Blackmagic H264 Pro Recorder Problem

I bought a used h264 pro recorder on ebay uk and tried it transferring analogue Hi8 and VHS but have a recurring problem - intermittent loss of video sync - resulting in horizontal frame line mid screen.

I also tried routing through my time base corrector, to no avail. Contacted seller who assures me its had little use and was rock solid when he used it last. Using it with the BM downloaded software.Perhaps I'm missing something?

Any suggestions would be welcomed. Thanks in advance.

I have a similar problem. However, if I select "native" as the project video format under Media Express preferences, then the device is able to lock on to the video signal. I use PAL sources.

Posts of this nature occur time and again. You say that you routed the video signal via a Timebase Corrector to no avail, but it really depends on what TBC you were using. Over the years, I've used many TBCs but many of the lower cost ones (at new price) aren't very good and aren't up to the job that you need doing. Alas, Blackmagic products that are designed to convert analogue video sources to digital files are simply not up to the job of accepting raw off-tape sources without prior correction. I know - I have several Blackmagic capture devices that are in use all day every day.

If Blackmagic were to produce a small, easy-to-use standalone TBC they'd save a lot of customers a lot of hassle. Their claim - in product information - that their video capture devices can accept analogue composite and component video sources for conversion to digital formats is at best not quite true and at worst completely misleading!