VHS Home Movie Capture - Supposed Copyright problems
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geezerblokey
copyright errors. When I try to record my own home movies from VHS, I keep getting stopped after a few minutes, with a message saying that I'm not allowed to record the copyright material!!!
I can't even record more than a few minutes at a time.
How can I proceed?
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BarryTheCrab 6000+ posts since PD5
Do you want to respond with some troubleshooting?
BarryTheCrab 6000+ posts since PD5
May I ask what exact make and model vcr you are using, and what capture device?
BarryTheCrab 6000+ posts since PD5
Edited 12/4/25
False copyright issues are from poor recording, nth generation copies, degraded tapes, maybe dirty heads, too. These errors can be made worse by crappy capture devices such as most anything now being sold, newer is not better. You can try:
- A different VCR.
- Cleaning the heads with 90+ alcohol and copy paper, do NOT use cotton swabs, please look up on Youtube head-cleaning for VCRs or you risk ruining the video heads.
- VirtualDub 1.9.11 which is free capture software and may not respond to false copyright.
- Certain old USB dongles will ignore it, specifically the Tevion Hi-Speed DVD maker, which never comes up on sales sites anymore. The Tevions you see now are junk, it is only a certain model that works, (I have three).
- A frame Time Base Corrector, which strips the tape signal and rebuilds it, but those are $1,500+ if you can find one that works. (I have two).
- You might try a Videonics MX-1 video mixer. The unit is generally less expensive than true frame TBC, but it does provide some signal stability and strip some forms of Macrovision.
Please note a frame TBC is different than the line TBC found inside hi-end Super VHS players such as the JVC S-7800U, (I have two).
As I see it, your two best first bets are clean the heads, and try VirtualDub, those two things are free.
Jets 2011
I remember from the old forum that these sort of errors were usually caused by either VHS tape being too degraded (can't be read correctly) or the VCR, causing a false macrovision copyright error message.
Too bad the old forum is gone, but I believe answers were suggestions to clean the VCR player heads or use a different method to capture, like a VHS grabber or something like that.
Hopefully BarrytheCrab will see this and respond as he was the expert. May need to change the subject to get his attention though.
BarryTheCrab 6000+ posts since PD5
Jets 2011, yes, too bad the old forum is gone, it should have been archived for users.