See the Goko TC-20 Transfer Film to Video in Actio

[Konton]

I think most of us here want to transfer our film to video or digital ourselves. I use a Goko TC-20 with an EVW-300 Sony Hi-8 and a 1084S Commodore Monitor to view it. It works great!

Now some people say you don't get a clear image. Others say you get a bright light in the middle and the edges are dark. And many also say you'll get a flicker no matter way. I don't agree.

To prove it, here's my setup sitting on my kitchen counter transferring film to video:


http://www.super8mm.net/sale/Goko-TC20.rm

This is a 2.5meg file. I'd like to show it in a higher resolution and faster fps, but then the file would be huge.

As you can see in the video, the image looks great and there is no flicker (the image on the monitor). If I had a better resolution I would show you that even the film grain shows up in the transfer.

Anyway just thought people would like to see it. You can still buy these machines. Even more, they have a recording head built in, but not in use. An electrican can modify the Goko TC-20 for audio recording.

Just wanted you all to know.

[This message has been edited by Konton (edited April 26, 2001).]

[AppleCore24]

What's a reasonable price on a Goko TC-20? That image kicks ass!

[Konton]

Well I got my rebuilt with a 90-day warranty for $650 from Goko Authorized Services. I don't know how much it costs off Ebay or somewhere else.

[AppleCore24]

Not a bad price. How do I contact them?

[tripplezero]

WOW! nice work is that 24 fps?
can you sync up sound with a computer?

[Alex]

Thank you for sharing...

The only flaw in the ointment is a live transfer always looks better than one off of tape.

the next test would be to play back the transfer after it has been laid back to tape.

One final issue is you should measure your signal contrast value from the brights to the darks with a waveform monitor...

A Televison monitor can handle much more info from a live camera feed than from an image played tha is played back from a videotape signal..

I'd be intrigued to see the quality if you transferred directly to BetaCam SP.

Your Video Camera may in fact allow you to "clip" the bright levels at 100 IRE and keep the black levels at 7.5 IRE.

-Alex

[Konton]

Okay . . . I'm feeling like a Goko rep now and I'm not even getting a percentage for plugging the company! This is where I got mine:

Goko Authorized Service
Specialty Photo
620 5th Ave.
Pelham, NY 10803
Phone: 914-738-6500

I don't know how many they had left, but the guy on the phone told me there were not many available. These are used units that have to be overhauled for resale (cleaned, lubricated, and tested). Anyway I talked to the guy on the phone for a while because I wanted the TC-301 rather than the TC-20. The TC-301 is built like a projector. The TC-20 is built like an editor. What sold me was the fact that the TC-301 costs a couple thousand, and the TC-20 was $650.

The Goko TC-20 uses what is called the "NF System." This means it uses a 24-sided fine optical glass polygon prism to "fade" from one frame to the next, thus removing the flicker when running at both 18 and 24fps. The Goko runs at 18 or 24fps and you can vary the running speed by 2 frames. I have no idea how it could be used to sync up sound with a computer. I guess you would have to know the speed of your camera to do that and adjust the speed of the Goko to be the same. I've been trying to figure that myself, and it would require the Goko to be modified with a flash contact and the use of a frame counter.

The quality I have on tape from this is actually better than the monitor, but I guess you would have to see that for yourself. The fact is that using a 3 CCD camera for transfer makes a big difference. I'm lucky that the Film Arts Foundation is letting me borrow one for free. I'd love to test this with a BetaCam SP. Anyone in the Bay Area want to come over and let me borrow it?

If anyone wants to look at the manual for this piece of equipment, I have a PDF file of it here: http://www.super8mm.net/manuals/Goko%20TC-20.pdf

Again, I hate sounding like a salesmen, but the issue of good home quality transfers from Super 8mm to digital/video is always bought up here, or on the newsgroups, and people always put down the Goko TC-20. I don't think it is one that should be ignored. The transfer you get here is better than a projector in my opinion.

I can't wait till Pedro gets me the new bulb for it. This bulb here from Germany: http://www.wittner-kinotechnik.de/ka...n/betra_la.jpg
Pedro said "The lamp replaces the 6V/10W bulb and gives a incredible bright image on the viewer?s screen. It is directly replaceable without any modifications. A new development, exclusively for S8, imagine."
I'll let you know how much better the image looks when I get it.

[ulrichsd]

Wow, that is a pretty good transfer!

A technical question... if the Goko TC-20 is a 3 bladed projector how do you achieve a no-flicker result? Also, is your film being played at 18 or 24 FPS in the clip? Does it run just as well at both settings?

I'd be interested in that site too if you would post it.

Thanks for the info!

Scott

[Alex]

Well, I do have a BetaSP camera...

and I live in California....

hmmmm.....

[souper8]

Konton,
The image on your video looks really impressive. Do you have any still frames from the transfer? I'm curious to see a few actual recorded frames.

Goko sells a brighter halogen upgrade for $45.00. 20 for the adapter and 25 for the bulb. Is that the same bulb Pedro told you about?