SDR units may also work with the correct input filter range)

VHS

Tape Format Resolution Tape Speed TV System RF Capture Support Decoding Support
JVC VHS 240 Lines SP 625 PAL Yes Yes
JVC VHS 240 Lines LP 625 PAL Yes Yes
JVC VHS 240 Lines EP 625 PAL Yes Yes
JVC VHS 240 Lines SP 525 PAL-M Yes Yes
JVC VHS 240 Lines LP 525 PAL-M Yes Yes
JVC VHS 240 Lines EP 525 PAL-M Yes Yes
JVC VHS 240 Lines SP 625 MESECAM Yes Yes
JVC VHS 240 Lines LP 625 MESECAM Yes Yes
JVC VHS 240 Lines EP 625 MESECAM Yes Yes
JVC VHS 240 Lines SP 525 NTSC Yes Yes
JVC VHS 240 Lines LP 525 NTSC Yes Yes
JVC VHS 240 Lines EP 525 NTSC Yes Yes
JVC VHS 240 Lines SP 525 NTSC-J Yes Yes
JVC VHS 240 Lines LP 525 NTSC-J Yes Yes
JVC VHS 240 Lines EP 525 NTSC-J Yes Yes

Ruxpin Tapes GNU Radio Scripts available PDF Info / Lost Media Link

S-VHS (Super VHS)

Tape Format Resolution Tape Speed TV System RF Capture Support Decoding Support
JVC SVHS 400 Lines SP 625 PAL Yes Yes
JVC SVHS 400 Lines LP 625 PAL Yes Yes
JVC SVHS 400 Lines EP 625 PAL Yes Yes
JVC SVHS 400 Lines SP 525 NTSC Yes Yes
JVC SVHS 400 Lines LP 525 NTSC Yes Yes
JVC SVHS 400 Lines EP 525 NTSC Yes Yes

BetaMax (βeta)

Tape Format Resolution Tape Speed TV System RF Capture Support Decoding Support
Betamax 250 Lines βI PAL Yes Yes
Betamax 250 Lines βI NTSC Yes Yes
Betamax 250 Lines βII NTSC Yes Untested

Note

Betamax HiFi is very different between PAL and NTSC.

  • NTSC Betamax works like LaserDisc Video8/Hi8 - with the FM HiFi audio fitted in between the colour-under chroma and the FM modulated luminance, with >the video heads capturing everything via a single RF path.

  • PAL Betamax however works like VHS HiFi with depth multiplex and separate heads with different azimuth to the video heads, requiring two physical RF taps and two capture paths - one for video, one for HiFi audio. (There's no space in the video RF to squeeze the HiFi audio in PAL Betamax)

ED Beta

Extended Definition Betamax

Tape Format Resolution Tape Speed TV System RF Capture Support Decoding Support
ED Beta 500 Lines βI PAL Yes Not implemented
ED Beta 500 Lines βI NTSC Yes Not implemented

Umatic

More Samples & Testing Required!

Tape Format Resolution Tape Mode TV System RF Capture Support Decoding Support
Sony Umatic 250 lines LoBand 525 NTSC Yes Yes
Sony Umatic 250 lines LoBand 625 PAL Yes Yes
Sony Umatic 250 lines HiBand 625 PAL Yes Yes
Tape Format Resolution Tape Mode TV System RF Capture Support Decoding Support
Sony Umatic 320 lines HiBand SP 525 NTSC Yes Implemented
Sony Umatic 320 lines HiBand SP 625 PAL Yes Implemented

Sony 8mm

Sony's portable consumer format had both camcorders and a limited range of VCRs.

Video8/Hi8 Runtime & File Sizes

Format Time Minutes Time Hours DdD 10-bit Packed 40msps .lds DdD 16-bit FLAC 40msps .ldf
PAL-SP 120 minutes 2 Hours 400GB +- 150GB +-
PAL-LP 240 minutes 4 Hours 700GB +- 250GB +-
NTSC-SP 150 minutes 2.5 Hours 500GB +- 300GB +-
NTSC-LP 300 minutes 5 Hours 800GB +- 600GB +-

*Rough numbers based off 1min captures

Video8

Tape Format Resolution Tape Speed TV System RF Capture Support Video Decoding Support HiFi Audio Decoding Support
Sony Video8 280 Lines SP/LP 625 PAL Yes Yes* Yes*
Sony Video8 280 Lines SP/LP 525 NTSC Yes Yes* Yes

HI8

Tape Format Resolution Tape Speed TV System RF Capture Support Video Decoding Support HiFi Audio Decoding Support
Sony Hi8 415 Lines SP/LP 625 PAL Yes Yes* Yes*
Sony Hi8 415 Lines SP/LP 525 NTSC Yes Yes* Yes

*Hi8 requires more work, but video8 is virtually near native hardware decoding for SP tapes.

