Have questions related to how video is routed and transferred? Find the answers here. 

Routing and General Information

What is the difference between a "source" and a "destination?'

A "source" is a device you are trying to route FROM. A "destination" is a device you are trying to route TO. For example, if you are trying to view your MiniDV tape on the video monitor, your "source" is the MiniDV deck and your "destination" is the video monitor.

How do I clear the router to start again?

In the Transfer Room, press the "Enable" button twice to start again. For Kramer routers: Select the DESTINATION number (it will flash) and press OFF. If you want to clear all: click on the ALL button and then press OFF.

How do I route in i804 and i805?

  1. Select Projector or LCD Flat Panel as your destination.
  2. Select your source: MiniDV, Aux Video, Blu-ray/DVD, VHS, Instructor station, or Laptop (Mac users may have to provide their own SVGA or DVI adapter).

How do I route in i821?

  1. Select Projector or LCD Flat Panel as your destination.
  2. Select your source: MiniDV, Aux Video, Blu-ray/DVD, i821 Instructor's station, i820-Audio03 station, or Laptop (Mac users may have to provide their own SVGA or DVI adapter).

Why won't my tape go into record?

The RECORD INHIBIT function may have been activated on your tape. On a VHS tape, if the tab on the spine has been pulled off you will not be able to record; cover it with scotch tape to record.

Can I transfer to or from PAL format?

The New School is a NTSC house. If you wish to transfer from PAL or SECAM, we recommend going to a local dubbing house.

Transfer Room

How do I route in transfer room?

In the Transfer Room, you specify source and destination by pressing the numbers which correspond to the device. If you need to make multiple routings, press "Enable" which will light up. Choose your source and destination, then press "Enable" twice to turn off the "Enable" light. Turn it on again and then make the subsequent routing.

Why is the DV deck not getting analog video input?

Make sure that the DV deck is routed to correctly. Also, make sure that the DV deck's input is set to "A1." The deck should show "A1" in the main display. If not, press the "Input Select" button until the DV deck's front panel shows "A1."

Why can I not hear the sound from my deck?

Make sure that you have routed your deck correctly to the monitor (if you can see the image of your tape on one of the video monitors, then your deck is routed correctly).

The video monitor has no audio inputs connected, so the Volume knob on the video monitor should not be used. Below each video monitor is a dedicated audio monitor which is where you control audio levels for monitoring. The audio monitor should be set to "STEREO" and "AVG" to measure the average level of the audio. Adjust the listening volume with the Volume knob on the audio monitor.

How can I adjust the audio levels I am recording?

Audio levels are adjusted on the front panel of the deck to which you are recording. All decks should have front panel audio level controls that allow a fair amount of gain or gain reduction.

How do I make a digital clone of my DV tape?

The two DV decks in the transfer room are connected to each other via one Firewire cable that enters each deck on the front panel. Make sure that this Firewire cable is connected to each DV deck. To make a digital DV clone, press the "Input Select" button on the front of the Destination DV deck until the "DV IN" LED lights on the display of the deck is green. After the correct input is selected, simply press RECORD and PLAY on the Destination deck and then PLAY on the Source deck. Please note that although the clone tape will be a lossless exact copy of your original tape, the DV decks in the Transfer Room cannot copy time code through the Firewire connection. Therefore, the time code on the Destination tape will have an inherent offset from the Source tape. Please also change the input of the Destination deck back to "A1" when you are finished with your clone.

How do I make a digital clone of my DAT tape?

The two DAT decks in the transfer room are connected to each other via two optical cables. Simply move the input switch on the front of the Destination deck to "OPTICAL" (the switch is normally set to "ANALOG"). Press RECORD and PLAY on the Destination deck and then PLAY on the Source deck. When you are finished making your clone, please switch the Destination DAT's input back to "ANALOG".

What does the label "all decks sync off composite video inputs" mean?

All of the decks in the Transfer Room receive their sync from their own composite inputs. In other words, for decks with EXT REF inputs (such as the Beta and 3/4" decks), the composite video input to that deck loops to the EXT REF input of the deck as well. Since so many decks in the Transfer Room (such as the VHS, DV, DVD, and Laserdisc decks) do not have EXT REF inputs, no common sync source can be assigned to all of the decks. When making a transfer, if you wish to insure that both your Source and Destination decks are on the same sync source, simply route "Black" to your Source deck and then route your Source deck through the TBC to the Destination deck. This routing methodology will guarantee you will be free from sync problems. As a note: the TBC is referenced to the house sync (i.e. "Black")

What is a TBC?

TBC stands for "Time Base Corrector." A TBC will take the output from a non-synchronized source and lock it with the house clock so that the beginning of each frame from the Source deck exactly matches where the Destination deck expects to see the beginning of each frame. A TBC will also take video from unstable sources (such as a consumer VHS deck) where the time between each video frame varies and output the video such that the time between each video frame is exactly the same. Basically, a TBC takes jittery or non-locked video and turns it into extremely stable and refreshed video. The TBCs in the Transfer Room also include color correction switches that can repair level problems with your video.

When should I use TBC?

Actually, it is recommended that you use the TBC any time you are making a transfer. Be sure to RESET the TBC if you do not wish to do any color correction of your source tape.

