Quick Setup Guide

Read the Readme

This may sound all too common but the basic full setup of the software side is all on the readme and related documents it does not take more than an hour to read them all and install them all.

Debien/Mint/Ubuntu all work just fine

Quick Capture & Process Basics

DomesDayDuplicator or DdD

Capture GUI is simple for the DdD, just make sure you have enough space and it's in 10-bit packed mode and not in test mode.

Domesday Duplicator (DdD) (Method 01 - 300-350USD*)

Linux Application

Windows Application

Originally geared towards capturing RF from laserdiscs players, it does however also work perfectly well for digitizing VHS RF data. It consists of a custom analogue to digital board with an amplifier, an off-shelf DE0-NANO FPGA development board, and a Cypress FX3 SuperSpeed Explorer USB 3.0 board.

More Information / How To Aquire? / How to Fabricate & Flash?

CXADC Requires a Linux Install (Stock 28mhz Card, White card recommended)

Links to buy these cards and information about them is directly on the CXADC readme/wiki and updated regularly.

Run through the readme and install all everything.

cat /dev/cxadc0 |pv > outputname.u8

Press CTRL+C to stop capture manually.

To time capture length timeout 30m etc for tape runtime if you are not manually attending capture Compress Capture Down (replace with name of file input & output)

flac --best --sample-rate=48000 --sign=unsigned --channels=1 --endian=little --bps=8 % --ogg -f <capturename>.u8 -o <capturename>.vhs

Quick WSL2 Use

Stock install location in Windows File Explorer: \\wsl$\Ubuntu-20.04\home\your user name here\vhs-decode

Move data into the directory or capture it inside of the WSL2 vhs-decode directory if on SSD storage.

Open your WSL2 terminal example Ubuntu 20.04

cd vhs-decode (Press Enter)

For DdD Use:

vhs-decode --debug -t 8 -tf VHS -p --recheck_phase YourTapeName.lds YourTapeName

Compress the .lds to FLAC with

ld-compress YourTapeName.lds

Ouput will be YourTapeName.ldf

For CXADC Use: (Edit based on your capture setup config)

vhs-decode --debug -t 8 -cxadc -tf VHS -p --recheck_phase YourTapeName6.u8 YourTapeName

Quickly Export to Video

gen_chroma_vid.sh YourTapeName

The resulting stock output is:

YourTapeName.mkv file with FFV1 10-bit 4:2:2 encoding (928x576 PAL or 928x480 NTSC)

Greater Details

Reference Diagrams

Note open the image in another tab or download it to view full scale in case of viewing issues.

Fine Adjustments

With VCRs assuming no major issues you have 2 main controls physical tape guides and digital tracking IC the tracking is normally manipulatable via a knob on a pro deck and channel up/down on prosumer deck front, or via remote if you have the remote, however, if its physical guides not aligned you will need to adjust them until the tape plays within spec.

A CRT is generally recommended as you can view tapes directly without any need for a time base corrector or digital processing however this is a manual observation method and consumer CRTs that are not manually calibrated, mostly cropped edges/bottom head switch area of the video so Sony/JVC PVM/BVM style monitors with there horizontal/vertical shift and underscan modes are preferable.

Reference Captures

Note!: With a 10-100uf capacitor in-line you should be able to capture RF and conventional normal baseband i.e CVBS output at the same time.

Having a conventual capture for reference is very useful to understand the state of a tape and possible errors like tracking, so a one-run capture is better than staring into a CRT/Monitor over and over as well, if you don't have an integrated TBC then you may want to acquire a Panasonic DMR-ES10 or ES15 to act as one on external link passthrough mode (if no remote press eject then external link up/down) you can have a complete setup for around 50USD or less.

When the term ''tap point'' is used think RF output connection, a cable soldered at a test point or signal path point using a cable like RG178 or RG316 to a BNC or SMA connector, or simply a BNC test probe.

The middle wire is signal and the outer wrapping wire is ground coax is much loved as it provides basic RF shielding with its wrapping grounding wire.

