Time base correction

Time base correction is a technique to reduce or eliminate errors caused by mechanical instability present in analog recordings on mechanical media. Without time base correction, a signal from a videotape recorder (VTR) or videocassette recorder (VCR) cannot be mixed with other, more time stable devices found in television studios and post-production facilities. Most broadcast quality VCRs have simple time base correctors built in though external time base correctors (TBCs) are often used.

Time base correction counteracts errors by buffering the video signal and releasing it at a steady rate. TBCs also allow a variable delay in the video stream. By adjusting the rate and delay using a waveform monitor and a vectorscope, the corrected signal can now match the timing of the other devices in the system. If all of the devices in a system are adjusted so their signals meet the video switcher at the same time and at the same rate, the signals can be mixed. A single master clock or "sync generator" provides the reference for all of the devices' clocks.