Sony SL-C30 noisy picture - Page 2 - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

TIMTAPE · 5th Feb 2017, 11:25 pm

Just a comment on the first image posted.

It seems to have been stretched horizontally which means any horizontal jagged edges / wavy verticals will be exaggerated compared to a true 4:3.

Also the image as presented is quite contrasty, Hard to know if the image was like that before being recorded, if the machine has exaggerated the contrast, or if the still image has had its contrast boosted. In a properly aligned signal chain there should no change in contrast or any other parameter.

The image doesnt seem grainy overall as in the "before" image uploaded by vauxhall. What I notice is the noise and distortion at the edges of highlights.

As I understand it, Betamax had a worse image than the original Beta, trading off image and audio quality for playing time. Like an earlier comment I'm not sure the image is much worse than it should be for that format, once presented properly.

NotTheMessiah · 6th Feb 2017, 12:09 am

Yes it is the noise at edges that is of primary concern, and it will indeed be more apparent in 16:9 due to the horizontal stetching. However it is still quite apparent in 4:3 and is most definitely worse over composite than rf. Furthermore comparing the quality I am seeing here with other examples and betmax units I've owned previously the noise presented by this unit does seem excessive for the format IMHO.

Another indication that there is a definite fault is that when connected over composite on occasion one field fails to refresh correctly for the top third of the picture and appears almost stuck while the other field in the picture is unaffected. This lasts for a few seconds at a time.

5th Feb 2017, 11:25 pm	#21
TIMTAPE Octode Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 1,971	Re: Sony SL-C30 noisy picture Just a comment on the first image posted. It seems to have been stretched horizontally which means any horizontal jagged edges / wavy verticals will be exaggerated compared to a true 4:3. Also the image as presented is quite contrasty, Hard to know if the image was like that before being recorded, if the machine has exaggerated the contrast, or if the still image has had its contrast boosted. In a properly aligned signal chain there should no change in contrast or any other parameter. The image doesnt seem grainy overall as in the "before" image uploaded by vauxhall. What I notice is the noise and distortion at the edges of highlights. As I understand it, Betamax had a worse image than the original Beta, trading off image and audio quality for playing time. Like an earlier comment I'm not sure the image is much worse than it should be for that format, once presented properly.

6th Feb 2017, 12:09 am	#22
NotTheMessiah Triode Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK. Posts: 11	Re: Sony SL-C30 noisy picture Yes it is the noise at edges that is of primary concern, and it will indeed be more apparent in 16:9 due to the horizontal stetching. However it is still quite apparent in 4:3 and is most definitely worse over composite than rf. Furthermore comparing the quality I am seeing here with other examples and betmax units I've owned previously the noise presented by this unit does seem excessive for the format IMHO. Another indication that there is a definite fault is that when connected over composite on occasion one field fails to refresh correctly for the top third of the picture and appears almost stuck while the other field in the picture is unaffected. This lasts for a few seconds at a time.