The VHS Archive
Welcome, this page contains a list of interesting tapes that I have found. These are mostly bootlegs and band tapes, but other interesting media I have found may find their way here. Currently, I will be making the video files available, either on my nas, or on internet archive. Eventually, I would like to get some raw RF transfers made available, but I need to work on some infrastructure for that. For now, like any good library, I am making these files available on a per request basis. More information on making a request can be found below. My current setup for ripping these tapes is as follows:
Capture card: CXADC
VHS-Decode: d43225a
VCR: JVC HR-S3800U (with 10μF capacitors at RF.PB and RF.PB AUDIO points)
Amplifier: Nooelec LaNA HF LNA (& 6db Attenuator if needed)
Image of transfer setup
Samples
Below are some samples of the quality of transfers that are possible using this method:
Moby Dick Miniseries (Likely from scrambled satellite, as I've never seen the bars on the sides ever before)
Courage The Cowardly Dog, the crosshatching is a result of vhs-decode, and can likely be filtered, view issue 63 for more info.
CVBS Decode Example (This is from a live signal off a Panasonic DXC-3000)
Faith No More, Live @ Brixton Academy (Probably the best VHS can look)
The Tape List:
Faith No More - You Fat B⭐⭐tards (Live at the Brixton Academy, April 28th 1990)
Raw capture: .u8 file (Available upon request, backed up to LTO)
Video: .mkv (h265 crf 14, aac bitrate 256k (HiFi), aac bitrate 256k (Linear), chapters included) 4.5GB
Last Updated: 3/10/24
Nine Inch Nails - Dallas Texas, The Video Bar 1990/06/26
This copy is unfortunately a high gen recording, copied probably some time in 1994.
Raw Capture: .u8 File (available upon request, backed up to LTO)
Video: .mkv (h265 crf 18, flac audio) 5.7 GB, YouTube
Last Updated: 3/10/24
Requests
Please contact me, aldude999 at the google mail service for file requests. I will make the file requested available for a limited time for your download. Please expect delays if the file is marked as backed up to LTO. Tapes are slow.
You can use the following template:
Tape requested: ______________________
Format requested: VIDEO/.u8 RAW TRANSFER
Reason for request: _________________________________________________________
Submissions
If you have a tape you'd like to see archived here, please send me an email at aldude999 at the google mail service and we can work out the details. I don't mind sending the tape back to you, and I'll even throw in the raw transfer or raw uncompressed video if you'd like. Any live show of industrial and rock is candidate for this archive if it's not available elsewhere. I am also willing to transfer non-standard video formats, such as U-Matic, betacam, or even audio formats like reel-to-reel, although it may take me some time to acquire and set these systems up. In the end, making the raw RF transfer of these tapes seems well worth it, as any improvement of vhs-decode means an improvement of the video quality, and with the raw files, we can preserve history better than any capture card would be able to.