*HiFi PAL needs fine-tuning mode disabled on some tapes, carrier detection code needs updating.

EIAJ

Tape Format Resolution Tape Mode TV System RF Capture Support Decoding Support
EIAJ 300 Lines Monocrome 405 PAL Yes Preliminary
EIAJ 300 Lines Monocrome 405 NTSC Yes Not implemented
EIAJ 300 Lines Monocrome 625 PAL Yes Preliminary
EIAJ 300 Lines Monocrome 525 NTSC Yes Not implemented
EIAJ 300 Lines Colour 625 PAL Yes Preliminary
EIAJ 300 Lines Colour 525 NTSC Yes Not implemented

*Requires --fallback_vsync currently

2" Quad (Quadruplex)

Tape Format Resolution TV System RF Capture Support Decoding Support
2" Quad xxx Lines 405 B/W Yes Yes
2" Quad xxx Lines 819 B/W Yes Yes
2" Quad xxx Lines 655 PAL Yes Pending
2" Quad xxx Lines 525 NTSC Yes Pending
2" Quad xxx Lines 625 PAL Yes Pending
2" Quad xxx Lines 625 SECAM Yes Pending

1" SMPTE Type C

Tape Format Resolution TV System RF Capture Support Decoding Support
Type C 430 Lines 525 NTSC Yes Working
Type C 430 Lines 625 PAL Yes Working
Type C 430 Lines 625 SECAM Yes Not implemented

*Requires --fallback_vsync currently

1" SMPTE Type B

Tape Format Resolution TV System RF Capture Support Decoding Support
Type B 430 Lines 625 PAL Yes Not implemented
Type B 430 Lines 525 NTSC Yes Not implemented
Type B 430 Lines 625 SECAM Yes Not implemented

1" SMPTE Type C

Tape Format Resolution TV System RF Capture Support Decoding Support
Type C 430 Lines 625 PAL Yes Not implemented
Type C 430 Lines 525 NTSC Yes Not implemented
Type C 430 Lines 625 SECAM Yes Not implemented

Philips VCR

Philips N1500, Philips N1700

Tape Format Resolution TV System RF Capture Support Decoding Support
VCR SP 200 Lines? 625 PAL Yes Preliminary
VCR LP 200 Lines? 625 PAL Yes Preliminary

Philips Video 2000

Tape Format Resolution TV System RF Capture Support Decoding Support
Video 2000 230 Lines 625 PAL Yes Not implemented

BetaCam

Samples are Required!

Tape Format Resolution TV System RF Capture Support Decoding Support
PAL 320 Lines 625 PAL Yes* Not implemented
NTSC 320 Lines 525 NTSC Yes* Not implemented

RF capture requires MISRC or CX Cards with Clockgen Mod as this requires 2 channels for Video.

BetaCam SP

Samples are Required!

Tape Format Resolution TV System RF Capture Support Decoding Support
PAL 360 Lines 625 PAL Yes* Not implemented
NTSC 360 Lines 525 NTSC Yes* Not implemented

RF capture requires MISRC or CX Cards with Clockgen Mod as this requires 2 channels for Video.

4ch Baseband Capture but AFM could be RF Captured and run though HiFi-Decode, samples are required.

MII

Samples are Required!

Tape Format Resolution TV System RF Capture Support Decoding Support
PAL xxx Lines 625 PAL Yes* Not implemented
NTSC xxx Lines 525 NTSC Yes* Not implemented

RF capture requires MISRC or CX Cards with Clockgen Mod as this requires 2 channels for Video.

UniHi

Tape Format Resolution TV System RF Capture Support Decoding Support
UniHi 1125i30 HDTV Yes* Not implemented

*Not enough is known about decks, non of dev group own this format.

PXL-2000

There is already a decoder and YouTube Documentation on this.

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