RF Tap points

On most VCRs you have these points next to each other or by the conventional video outputs internally, if you so wish you only need a video but while you are there it's worth installing a couple more BNC or SMA pigtails to audio signal points and why not have a BNC for CVBS like the pro decks!

Test points normally will be called the following:

RF Y, RF C, RF Y+C, PB, V RF, V ENV, ENV, ENVELOPE, VIDEO ENVE, VIDEO ENVELOPE - Video RF

RF-Out, A-RF, HIFI RF - Audio RF

Dont forget about Ground - There is normally always a common ground point nearby or ground shield that can be soldered to as a ground all RF needs a return path proper grounding matters!

Storage

Allocate 500GB to 2TB of storage 100MB/s Write Speed Safe Minimum.

For affordable local storage WD (Western Digital) make EasyStores/Elements lines Seagate makes Desktop/Backup lines

These are great mass storage drives, however, do not use the included USB caddy and you may need simple Molex to SATA adapters due to power pinning standards used on the drives, USB is not preferred for mass storage nor is keeping it some ware it can be physically knocked common sense and keeping critical equipment off USB is hand in hand as USB bus data is a shared system ware as SATA to is direct to local controllers and unaffected by for example plugging a webcam in.

There is a "shucking" community around these drives due to the low cost per gigabyte new 14TB+ units should be server-grade drives as some 8TB drives are now lower grade on the WD side

As for solid archives, the M-Disk format at 10-25 GBP/USD per 50/100GB disk is enough for FLAC compressed 45/60/90min (S)VHS-C & HI8/Video8 tapes.

Cloud Services That are cost-effective per month

Google Workspace Business Standard (Using Shared Drives Only) *10USD/m

Backblase Personal Backup Plan *7USD/m

However for samples & testing's feel free to store them on the Public Shared Drive please be sure to read and use the Submission Guidelines Naming System.

CX Card Setup

Follow CXADC & the CXADC Wiki and install the driver after physically installing the CX card.

Open the terminal inside the CXADC folder, and connect your input.

./leveladj sets the gain level best to start the tape a few seconds in to set the gain then rewind and begin capture.

16-bit unsigned scaled output is recommended over 8-bit so as to make the most of the ''dynamic range'' of the 10-bit ADC chip for initial captures, however for space-saving 20msps 8-bit is a treading standard on the CX cards with no apparent visual sacrifice.

The stock modes you want to use are the following

20 MHz 8-bit - Stock Card

sudo echo 20 >/sys/module/cxadc/parameters/tenxfsc

sudo echo 0 >/sys/module/cxadc/parameters/tenbit

17.9 MHz 16-bit (5fsc) - Stock Card

sudo echo 2 >/sys/module/cxadc/parameters/tenxfsc

sudo echo 1 >/sys/module/cxadc/parameters/tenbit

Optional but not optimal due to the risk of dropped samples with fast enough hardware on the fly FLAC compressed captures are possible with the following commands, edit rates as required.

8-bit Mode

sudo sox -r 28636 -b 8 -c 1 -e unsigned -t raw /dev/cxadc0 -t raw - | flac --fast -16 --sample-rate=200000 --sign=unsigned --channels=1 --endian=little --bps=8 --blocksize=65535 --lax -f - -o .flac

16-bit Mode

sudo sox -r 14318 -b 16 -c 1 -e unsigned -t raw /dev/cxadc0 -t raw - | flac --fast -16 --sample-rate=14318 --sign=unsigned --channels=1 --endian=little --bps=16 --blocksize=65535 --lax -f - -o .flac

Rename the .flac to .VHS etc etc

DomesDayDuplicator or DdD Setup

Allocate appropriate storage space for

Capture runtime is shown in the GUI application.

Software Control Options:

40 MHz 16-bit Signed Scaled

40 MHz 10-bit Packed Unsigned

10 Mhz 10-bit Packed Unsigned (4:1) for CD/HIFI capture

Raw data output file extension .lds

Compressed data output file extension .ldf