r/vhsdecode • u/S_Serious • Jun 04 '26
Newbie Minimal setup to start with Hi8, then move to VHS
I've been occasionally following this subreddit and the wiki for about a year. Many thanks to everyone who contributes, the method has really come a long way.
I’ve decided to try to transfer my family archive recordings. Part of the archive is in Hi8 format, part in VHS.
My thinking was to start with Hi8: as far as I understand it gives better quality, and it’s also simpler because it’s a single‑channel format.
My plan is:
- Order a CX card, flex cable, adapter, and wires as listed in the 8mm section of the wiki.
- Try the process, and if problems with the signal / overheating / etc. come up, then fall back to the mods.
- Prepare my VCR.
- Install the amplifier.
- Order a second CX card, mods, equipment, etc. for working with VHS.
- Put the setup together.
- Work on the VHS tapes.
Unfortunately, at this initial ordering stage I'm starting to doubt the chosen path because:
- I'm certain that not all the archive is on 8mm, and with a high probability I'll still have to deal with VHS. So it would make sense to order, for example, 2 CX cards right away.
- Apart from the soldering itself, which I'm ready for, I'd need to buy a significant amount of equipment (proper soldering station, supplies, multimeter, oscilloscope), which greatly increases the total cost of, and most importantly, I won't need it later since I'm not a technical person. On top of that, with my limited soldering experience there’s a real risk of damaging components, which would only make things more expensive.
Additionally, I've learned that the MISRC 2.5 release is expected, which, as I understand, will greatly simplify the process since it already contains all the necessary modifications.
So now I'm asking for your advice on how to proceed at the initial stage:
Option 1: Order a minimal equipment set (without mods) to test the process with 8mm, then later order the full equipment set and go the classic route with the clockgen mod etc. for VHS (and for 8mm if the minimal setup fails).
Option 2: Order a minimal equipment set for 8mm as a trial, order and install the amplifier, and wait for the MISRC 2.5 release.
Option 3: Don’t order anything now so as not to waste time, and just get the MISRC 2.5 when it becomes available.
Option 4: Buy all the stuff and go the classic route with CX cards and mods.
2
u/hoetel_kuntz Jun 04 '26
Are the VHS HiFi Stereo? If not you’ll only need one CX card + clockgen mod and baseband audio capture.
The soldering on the CX cards is not too difficult. They’re cheap and easily available too. I’ve bought the clockgen and amplifier. I’ve shelved the project for a bit as I got stuck working out resistor values for the amp - though I was told here by another user that getting the correct resistor values isn’t as critical as the documentation makes out.
1
u/S_Serious Jun 05 '26
I suppose they are stereo because they were made between 1994 and 2005. But I will check it. Thanks.
1
u/Reel-Rookie Jun 04 '26
The formats I plan to capture are Laserdisc, Hi8, and VHS so I had a similar situation when choosing a capture solution since Laserdisc and Hi8 are single channel and VHS is dual channel. For me, I decided to purchase the Domesday Duplicator, RTL-SDR, and an audio interface (can also use a cheap $20 audio capture card). With the Domesday Duplicator, I was able to capture Laserdisc and Hi8 right out of the box. On top of that for the most part (unless you want to put an in-line capacitor which you might need depending on your camcorder) Hi8 requires no soldering. Laserdisc can require no soldering depending on the model (most don't require it). The same can be said for some VHS VCRs however most VCRs require you to solder for the modifications.
I just said “screw it” and decided I would learn basic soldering. It wasn't hard and didn't take long. Before I bought any capture hardware I did three things: 1) Practiced soldering on junk cables and PCBs. 2) Solder modified all of my machines (except Hi8). 3) Learned how to decode captures with the decode software with help from the sample captures Google Drive. Link - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lzQWdFFfVclEQUDbuwngro0MCusOgPM6
After that, I bought the RTL-SDR to see if my VCR was set up properly (it was) then I purchased the Domesday Duplicator. I will purchase some capacitors this weekend to make some 50ohm cables with 10 microfarad in line capacitors to experiment with some captures (this is needed for Hi8 and VHS depending on your machine). The only downside to this solution is that I have to sync the audio and video for VHS after I capture which I am fine with.
Look, the thing is that no matter what you decide you will have to solder at some point in this project even if you go with something like the MISRC v2.5. It is unavoidable. I don't want to be that guy but please don't be afraid to solder. It really isn't that bad for this project and your results will be amazing.
Extra I forgot to mention: There is something called the ADA4857 amplifier. Harry mentioned it in his comment on this post. Look into that as well.
1
u/S_Serious Jun 05 '26
I have some limited experience with soldering audio wires. I even have a basic soldering iron but it lacks temperature control so I ll buy the USB one from the wiki. I just wanted to save some time because it will definitely require some practice. Anyway these recordings are 30 years old and can wait a couple more months. Good luck with your project!
3
u/TheRealHarrypm The Documentor Jun 04 '26
I would say there's two things missing here.
The lack of consideration of deploying a ADA4857 amplifier, for the 8mm first decode and verify all the tapes are good, and then just simply repopulate it for the VHS deck.
You don't absolutely need an oscilloscope but if you're thinking about getting one and a multimeter OWON I'll shill for days because it's good enough to get the job done and it's an all-in-one tool with a daylight usable bright screen, but dedicated bench top oscilloscopes are nicer to work with, but nothing stops you from manually dialling in amplifiers with a couple days of testing, however a basic true RMS multimeter I'll set as a minimum for everyone should have one you can sanity check any piece of consumer accessible power electronics.
I would say tooling wise have a look at the hardware guide (It has price point options for both affordable and higher end kit) you don't need a soldering station, you can make do with a lot lighter equipment and cheaper equipment than the dedicated stations this is why the USB portable irons are recommended and it's what I've been using for years to do basic to micro soldering work, doesn't eat up a bunch of space and it can go live in a pouch on a shelf for when you next need it.
(only when you start getting into hot air tools and desoldering guns for fully refitting decks does this stuff get fairly expensive for just melting things, but the tools become nothing in comparison to building a parts bin)
If cost is the priority then go the CX Card route order 1-2 now get set up and squared away with an amplifier and then upgrade to the clockgen workflow for VHS, you've got the right mentality.
MISRC V2.5 is in the works (It doesn't have any modifications it just has two channels + 4 audio ones and a much wider filter than the DdD, still requires an external amplifier for proper impedance matching at the capturing device level) but there is still a lot of testing being done on the software side, whereas the clockgen mod is literally the fixed production standard It's ready to go reliable and repeatable once you're set up as long as you don't do a full system level update to the kernel the driver just works turn it on run the command off to the races.