Capturing LaserDisc, Good device?

[santadog]

I have searched around a bit and most threads are several years old, so the cards and devices
recommended there are often no longer in sale.

So i just got my uncles old LaserDisc Player, a Pioneer CLD-1450, and a couple of movies which i now
would like to backup to my computer and then transfer to newer media.
The Player has Composite out and Scart out... What i have read it's often recommended to just
go with the standard composite out.

The question is what to use to capture. Most new capturing devices are aimed att gamers or
ppl that uses machines with just HDMI-connections.

Sure, there are som devices i have seen, but they seem quite expensive to invest in for just capturing
a few movies.

One device i have seen that is not to expensive is the "Elgato Video Capture" ( https://www.elgato.com/video/video-capture ),
is that something that would be sufficient and compatible with LD-capturing, and give reasnoble quality.
Or are there any other devices that you can recommend that
doesn't cost a fortune?

Any advice appriciated

//santadog

[oldfart13]

Hauppage HDPVR allows captures from Composite and Component. My bud has been using my original HDPVR to do so from Laserdisc for several months. I do strictly high def captures now which is why I went out and bought an HDPVR 2...

[usually_quiet]

The Hauppauge 610 USB-Live 2 should work too and should cost less than the Elgato Video Capture.

[santadog]

The Hauppauge 610 USB-Live 2 should work too and should cost less than the Elgato Video Capture.

Thanks for the quick response! =)

Yeah, i have looked at that device too. However, it captures to mpeg-2, while the elgato video capturer captures in H.264, and from what
i have read that is preferable.

The Hauppauge is really cheap thou, so i may buy it as a first device and try at least.


Anyone else has any suggestions it's greatly appreciated. =)

[santadog]

Hauppage HDPVR allows captures from Composite and Component. My bud has been using my original HDPVR to do so from Laserdisc for several months. I do strictly high def captures now which is why I went out and bought an HDPVR 2...

I did a search for HD PVR and a guy living just a few miles from me are selling one dirt cheap, so if no one else has already
grabbed it i will go for it and hope it does a good job =)

Thanks for the tip! =)

[usually_quiet]

The Hauppauge 610 USB-Live 2 should work too and should cost less than the Elgato Video Capture.

Thanks for the quick response! =)

Yeah, i have looked at that device too. However, it captures to mpeg-2, while the elgato video capturer captures in H.264, and from what
i have read that is preferable.

The Hauppauge is really cheap thou, so i may buy it as a first device and try at least.


Anyone else has any suggestions it's greatly appreciated. =)

The Hauppauge USB Live 2 uses software to encode, just like the Elgato Video Capture. If you use third-party software instead of Hauppauge's WinTV software, then it is possible to capture in H.264. You might even want to capture using a lossless format like HuffYUV so you can process your capture and fix some things before encoding to H.264.

[santadog]

The Hauppauge 610 USB-Live 2 should work too and should cost less than the Elgato Video Capture.

Thanks for the quick response! =)

Yeah, i have looked at that device too. However, it captures to mpeg-2, while the elgato video capturer captures in H.264, and from what
i have read that is preferable.

The Hauppauge is really cheap thou, so i may buy it as a first device and try at least.


Anyone else has any suggestions it's greatly appreciated. =)

The Hauppauge USB Live 2 uses software to encode, just like the Elgato Video Capture. If you use third-party software instead of Hauppauge's WinTV software, then it is possible to capture in H.264. You might even want to capture using a lossless format like HuffYUV so you can process your capture and fix some things before encoding to H.264.

Ah. Okay.

I thought that it was some internal hardware encoding done that only output mpeg-2.
Will definatly check out HuffYUV.

Thanks Man =)

[Brad]

The most important thing for a LaserDisc capture is good comb filtering (separation of the composite signal on the disc into component video form). Capture devices with nice 3D comb filters for PAL are even more rare than for NTSC.

