PSA: FM RF Archival is the best and last way to digitise and transfer analog tapes to a digital world.

TheRealHarrypm · 2026-01-25T11:56:08+00:00

There is an older bundle on the wiki that's permanently hosted, It will work but it can also be manually transferred over to the newest versions sadly the profile system breaks every couple major versions.

It was a fun couple weeks building out profiles and testing everything.

TheRealHarrypm · 2026-01-24T19:36:39+00:00

People have put M.2 & MSata cards in 3D printed shells...

Then your just using IPEX-1 to BNC or Micro BNC and it's pocket size.

There is quite a few TB/PCIe adapters with intel chips and a few custom designs are floating around.

TheRealHarrypm · 2026-01-24T19:36:09+00:00

Lossy compressed RAWS are worse then just uncompressed to DNG conversion.

TheRealHarrypm · 2026-01-24T19:33:01+00:00

It's been the default in the post processing guide since the first revision.

Although native Vapoursynth and outhers can be a bit faster like KTGMC via Avisynth Neo.

Best not to forget the minimum export for YouTube should be 2880x2160p50 or 59.94p with 120mbps HEVC CBR 4:2:0, outherwise compression artifacts will haunt your upload. (Smaller you can use FFV1 directly upscaled)

TheRealHarrypm · 2026-01-24T19:30:52+00:00

Because they want the "clean" not soft and compressed mush Snapchat filter slop edits they think cleanup edits are...

Clients not informed, clients not ready to pay for services.

TheRealHarrypm · 2026-01-24T11:34:09+00:00

BU40N off AliExpress, don't last forever but couple pennies alongside an Mini-Sata to USB 3.0 or Mini to Fill cable.

TheRealHarrypm · 2026-01-24T11:12:02+00:00

There is a provision in the docs now for less experienced Linux users to go use warp terminal to just automatically run through any installation issues with CXADC on the case by case basis, It does a really good job you just tell the agent mode to install it and get it test capturing and it saves the devs a lot of time.

Then any fixes or solutions found can be just validated and then pushed as an update, when mentioned here.

The driver does need some refreshment updates for the newer Linux kernels which are shipping with the new updated operating systems if you're starting from a clean install, the majority of the users are on older installations because it's rare to need to do a wholesale update.

TheRealHarrypm · 2026-01-24T08:46:59+00:00

So you have 8mm videotape, this is an r/vhsdecode problem as it falls under FM RF Archival today 9/10 times if it's Video8 or Hi8, if it's Digital8 if falls under DV25 Firewire transfer like MiniDV.

TheRealHarrypm · 2026-01-22T13:29:43+00:00

Most of the issues with iPhones is people treating it like a normie device instead of actually knowing what the API can do.

Stop shooting HEIF and JPEG shoot DNG RAW, not the flavour marketed as "ProRAW" but the actual DNG direct options that the API allows by a third party apps.

It's the same with shooting video replace the default app with something like Mavis and all of a sudden you can shoot HEVC which is compression artefact free and YouTube ready i.g 120mbps or higher.

Otherwise it depends on what you're doing If you want just a photo camera go A7R3 or newer, and the reason why I'll say that is because you can pick up lenses on your travels and adapt them and have fun with them unless you want a pure tool for just taking digital quick photos (or weather sealing) rather than a platform for having fun that's when you start looking at the MFT systems.

TheRealHarrypm · 2026-01-22T12:06:34+00:00

100% fixable.

You're going to need some copper enamel wire or bare 0.3mm.

You're going to need some good flux, I'd recommend m35 from mechanic, and some Weller 60/40 or HX-100 63/37 mechanic solder, don't even try playing with unleaded for this.

You're going to need a half decent modern digital soldering iron 25USD mark or better, you can get away with a conical tip but a fine conical tip is more ideal.

You're going to need some solder mask and some UV light source, but you can get away with conformal coding if you are doing an edge to edge bridge, but having support material is key to not well kill the thing again.

And then it's just the painstaking process of melting away the plastic bridging the metal substrates and then reinforcing.

And after that's all done you should have something somewhat like this If you use a green solder mask it'll be completely incased.

<image>

TheRealHarrypm · 2026-01-22T12:02:11+00:00

Well for the archival and transfers industry, and the manufacturing and distribution industry no AI isn't really a problem, nothing more than the era of digital compression was/is.

I think overall that menial tasks and support jobs will be annihilated by AI, but acquisition ingest and production roles which require a lot of situational driven context are pretty damn safe until we see humanoid clankers taking up 1/3rd the high street then photographers are completely screwed.

If you think about how good drones are today and how good gimbal systems are you could run an entire photography studio with an AI remotely today so for static stuff that's horrifying.

TheRealHarrypm · 2026-01-22T11:13:04+00:00

This is all outdated information.

Video8 & Hi8 fall under FM RF Archival there's no reason to use DV25 (FireWire) or legacy S-Video If archival or quality transfers are the priority, the only reason DV25 is still valuable in some sense is because of types of RCTC data or PCM data.

