Hi. I've been using the Pioneer 640 for a few months and love it. I've transferred lots of old 8mm family tapes using it. Now I'm moving on to backing up commercial VHS tapes (I own). I purchased a Video Filter from Logic Design and it seems well made and shipping time was excellent. It does bring up a few questions, though. Hopefully some people here who use the Filter will be able to provide some tips/advice.

The box has the following switches:
record s-video
record component
copy always
copy once
16:9
4:3

1)If I'm not recording broadcast video from TV/cable/sat, do I need to worry about CPRM? Does CPRM have anything to do with my Pio 640? If I wanted to backup my owned DVDs, does CPRM come into play? Also, why even use 'copy once' when you can use 'copy always'?? It looks like you have to choose one or the other since the same switch enables both modes.

2)Since I'll be using a composite output from my VCR, do I hook it into the yellow 'component' (or 'Y in') input on the box? If so, then should I set the switches to 'record component'...even though I'm recording composite?

3)Do I need to bother with the 4:3 or 16:9 settings (again, you have to pick one or the other since they both share the same switch)? All my commercial tapes are fullscreen. I don't have a widescreen or HDTV now, but I'm sure that someday I will, if that makes a difference. Will this setting be important if I start backing up my owned DVDs (which are mixed widescreen/fullscreen)?

Just looking for input and tips from people who have actively/successfully used the Filter and the PIO640. Again, right now I'm just trying to do simple VHS-DVD recordings via composite. Thanks!

xpfshost

Anyone??

xpfshost

I don't understand why there has been no responses to my questions?? I know there are people here who know the answers to my questions and have used/tested the Video Filter and the PIO640. Was it something I said??

xpfshost

I don't understand why there has been no responses to my questions?? I know there are people here who know the answers to my questions and have used/tested the Video Filter and the PIO640. Was it something I said??
xpfshost

Actually, the problem may be that not that many people have this video filter, and those that do may not have your setup or have read this post.

Did the device not come with any instructions? Seem odd if it did not.

Have you tried a private message to Logic Design on this board. The creator of this device?

I do not have one of these, but with the descriptions from the switches it would appear you set them to what you want.

Want 16:9 flag encoded in signal to tell your player/TV's you have 16:9 recording then set it to that. If not, only 4:3 TV signal, set it to that.

copy always/once - this is a simple too. Mostly set it to copy always, unless you give out a disk and want to restrict their ability to copy over the disk from a player to another recorder.

input/output settings, if you use component connections select the component switch - s-video if you use that connection.

If you can use composite cable hooked only into one of the video component connections with success, I don't know. If your VCR has a S-Video output it would be best to use that to the filter then out the same to the DVD recorder. But from the below linked diagram it does appear that you put the composite out from the player to the composite in to the filter.

Does it not have a seperate composite cable input? Looks like it should in the below link diagram, although I know from his post Logic Design has been updating the filter so it may not have this input now, or at least not the model you have.

Here is a diagram from the filter's web site that may help you.
http://home.cfl.rr.com/filter/Connections3_files/slide0001.htm

Here is a thread were the widescreen signaling testing was reported by the original person who tested it with a Pioneer 520

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8619528#post8619528

Thanks for the reply, Falco63. The device did come with instructions, but they are different than the diagram you linked to on the Video Filter website (like you mentioned, he's been updating the box which probably explains the differences). For instance, there is no mention of 'composite' anything in the instructions that came with the box...which is my problem.

Guess I'll leave 'copy always' on all the time...although I'm not sure what it does.

I didn't want to bug Logic Design, and I hoped to get some 'real life' advice/tips from people here who have actually used the box. I know of at least 2 people here that have used the box in prototype form, and was hoping to get their feedback...

xpfshost

Actually, the problem may be that not that many people have this video filter, and those that do may not have your setup or have read this post.

Did the device not come with any instructions? Seem odd if it did not.

Have you tried a private message to Logic Design on this board. The creator of this device?

I do not have one of these, but with the descriptions from the switches it would appear you set them to what you want.

Want 16:9 flag encoded in signal to tell your player/TV's you have 16:9 recording then set it to that. If not, only 4:3 TV signal, set it to that.

copy always/once - this is a simple too. Mostly set it to copy always, unless you give out a disk and want to restrict their ability to copy over the disk from a player to another recorder.

input/output settings, if you use component connections select the component switch - s-video if you use that connection.

If you can use composite cable hooked only into one of the video component connections with success, I don't know. If your VCR has a S-Video output it would be best to use that to the filter then out the same to the DVD recorder. But from the below linked diagram it does appear that you put the composite out from the player to the composite in to the filter.