I would suggest one of the PCIe cards using the ATI Theater 750 chip, such as the ASUS My Cinema-ES2-750 available in Europe. (For some reason the ATI/Diamond USB version doesn't actually utilize the 3D comb filter.)

[santadog]

The most important thing for a LaserDisc capture is good comb filtering (separation of the composite signal on the disc into component video form). Capture devices with nice 3D comb filters for PAL are even more rare than for NTSC.

I would suggest one of the PCIe cards using the ATI Theater 750 chip, such as the ASUS My Cinema-ES2-750 available in Europe. (For some reason the ATI/Diamond USB version doesn't actually utilize the 3D comb filter.)

That card is rather old now and i can't seem to find it anywhere to buy, certainly not in sweden... hehe, even used.

Are you aware of ant newer products with, if not the same, an even better comb filter?

I maybe should have added that more expensive cards/devices are also options because they may
be found used for a good price.

[hech54]

That card is rather old now and i can't seem to find it anywhere to buy, certainly not in sweden... hehe, even used.

Are you aware of ant newer products with, if not the same, an even better comb filter?

I maybe should have added that more expensive cards/devices are also options because they may
be found used for a good price.

PLEASE don't get too hung up on the dozens of "YOU MUST HAVE THIS AND THIS WITH THIS AND DO THIS" posts that inevitably show up in threads like this. I'm guessing you have never heard of a "comb filter" until today and I'm also guessing 95% of human beings could not tell if a comb filter was either ON or OFF while pre-viewing before capturing.
LD is sometimes a tiny step up in quality compared to VHS....which is often times"not that great at all" to begin with.
I love my Hauppauge USB|LIVE2.

[usually_quiet]

A comb filter reduces dot crawl artifacts. A 3D comb filter like the ASUS My Cinema-ES2-750 has is the most effective type. I don't know what type of comb filter the other capture devices discussed in this thread have. 2D is more common, but some capture devices may not have one at all.

This is the only other Theatre 750 PCI-e card I know of: http://www.diamondmm.com/tvw750pec-diamond-pcie-hd-tv-tuner-card.html

[Brad]

Are you aware of ant newer products with, if not the same, an even better comb filter?

No. The flood of cheap capture devices and then HD-oriented products removed any incentive for careful processing of composite inputs.

Even the "pro" products like Blackmagic, AJA, and Matrox only offer 2D comb filters.

[santadog]

Are you aware of ant newer products with, if not the same, an even better comb filter?

No. The flood of cheap capture devices and then HD-oriented products removed any incentive for careful processing of composite inputs.

Even the "pro" products like Blackmagic, AJA, and Matrox only offer 2D comb filters.

Typical...

Well, i got a Hauppague HD PVR now for close to nothing, so i will make som tests =)

[santadog]

Any suggestions on a good and easy to use capture program?

[usually_quiet]

Any suggestions on a good and easy to use capture program?

The HD-PVR hardware encodes so it won't work with most capture software.

It works with the software on the installation disc and Hauppauge Capture. Note that downloading WinTV from Hauppauge requires the HD-PVR installation disc, or you can buy WinTV from Hauppauge if you do not have the installation disc.

Capture4Me is paid software that works with the HD-PVR. There is rcTVCap too. GraphEdit and GraphStudio can be used but you must learn how to build DirectShow filter graphs.

[santadog]

Any suggestions on a good and easy to use capture program?

The HD-PVR hardware encodes so it won't work with most capture software.

It works with the software on the installation disc and Hauppauge Capture. Note that downloading WinTV from Hauppauge requires the HD-PVR installation disc, or you can buy WinTV from Hauppauge if you do not have the installation disc.

Capture4Me is paid software that works with the HD-PVR. There is rcTVCap too. GraphEdit and GraphStudio can be used but you must learn how to build DirectShow filter graphs.

I have tried Hauppauge Capture so far and the result is okay in my oppinion.
But i will experiment with some other softwares, and maybe in the future get a better capture device.