How do I reset the TBC?

To reset the TBC (in other words, turn all of the color correction functions off), simply press DOWN on the two switches that are labeled "UNITY RESET" on the left-hand part of the TBC. Doing so should set the TBC for unity input and output.

Why doesn't the TBC seem to be getting video input?

Make sure the TBC's INPUT switch is set to COMP (not Y/C). The red light below the COMP label should be lit.

How do I transfer VHS, MiniDV, or Beta footage to DVD in the transfer room?

  1. Route the source of your footage (VHS, MiniDV or Beta) to the DVD recorder
  2. Route the DVD - DVD Recorder to a monitor
  3. Press "Drive Select" to make sure that the drive holding the blank DVD is highlighted
  4. Press "Play" on your source deck and then the "Rec" button on the DVD recorder
  5. You can create chapters on your DVD by stopping the transfer and starting it again. The DVD recorder will start capturing the footage in another chapter. For a more advanced guide to menu-making for the DVD recorder, please refer to the PRV-LX1 DVD Menu Maker file under "Manuals and Resources" on any lab station.
  6. Your DVD is not ready until you finalize it. When you press "Eject" choose "Finalize" if you're done transferring, or choose "Eject" if you want to add more footage later on. Note: DVDs that are not finalized may not play properly in other DVD players.

How do I make a high quality dub of my Beta tape?

The two Beta decks in the transfer room are connected to each other with dedicated COMPONENT Video and time code connections.

  1. To make a high quality Beta dub, first make sure that the Beta decks are on the same sync reference.
  2. Route "Black" to each deck, but audio from the source to the destination.
  3. To route video and audio separately: on the router's "AFV" switch, select “V” and then route "Black" (on the router) to the inputs of both Beta decks. 
  4. Select “A” ONLY on the router's "AFV" switch and route the source deck to the destination deck.
  5. Change the VIDEOIN switch on the Destination Beta deck to "Y-R, B" instead of "COMPOSITE". Note: If you would also like to copy the time code from the Source Beta deck onto the Destination Beta deck, change the TC switch on the Destination Beta deck to "EXT" instead of "INT."
  6. To start the dub, simply press RECORD and PLAY on the Destination deck and then PLAY on the Source deck. When you are finished with your dub, please change the VIDEO IN switch on the Destination deck back to "COMPOSITE" and the TC switch on the Destination deck back to "INT."

When transferring to VHS, why do I not get any signal to my VHS destination deck?

The VHS decks must be set to input "L1" in order to record. You can change the input by pressing the "Line In" button on the front of the deck, or by using the remote control available for check-out at the Arnhold Hall 8th fl. reception desk.

When transferring to/from beta, the monitor displays a split screen image. Will this affect my transfer?

If your monitor displays a split screen image, then your destination deck is on a different sync source than your source deck. Having a different sync source will not necessarily create problems with the recording, but it should be avoided if possible. Make sure that you have routed the decks correctly on the router and that the input to the destination deck is set to "COMPOSITE;" following the proper routing and input selection procedure should avoid any sync problems. If you are still experiencing problems, please contact the Arnold Hall, 8th floor reception desk.

Why is the image from my Beta rolling or offset with blue lines through the middle?

If the image from the Beta deck is rolling, then the Beta deck is probably receiving video from an unstable source. Remember that all decks sync off the input in the Transfer Room. So even though you are just using the Beta deck for playback, a VHS deck with unstable sync routed to the Beta deck will cause the Beta deck to have unstable sync itself. To solve this problem, simply route "Black" to the Beta deck.

How do I duplicate a DVD from a DVD in the transfer room?

  1. Route the DVD Recorder to a monitor
  2. Put in the original and blank DVDs in the recorder (it doesn't matter which drive you use because you can select which one is original and duplicate in the next step)
  3. Press "Function" > under the APP menu click on "CPY/IMPT/BKUP"
  4. Under DISC COPY choose which drive holds the original DVD and duplicate
  5. Click "Copy"

What happens if disc finalization is cancelled or interrupted before it is completed?

If the finalization process is cancelled or interrupted, the disc is not finalized and you will need to restart the process from the beginning.

What does the "un-finalize" feature offer within the DVD recorder?

The un-finalize option offers the ability to add additional video content to a previously recorded DVD-RW disc that has been finalized. The previously recorded video content when un-finalized will not be erased. DVD-R media does not support the un-finalize feature. Note: The PRV-LX1 recorder must have created the original video content on DVD-RW media to use the un-finalize feature.

What type of recordable DVD media is supported on the DVD recorder?

The PRV-LX1 DVD-Video Recorder is a DVD-R and DVD-RW device. It can record on to DVD-R for General (write-once) media or DVD-RW version 1.1 or higher (re-writable) media.

How many separate titles can be recorded by the DVD recorder?

The PRV-LX1 records each session as a separate title. According to the DVD-Video specification, a maximum of 99 titles can be included on one side of a DVD-Video disc. Therefore, the PRV-LX1 can record as many as 99 titles (or separate recording sessions), provided that there is space available on the disc. Note: The DVD-Video specification states that a title must contain at least one chapter. The PRV-LX1 automatically marks one chapter for each recorded title.