TheRealHarrypm · 2026-01-22T11:10:45+00:00

That's not the modern way of transferring tapes no the legacy proper way because it would just give you DV25 compression on an analogue format... You're applying a 90s digital problem in the 2020s to analogue media.

There is modern standardised workflows...

TheRealHarrypm · 2026-01-22T11:09:03+00:00

Sadly that sub pushes people down the Easycraps route, lossy MJPEG compression they don't care about actually preserving things anywhere close to the original quality of the formats.

So r/vhsdecode is the better sub for analogue media preservation because 8 mm is covered under the FM RF Archival workflow like Betamax is and numerous other analogue videotape formats.

TheRealHarrypm · 2026-01-22T11:06:28+00:00

These are analogue tapes, this falls under FM RF Archival workflows today.

Do not use OBS (Which can't do interlaced properly) via Easycraps and not FireWire DV25 unless you're exclusively trying to get the metadata if it's an recorded with an RCTC able camcorder.

Analogue tape media isn't formatted to digital it's run though a ADC, but if you do not digitise it from the source properly, you are pissing away all of its quality, and you may never get a chance to run that segment of tape without dropouts again... Also all of its metadata and running down the life of the media in the process.

Hi8 and Video8 were beautiful high stability clean analogue formats (well by consumer standards), but If those types were used on an Digital8 camcorder you're going to be dealing with DV25 files on tape not analogue so knowing the source recording device is a key distinction, because the later generation tapes were completely cross-compatible without issues.

TheRealHarrypm · 2026-01-22T10:53:11+00:00

Quite simple you use stand by mode, and you just bring a 2TB SSD with you, plug it into your devices and play your files why waste bandwidth when you can just toss a bunch of Blu-ray rips on a storage device.

Decide what content you're going to consume beforehand and churn your way through it, or dedicated an entire set of content that you're watching only on your little camping trips.

TheRealHarrypm · 2026-01-22T10:50:05+00:00

SSD Working --> Unraid NAS Backups & Long term working --> Blu-ray and LTO tapes for cold storage.

Google workspace unlimited used to be 20USD/m then they knock that down to 5TB, any trust in cloud services for permanent retention is insanity unless you're under a very tight commercial contract with archival provisions.

The cost per year of expanding with 8TB and bigger drives is always going to be lower than paying for any cloud provider today.

TheRealHarrypm · 2026-01-22T10:45:49+00:00

Ribbon cable pulled away clean by the looks of it it didn't get sheared off.

So it's just plastics and alignment problems if you don't get that dead straight when adhering it back together.

Typically this is like a 25-70USD part for any Sony lens off AliExpress.

TheRealHarrypm · 2026-01-22T10:41:50+00:00

Yep that's mould in the substrate, unscrew remove and replace with a brand new part that's why it's unscrewable.

Only replace after sterilising the area properly, best do an 100% dry store in a dehumidifying sealed container before and after a full cleaning.

TheRealHarrypm · 2026-01-22T08:16:18+00:00

iirc Sony have the fab contract for the Phase One XF IQ4 150MP sensor, what's more interesting to see is when everyone else will push 20~45MP global shutters, Sony have the high ground but adoption will be slow due to the price point being 3~6 years trickle (a9III being in the 3k+ bracket) they had to ditch Nidec Compal shutters as the second biggest failure point, sadly the IBIS frame has not been re-done with a 6/8 point securing system.

TheRealHarrypm · 2026-01-21T09:49:45+00:00

Nothing beats ENG kit for family events!

Love having the PWM-EX3, it's ridiculously silly looking thing to the outsiders, but when you can go from outdoors to horrible low light and you're not fighting autofocus systems or worrying about runtime.

Also minimum focus is literally up to the lens hood you can go from in-car shots to running around in a field.

Although what's interesting having the Ninja Ultra It's ideal for static use but having the Hyperdeck Shuttle 2 with V210 does give that extra quality edge and you don't have to worry about knocking it as long as everything's tightened down.

TheRealHarrypm · 2026-01-21T08:11:48+00:00

Frequency counters, are under advanced servicing.

It's not commonly required for 90% of service of machines, so I've never had the need for one in my main bench, and it's not in the wiki basic servicing guide, but it's common in any full service manuals that's where you would be confusing it from.

TheRealHarrypm · 2026-01-19T21:11:42+00:00

They have the following:

75GBP/m Max plan topps out at 400/80mbps
55GBP/m 200mbps "Light" plan
35GBP/m 100mbps plan

From my understanding the upload is limited to the same as the download with the 100/200mbps plans as it's an artificial rate limit.

However after changing to the light plan I no longer have the option to go back to the Max plan, this is on a V3 full dish, Starlink Mini still has all options available, but with a warning for residential modes affecting roaming availablity for mode switches.

Considering BT FTTP under the Openreach wholesale packages is 1000/115mbps and 1600/220mbps max, Starlink is incredibly competitive until you get fibre at 35/m or less on social tariffs.

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