Adjusting color and contrast during capture using DAC-100?

[ChachiFace]

Is there such a device that will let me alter the color and/or contrast of my video source before it goes into my capture device (DAC-100)?

I'm using ADOBE to capture but there doesn't seem to be a way to alter the color or contrast of the video during capture.

[Tommyknocker]

It sounds like you may need a color corrector. Do a Google search for it and see if any of the hits suit you.

[ChachiFace]

Thanks for the tip T...

I did a search on ebay and found a SIMA which sound like it would do the job. A bit expensive but looks like it's in the right direction. I'll give something like that a try.

thanks again.

ChachiFace

[GreyDeath]

I don't know if I'd recommend getting an analog color corrector like the SIMA. I bought one because I was having color and brightness problems with my ADVC-100. I thought that the Sima would be able to correct those problems before it went into the hardware, but all it did was give me more fustration because the "default" values on the corrector weren't the same as the bypass signal coming through the box.

So not only did I have to figure out what combination was the close enough to the original signal, but then I had to figure out what the correct combo was for tweaking the video to negate the problem with the hardware codec. After a couple months of trying to be a perfectionist, I quit, and went back to tweaking the video after the fact (Vegas 4), making test DVD-RW's, and comparing the 2 pics through an AV selector which had my DVD on one switch and my PVR on the other.

I finally found a setting I've been relatively happy with and my Sima is sitting around collecting dust... Ah well...

BTW, anyone having darkness and "red"ness problems with the ADVC-100, I found that adjusting the gamma and very slightly tweaking the brightness was the solution for me rather than adjusting the color.

[FulciLives]

BTW, anyone having darkness and "red"ness problems with the ADVC-100, I found that adjusting the gamma and very slightly tweaking the brightness was the solution for me rather than adjusting the color.

I don't have the Canopus ADVC-100 but that is a common problem with it based on other user remarks (i.e., slightly darker with a red "pull").

Out of curiousity do you increase or decrease the gamma and do you increase or decrease the brightness and do you JUST adjust the brightness or also the contrast etc.

Also for the record do you use NTSC with the 7.5 IRE setting or do you use PAL on the 0.0 IRE setting?

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[vhelp]

So far, I have settled w/ using the default IRE setting (value=0) on my advc.

I found that I was getting better output (matching my TV when burned and
played throu my dvd player) among other findings based on further testings :P

I was using IRE 7.5 cause I felt/thought that it was best setting. After messing
around w/ my Star Wars WS SE VHS tape, I concluded that it was the Tape
and Star Wars transfer that was at fault and not my ADVC. I realized this
once and for all, and settled w/ an defulta of IRE.0 :P
.
.
Now, my video projects are better (IMO) and as far as color goes, you just
have to follow it w/ either one of these filters:

* 411Helper - (if vdub) or,
* ReInterpolate411 - (for AVIsynth)

...and your REDs / BLUES will be fine.

Performing minor tweaks w/ the colors filters under TMPG is an every day
occurance w/ me. Not all source is the same, and even if they are (ie, capture
from Cable or Satellite) still requires tweaking because the source that they
air is different from one Provider to Another, and as well as the source being
of difference contents

I mainly just tweak the RGB values in TMPG (requires an eye to detail) but
once this is met and correct Aspect Ratio is used (ie, no resizing) skies the
limit to quality.. pending "users skills level" !!
.
.
Heck, even VHS comes out pretty good. Better yet, is if your VHS projects
are widescreen :P I just got my hands on a bunch of Star Trek VHS
tapes and all are widescreen :P - - I love this VHS hobby of mine. I got
First Contact, and Insurrection to name a few, and I tell you, they come out
pretty good. I'm still tweaking them as we speak, before I finalize to a DVDR
(when I get it up and running)

-vhelp

[GreyDeath]

[quote="FulciLives"]

Out of curiousity do you increase or decrease the gamma and do you increase or decrease the brightness and do you JUST adjust the brightness or also the contrast etc.

Also for the record do you use NTSC with the 7.5 IRE setting or do you use PAL on the 0.0 IRE setting?

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

In Vegas these are my Color Corrector settings:
Gamma: 1.070
Gain: 1.002

For TMPGEnc I had these settings for Simple Color Correction:
Brightness: 2
Gamma: 35

The Vegas settings were just an extrapolation of the TMPGEnc settings. If the picture looks to bright, I suppose you can set it down a tad, but you'd be getting more red, obviously. I've actually stopped adjusting the Gain and Brightness. I did it initally because it looked like I was getting a bit too much contrast since "black" is not really black for US NTSC.

All this experience was from me transferring my SW Trilogy from LD to DVD. I was really annoyed in SW:ANH at all the bright red-faced rebel troopers in the beginning. These settings cut alot of that out, except for one middle-aged trooper who looks like he hit a bit of the sauce before the attack.

I am using the current 7.5 IRE setting because if I use the 0 IRE setting, it's waaay too washed out for my tastes. Besides I'd still have to fiddle with the Color Corrector.

[GreyDeath]

Oops, I also forgot to mention that the settings are for the Canopus ADVC-100 and not the DAC-100.

I did buy a DAC-100 but I've only used it a little bit. I found mine, although a bit brighter, had a slight green color shift which I suppose is some convergence thing. But I haven't worked with it enough to figure out if I really need to tweak it with a color corrector.

Maybe I'll try the DAC-100 again, but I'm pretty happy sticking with the ADVC-100 since I found some settings I'm comfy with.