Macrovision on an old VHS tape

ruggy1 · Post by **ruggy1** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 4:00 am

My wife has a VHS exercise tape that is wearing out (before she gets fit!!), but when I try to convert to DVD via Firewire, my Canon DV recorder brings up a copyright protection message. I have seen other posts and they seem to say that I need a special hardware device, say a 'clarifier'. These things are $150, thats 200 Aussie dollars, and I only want it for one tape. Is there any other way around this. I do not have a capture card, I always use Firewire. Many Thanks.

BrianCee · Post by **BrianCee** » Fri Mar 11, 2005 12:06 pm

Well before David Reece gets at you perhaps I should first point out that what you want to do is illegal in almost every country in the world and I'm sure one of our Australian friends will put me right if I'm wrong - copying a tape which does not contain your own personal material and certainly re-recording it to a different format is copyright theft and punishable in most parts of the civilised world by a pretty hefty fine.

As you say there are ways around it and one of them does indeed use a hardware device - would it not be cheaper and easier just to buy a brand new DVD. .

rwindeyer · Post by **rwindeyer** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 12:57 am

Brian is certainly correct, even here in good old Oz. We have the farcical situation that it is perfectly legal to purchase a VCR (and everybody does) but illegal to use it (and everybody does).
My advice, for what it's worth: don't worry about it. The folk in law enforcement are pretty busy with real criminals; you have to be fairly high profile for anyone to take any notice. The fact of the matter is that personal copying is collectively ignored.
I don't have an easy or cheap answer on the Macrovision though.

DVDDoug · Post by **DVDDoug** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 10:32 pm

I assume that the tape and/or DVD are no longer available.

Too bad you're on the PAL system down there... I was going to offer to do it for you, if you'd pay the postage.

There are companies that will transfer home videos to DVD. You might find someone who will make you a personal copy of a commercial copyrighted tape.

BTW - It is legal to do this in the US, and I've transfered about 20 of my sister's VHS tapes to DVD for her. (It would be illegal if I made extra copies for myself.)

ruggy1 · Post by **ruggy1** » Sun Mar 13, 2005 5:00 am

Thanks guys, no I cannot buy a new one as it does exist any more. It certainly is weird that I can crack any DVD on the maket today, but an old VHS tape is impregnable!! Maybe the studos should go back to VHS for video distribution!!!!

rwindeyer · Post by **rwindeyer** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 6:49 am

Only one more idea: point your camera at the TV, zoom in so that only the picture area is visible, and video the tape as it is being played.
If your camera is like mine and has super steadyshot (or similar) you will have to turn that off or you will get rolling black lines on the screen.
Might not be a great result, but it's free..... And it beats the Macrovision

ruggy1 · Post by **ruggy1** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 12:54 pm

Thanks Ron. Will try. I'm in Sydney, the long summer just won't end here - dying for rain! The first 100 degree day here was six months ago!!

maddrummer3301 · Post by **maddrummer3301** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 4:24 pm

Borrow an old VHS camcorder made in 1985 or 1986 if you can
get your hands on one.

Play it back from the old camcorder via the composite cable
into the computer.

MD

Rich2Putt · Post by **Rich2Putt** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 5:40 pm

You won't get a "copyright" message if you use VS7 SE

Post by **Ken Berry** » Mon Mar 14, 2005 9:53 pm

I assume also that you first tried copying the tape to another VCR, which hopefully might allow you to create a Macrovision-free tape. Then convert the new tape to DVD...???

THoff · Post by **THoff** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 12:01 am

Rich2Putt wrote:You won't get a "copyright" message if you use VS7 SE

With all due respect, that is utter nonsense.

First of all, in this case the Macrovision subsignal is being detected by his camcorder, and it simply refuses to provide a DV feed to his PC. I'm certain that the message referenced in the original post appears on the camcorder's LCD.

Second, Videostudio does not provide any drivers that interact with capture devices, and therefore it doesn't have the ability to override any Macrovision detection that may be implemented by the capture devices. It uses well-established capture interfaces like DirectShow, which is also why it doesn't work well with cheap USB-based capture hardware that uses proprietary capture interfaces.

Really the only way to capture an analog video signal that is protected by Macrovision is to get a device that filters it out, or by using a capture device that can ignore the subsignal. The filter devices are often marketed as video stabilizers, color correctors, or TBCs (Time Base Correctors). Capture devices that can ignore Macrovision include Canopus' ADVC 100/110/300, NVIDIA-based video cards with Video-In functionality provided you use the WDM V1.08 or earlier capture drivers, and some Hauppage PVR / TV Tuner&Capture cards.