VHS to SVCD Format on DVD-R

[FLD]

Hi all,

I have tons of VHS tapes on which I recorded my beloved tv shows. As they will sooner or later degrade I would like to keep them on more longer lasting medias, like DVD-R, and in a format that gives at least equal or a bit less than its original quality on VHS tape. I heard that VCD is inferior than VHS and a DVD-R can only store up to 1 hour of DVD format video. So, that leaves me only one choice, which is SVCD.

I have a Sony DV came that has a digital passthrough so I would connect the VCR to the DV cam and then from the DV cam via firefire to my PC to capture video. Now, I have Ulead MovieFactory 2, Ulead Video Studio 7, Adobe Premiere 6.5, TMPGEnc 2.5 Plus, and perhaps some other stuff at work that I can play with after work.

By the way, I have tried the method recommended on the top but it did not work as I might have misconfigured something wrong in the capture process. And the method suggested would be most suitable for those wanting to convert from their existing VCDs or SVCDs to DVD. But mine is a bit different as I wan to convert from VHS in order to record on the DVD ain SVCD format, so that I can record more than 1 hour on a DVD-R.

So,

1. Can anyone please tell me step by step as I am a newbie in this stuff how I should configure the capture software, either Premire or VideoStudio, so that the the resulting MPEG file can be burned on DVD-R?

2. A 4.7 GB DVD-R can store 450 minutes of VCD MPEG, how about SVCD MPEG? How long a DVD-R can store?

3. I have tried using Ulead VS to capture the video and I chose the format as SVCD. Then I got a 2.46 GB MPEG file for a 3-hour VHS and another 1.83 GB for a 2-hour tape. Then I used DVD Patcher 1.6 exactly as recommended in the thred above. The I used Ulead VS and configured as recommended but it showed, for the 3-hour SVCD MPEG file, that it would need

- 9.8GB for high quality (8000 kbps) 60 min per DVD
- 7.3 GB for good quality (6000 kbps) 90 min per DVD
- 4.9 GB for fair quality (4000 kbps) 120 min per DVD
- 2.9 GB for Half-D1 (352X576 2400 kbps) 4 hours per DVD
- 2.2 GB for CIF (352X288 1800 kbps) 6 hours per DVD

I think there must be something wrong as in the thread here https://www.videohelp.com/svcddvdr
it only needs 1.6 GB ofr a 1-hour 30-minute file. Can anyone please tell me what I could have done wrong?

Thank you very much.

Regards,
FLD

[bugster]

1. Can anyone please tell me step by step as I am a newbie in this stuff how I should configure the capture software, either Premire or VideoStudio, so that the the resulting MPEG file can be burned on DVD-R?

There are lots of guides that do this already. Maybe none of them are EXACTLY what you want, but I am sure at least one will come close. Find it, read it and try it. When something goes wrong or you don't understan, come back and ask a single specific question and you will get help.

2. A 4.7 GB DVD-R can store 450 minutes of VCD MPEG, how about SVCD MPEG? How long a DVD-R can store?

A 4.7GB DVDr can store 4.7GB of data. The size of an mpeg file depends entirley on its bitrate and playing time, noting else. It doesn't matter if it is VCD, SVCD or DVD compilant, only bitrate and length matter.

3. I have tried using Ulead VS to capture the video and I chose the format as SVCD. Then I got a 2.46 GB MPEG file for a 3-hour VHS and another 1.83 GB for a 2-hour tape. Then I used DVD Patcher 1.6 exactly as recommended in the thred above. The I used Ulead VS and configured as recommended but it showed, for the 3-hour SVCD MPEG file, that it would need

- 9.8GB for high quality (8000 kbps) 60 min per DVD
- 7.3 GB for good quality (6000 kbps) 90 min per DVD
- 4.9 GB for fair quality (4000 kbps) 120 min per DVD
- 2.9 GB for Half-D1 (352X576 2400 kbps) 4 hours per DVD
- 2.2 GB for CIF (352X288 1800 kbps) 6 hours per DVD

I think there must be something wrong as in the thread here https://www.videohelp.com/svcddvdr
it only needs 1.6 GB ofr a 1-hour 30-minute file. Can anyone please tell me what I could have done wrong?

If your destination format is DVD, why use non-compliant SVCD resolution. Encode to a DVD compatible format, for VHS source probably 1/2 D1 (352 * 480/576) is your best bet, then forget about all that DVD patcher stuff.

As to how long a video you can fit per DVD, see previous comments.

[FLD]

Thanks so much bugster. How would the quality of picture and sound in 1/2 D1 technically and practically compare to the original ones on the VHS tapes?

I recorded the shows from cable TV so the signal was digital but recorded to the tapes in analog in SP mode. However, the quality of picture and sound are very good.

Thanks again.

[bugster]

Thanks so much bugster. How would the quality of picture and sound in 1/2 D1 technically and practically compare to the original ones on the VHS tapes?

I recorded the shows from cable TV so the signal was digital but recorded to the tapes in analog in SP mode. However, the quality of picture and sound are very good.

Thanks again.

The quality you can achieve cannot improve on the source. Your source is VHS which can be problematic. For the best encodes you need best source. You are capturing DV format, and that is pretty good but as the source is VHS it could probably be improved by using some noise reduction filters. The one in Tmpgenc is pretty good but is VERY slow.

My reccomendation would be to experiment with encoding your DV using TmpGenc. Using a short (5 or 10 min) clip, try a few different settings of resolution (full D1 and 1/2D1), bitrates and the noise reduction filter. Then you can decide what provides the best compromise between between final quality, file size and encode time.

[Gees]

Everything Bugster said is true and correct. :c) But, just to head off a potential problem... because of a quirky way storage media references sizes (on discs, harddrives, etc.)... you should aim for total DVD file size of less than the ~4.38 G max - irregardless of the 4.7 emblazoned on the disc.

(There is a long thread that explains it fully somewhere, but the thing to remember is the 4.38 max.)

Also detailed here: https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=172496

[FLD]

Thanks so much, bugster and Gees. What I meant is that I would not wish the quality to improve as the source is VHS, but at least it should not be far less. Most preferably, the sound and picture quality should be equivalent to that on the VHS tape. Am I asking to much or would that be possible?

BTW, I can't experiment too much as reasonably good DVD-R medias, like Ritek, in Melbourne cost about $USD 1.75. This is the cheapest I could find. Princo are cheaper but crappy.

I'll let you know how I am coping asap.

Thank you very much again, bugster and Gees.

[Gees]

Best and least expensive investment you can make is for a couple of RW discs. Experiment to your heart's content. No coasters, no waste. :c)

With a high enough bitrate I'm sure you'll be satisfied with the results of vhs transfer. And remember ... the better, smaller, safer storage and easier navigation (menus, chapters, etc.) will already be a huge improvement in itself.

:c)

Good luck.

[bugster]

In fact, you can do most of your experimentation with settings etc on your PC. Just remember to play the test encodes with a decent SW DVD player that has a built in de-interlacer to cope with your PC monitor. PowerDVD does this and I think WinDVD does also.