=)

[jagabo]

I have tried Hauppauge Capture so far and the result is okay in my oppinion.
But i will experiment with some other softwares

They will all return the same quality at the same settings because the device is doing the compression. All the computer is doing is displaying the data and putting it in a file. Though you may be able to use other settings if the other software gives access to them. Look at the crossbar or capture filter settings. You may see bitrate, noise reduction, levels, sharpness, and other settings there.

[sasho]

guys

what capture are you using for making Hi Quality LD transfers - not to have compressed video and audio like with Hauppauge, Elgato, etc
are consumer standalone DVD recorders better
I like to get the best quality digital file and to edit In PC both video - removing dots and audio - higher volume / noise reduction
do we need some pro tool to do a capture from LD to a PC

[jagabo]

what capture are you using for making Hi Quality LD transfers

Try reading the thread.

[usually_quiet]

guys

what capture are you using for making Hi Quality LD transfers - not to have compressed video and audio like with Hauppauge, Elgato, etc
are consumer standalone DVD recorders better
I like to get the best quality digital file and to edit In PC both video - removing dots and audio - higher volume / noise reduction
do we need some pro tool to do a capture from LD to a PC

CVBS/composite video is the preferred connection to use for capturing Laserdisc since analog composite video is stored on the discs and the S-Video output from Laserdisc players is usually not good (poor luma and chroma separation). Ideally an SD capture device used for capturing the composite video output from a Laserdisc player should have a good 3D comb filter to reduce dot-crawl noise in the video.

Assuming you are a DVB-T country, the Hauppauge WinTV HVR 5525 is an internal TV tuner/analog capture device for the PC with a 3D comb filter for SD analog capture. It uses software to encode analog video so it is possible to do lossless capture. As a side benefit, it also has a versatile digital tuner capable of receiving several types of DVB signals. If you are in an ATSC country, the Hauppauge WinTV HVR 1250/1265 is the closest equivalent.

Like H.264/AVC and AAC, MPEG-2 and AC3 are compressed and lossy, which means recording the output from a Laserdisc player with a DVD recorder is not the solution you are looking for. DVD recorders usually have 3D comb filters and good luma and chroma separation from S-video so one might be useful is as a pass through device for converting from composite video input to S-video output to use a capture device without a good comb filter. (Since posting a suggestion for it last year, I have read reports that the Hauppauge USB Live 2 is one such device.) However over-aggressive digital noise reduction and over sharpening could be a problem if they cannot be turned off.

[sasho]

thank you for detailed reply

what do you think of that MOTU device http://motu.com/video-products/hd-express-hdmi/body.html
I read that MOTU products are of top notch quality, so would that be Top notch captureing device

[usually_quiet]

thank you for detailed reply

what do you think of that MOTU device http://motu.com/video-products/hd-express-hdmi/body.html
I read that MOTU products are of top notch quality, so would that be Top notch captureing device

There is no mention of a 3D comb filter in the product description and products which are mainly designed for HD component and HDMI capture are often less than top-notch for composite capture. If you want to spend in the neighborhood of $500 to find out if it is an exception to that rule, that is up to you. If you don't already have the recommended software for the MOTU, that is another significant expense.

Also if you are using a Mac or a laptop, you should not be keeping that information to yourself. ...and if you are using a laptop, you will need one with an ExpressCard slot to use the MOTU device, which may be a problem since ExpressCard has not been a common feature on laptops for several years. Hopefully it comes with a PCI-e adapter for desktops, if that is what you have. Otherwise you will need to buy an ExpressCard to PCI-e adapter

[sasho]

one more question
what Is consensus about using a DV handycam to capture and then transfer to pc through firewire or miniusb
recording a MPEG to usb stick Is limited to 320 x 240 but what about recording to tape

[jagabo]

Using a DV camcorder in passthrough mode, or recording onto tape, and then capturing via firewire will give you 720x480 (NTSC) or 720x576 (PAL). You will get a small loss of detail and a little DCT ringing noise from the DV compression.