Does it not have a seperate composite cable input? Looks like it should in the below link diagram, although I know from his post Logic Design has been updating the filter so it may not have this input now, or at least not the model you have.

Here is a diagram from the filter's web site that may help you.
http://home.cfl.rr.com/filter/Connections3_files/slide0001.htm

Here is a thread were the widescreen signaling testing was reported by the original person who tested it with a Pioneer 520

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=8619528#post8619528

Logic Design: I've already read that thread, and it didn't help. I think I'll start a new thread asking for education in just the 'flagging' issue since I don't really understand what happens with that.

As for the box, again, do I hook my COMPOSITE cable (coming out of the VCR) into the COMPONENT input on the box??? If so, do I use the 'record COMPONENT' switch...even though I'm recording from a composite input??? I want to get started using the box, but I want to make sure I'm using it correctly and to the fullest extent ;)

As far as the 16:9 and 4:3 switch, I guess my question is whether I use the setting based on the way the DVD was recorded, or based on what type of TV I have?? For instance, do I set the switch to 16:9 if I'm recording a widescreen DVD, or do I set it to 4:3 because I'm using a standard tube TV?? It seems like I would set the switches based on the recording format of the source material (i.e., widescreen DVD would be 16:9, fullscreen DVD would be 4:3)...but I want to be sure I'm doing it correctly.

xpfshost

The basics are; The way I understand it from previous comments on this filter, a lot of cable boxes do not send the 16:9 flag that should be sent in the signal from the cable companies 16:9 broadcasts on all outputs of a cable box. So the filter with this setting set, will generate its own 16:9 flag signal and mix it in the video signal the way it should be. It is only necessary if you are recording 16:9 signal. This flag will enable a player or wide-screen TV to play back the material properly, that is widescreen with no letter boxing.

So on your VHS tapes that are not in 16:9 wide-screen format you just need to set it at 4:3 setting.

For DVDs with proper 16:9 formating I would set it to 16:9 setting, and your DVD recorder to record in 16:9. Set this way hopefully it will record in 16:9 so when it is played back on wide-screen TV's it will not be letter-boxed when the player is set to play back for 16:9 TV's. If play back on 4:3 TV, your DVD player should be set to play back for 4:3 TV's and should play back either letterboxed or Pan and Scan if so set. So hopefully you will have the best of both worlds this way. The only trouble is some recorders no matter what signal you send will only record to disk in 4:3 mode. Check again the above thread to see what disks the successful user was able to record with the PIO 640 to give you the best chance.

Hope this helps to some others chime in here.

Your post is appreciated, Falco63. That's the way I'm seeing the flag issue as well. I'm still wondering if the flaggin' issue applies to DVDs as well as broadcast sources? I'm also still hoping for an answer from somebody soon on the composite/component hookups for this box and the lack of a 'record composite' switch.

xpfshost
The basics are; The way I understand it from previous comments on this filter, a lot of cable boxes do not send the 16:9 flag that should be sent in the signal from the cable companies 16:9 broadcasts on all outputs of a cable box. So the filter with this setting set, will generate its own 16:9 flag signal and mix it in the video signal the way it should be. It is only necessary if you are recording 16:9 signal. This flag will enable a player or wide-screen TV to play back the material properly, that is widescreen with no letter boxing.

So on your VHS tapes that are not in 16:9 wide-screen format you just need to set it at 4:3 setting.

For DVDs with proper 16:9 formating I would set it to 16:9 setting, and your DVD recorder to record in 16:9. Set this way hopefully it will record in 16:9 so when it is played back on wide-screen TV's it will not be letter-boxed when the player is set to play back for 16:9 TV's. If play back on 4:3 TV, your DVD player should be set to play back for 4:3 TV's and should play back either letterboxed or Pan and Scan if so set. So hopefully you will have the best of both worlds this way. The only trouble is some recorders no matter what signal you send will only record to disk in 4:3 mode. Check again the above thread to see what disks the successful user was able to record with the PIO 640 to give you the best chance.

Hope this helps to some others chime in here.

There is really no lack of composite switch. You can use same "Yellow" input jack on the filter to record either Composite OR Components. The switch positions are the same for both. If using components, run the "Y" cable to the jack. If using composite, run the yellow cable through the jack

There is really no lack of composite switch. You can use same "Yellow" input jack on the filter to record either Composite OR Components. The switch positions are the same for both. If using components, run the "Y" cable to the jack. If using composite, run the yellow cable through the jack

Got it! Thanks alot, Logic Design! Looking forward to giving your box a heavy workout :)
xpfshost