Sima CT-2 Digital Video Enhancer and Duplicator

I have the ct-200 model, which has a couple more modes than the ct-2. From what I can tell, the device is not really much use for improving picture quality of old tapes. Rather, it is mostly for getting around copy protection (for personal use only, of course). When I tried it on some tapes that had no copy protection, the result was worse than doing a straight copy. There was an annoying rastorization effect.

Just got it and hooked it up between a portable DVD player and my new DVD recorder. Installation is so simple that instructions are not necessary. This product eliminated the protected content signal on my copy of The Big Lebowski and I expect that I'll be able to back up all of our old Disney movies to DVD with this as well. I don't like that there is no on/off switch on this thing and the switching between modes could certainly be improved. I'd have given a 5 star rating if this thing had a power switch on it.

Buy Sima CT-2 Digital Video Enhancer and Duplicator Now

This nifty little device used to be widely available for right around a hundred bucks both online and locally at places like CompUSA, Best Buy, etc. but seems to have almost completely disappeared during the past couple of months.

My guess is that the movie studios probably exerted huge legal pressure on Sima, due to the fact that word was getting out to too many people about just how effective this thing really is!

Right now you can only find it on eBay (and stock there is diminishing steadily even as I type) and a handful of small independent sellers like the ones listed here on Amazon, unfortunately most of these small sellers are unknown upstarts as well as selling used or refurbed units, so keep your fingers crossed!

Read Best Reviews of Sima CT-2 Digital Video Enhancer and Duplicator Here

since this item is no longer available in stores, i payed a good amount to obtain this item (i own the CT-200 model) i've had the chance to play around with it and felt i should write a review to inform others who may also want to make an investment in this product. here's why i give it four stars:

i originally bought this item so that i could view my vhs tapes on my dvd player. i have a modest sized copyrighted vhs collection. the first two tapes i transfered to dvd came out perfect. i was extremely happy with the picture quality of the transfer. on my third try, the sima godvd broke the copyright protection, but produced a shaky picture. the quality of the transfer to dvd was very bad. the same thing happened with the fourth tape i attempted to transfer. long story short, half of my vhs transfered perfectly to dvd, the other half didn't. i thought at first that maybe i had purchased a defective godvd even though it was still sealed in its original box when i got it. i decided to try an experiment. i went out and purchased another copy of a vhs tape that didn't transfer. this time...it transfered a very good picture, but not great, but definetely better. what this means, i don't know. i read reviews of others who have purchased this item (on amazon and other sites) and found that some had similar problems, that only about half of their vhs transferred successfully.

i decided to try it on my dvd collection and was very satisfied with the results. works every time with dvd's. honestly, it is difficult to tell the difference between the dvd-r copy and the original disc. the quality of the picture transfer is that good! i highly recommend you use a s-video cord with this item.

this item is easy to set up and easy to use. i found the enhancement features to be worthless. the normal mode is just fine.

so to sum up: if you're using this item to make back up copies of your dvd collection, buy the sima godvd with confidence! you will be very happy with the results. if you have a very large copyrighted vhs collection that you want to transfer to dvd, be prepared for only about half of your collection to successfully transfer. and be prepared for alot of headaches. you may get lucky and all your vhs will transfer. but others, including myself, have not been so lucky.

5 stars for dvd use; 3 stars for vhs use.

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I own the CT-2 model. I understand the CT-200 model is similar, but with a few more functional modes.

What is this device? Simply stated, it's an "inline plugin" which goes between a "source" video device and a "record" video device. In MY case, that normally means "between a VCR and my computer" but it can be used in other modes as well. The video signal is transfered by RCA composite, or by S-video. You can't mix-and-match... you have to choose one or the other. There's a button on the top surface for selection, along with an adjacent lamp which lights green for RCA or red for S-video.

It's not a "digital transfer device" in any way (had to add this based upon a few of the reviews I've read on here). It only alters signals passing through it in "real time." In other words... you play the video, in real time, and record on the other end of this device, also in real time.

What does it do? Well, it has four operating modes... "normal," "enhanced," "black/white," and "darker." Three of these provide an adjustment to the picture, as described. "Enhanced" seems to intensify the colors and sharpen, but can result in some apparent "pixelation" when viewed on a modern (high-definition) screen. "Black/white" does exactly what it says... removes any color from the signal (mainly useful in B/W video tapes which, when distorted, introduce incorrect coloration). "Darken" intensifies the contrast and reduces the overall image intensity... usually most useful for tapes which seem "washed out." "Normal," on the other hand, does nothing... or does it?

See, the enhancements are nice, but the main reason I have this is because it alters the signal (in a constant way in each of the four operating modes). It stabilizes the signal, it strengthens the signal, and it removes the "corruption" which is central to a number of so-called "copy protection" schemes which were in use back in the day (primarily "macrovision").

SO... if you bought a VHS tape, are worried about tape deterioration, don't care about higher-definition... or if the tape isn't available in any newer format... you can try to transfer it to a new medium (for your own personal use, as is legally allowed in the USA) without one of these, and you'll get an unwatchable mess. But plug one of these babies into the circuit, and you can safely and cleanly recapture your paid-for materials into a state which is completely watchable (if, mind you, "low-definition" NTSC signal quality).

The reason I'm posting this is that I've spent a fair amount of time recently converting all of my old VHS tapes which I can't replace with DVD or Blu-ray (there are a LOT of them!) into DVDs, using this (along with Sony's Vegas movie-editing and DVD-writing software). I had a TON of trouble with this, until I remembered that I had this in my stereo cabinet, and it solved all of my problems. It also improved the quality of my personally-recorded VHS tapes, including stuff recorded personally, and stuff recorded off the air.

As VHS tapes fade from view permanently, never to see market share again, devices like this one will fade into obscurity as well, though. But if you want to save your VHS tapes... get one, and get it now, while you still can!