Editing (colors/brightness) a DVD

[deadlettr]

I have a couple DVD's that are conversions of old VHS tapes of family gatherings and such. Whoever transferred this material originally didn't bother (or didn't do a very good job) of balancing the black/white/colors on a good bit of the scenes so that when anyone is trying to watch these now either the inside cuts are too dark, or the colors are off...such things like that.

The "how do I edit a DVD" question has been killed to death over time in relation to cutting out commercials and that type of situation, so I think just about anyone can find an answer on that, but my problem isn't re-editing by taking out commercials (scenes) that I don't want without re-encoding....my problem is trying to figure out the best way to re-balance the video material as noted above. I can't see any way to do this without re-encoding. Can anyone offer any suggestions? The scenes range from brightly lit outside (wedding) to a dark inside series (band performance). However I do this I'm going to have to do each scene separate in regards to re-doing the colors and such so in this case, one filter fits all won't work either.

I mean, really, this is just a family type of tape so I don't think anyone will notice if I rip it to avi for editing, then re-encode to DVD....but I thought maybe there's a solution that someone has out there. I had one local friend who recommended using a Canopus device to just re-capture the entire DVD from a player (just like capturing a VHS) then editing while still in DV, then encode to DVD.

Anyways,...if anyone has some suggestions I'd appreciate it.

[celtic_druid]

Brightness you can adjust without re-encoding. Everything else you need to re-encode. My advice would be to frameserve using AVISynth (rip, run through DGIndex first). You can make any adjustments that you want, then re-encode back to MPEG-2.

DV itself is lossy, so you take a quality hit right there.

[daamon]

Brightness you can adjust without re-encoding. My advice would be to frameserve using AVISynth (rip, run through DGIndex first). You can make any adjustments that you want, then re-encode back to MPEG-2.

eh?

DV itself is lossy, so you take a quality hit right there.

True. But DV is also 25Mbps compared to DVDs max of around 9Mbps - thereby virtually preserving the original quality to the point where any loss is totally negligible and unnoticeable.

If it were me, I'd load the DVD VOB(s) into VirtualDubMod, save out to DV AVI using the Panasonic DV Codec, adjust the brightness and then re-encode back to MPG. I rarely work with MPGs and so don't know of any way to adjust the brightness without re-encoding.

[manono]

True. But DV is also 25Mbps compared to DVDs max of around 9Mbps - thereby virtually preserving the original quality to the point where any loss is totally negligible and unnoticeable.

And it's also an extra and, in my opinion, totally unnecessary step, when the whole thing can be done just as easily, much faster, and with better quality, by filtering in AviSynth before frameserving to the MPEG-2 encoder.

What deadlettr wants can perhaps be accomplished as easily as tweaking the Hue, Saturation, Contrast, and Brightness using the Tweak filter:

http://avisynth.org/index.php?page=Tweak

Or maybe he'll need something more complex, such as the RGBAdjust filter:

http://avisynth.org/index.php?page=RGBAdjust

Working with each scene separately is a PITA, but can be done by breaking the video into sections using the Trim filter:

http://avisynth.org/index.php?page=Trim

When c_d says the brightness can be adjusted without reencoding, maybe he means by using the remote control, or some other method of adjusting it during playback. DV is still lossy, no matter how little is lost. If you insist on making an intermediate AVI, much better would be a lossless codec, such as Lagarith. But with simple and fast adjustments, it's AviSynth all the way.

[daamon]

I'm by no means suggesting that the "convert to DV AVI -> adjust -> re-encode" method is the way to do it. I openly admit I rarely work with MPGs and was offering it as a way of doing it. I'm open to be corrected - I'd like to learn and get the best advice for the OP.

I know AVISynth is very powerful and, from what you describe, it bypasses the need to go to another format, but there's still re-encoding. Can this be avoided apart from mucking around with TV controls?

[manono]

Hi-

I apologize for sounding harsh. deadlettr may yet go with a solution like yours, especially if this is a one-time fixup. And since his source is DVD made from old crummy VHS tapes, it's not as if he'll be able to tell the difference between a pure AviSynth solution, or the creation of an intermediate DV AVI, or even an intermediate XviD AVI. But doing it properly is good training for the future, if there is a future. If he makes video editing and encoding a hobby of his, it's in his best interests to learn some AviSynth.

Can this be avoided apart from mucking around with TV controls?

I was just speculating about what celtic_druid had in mind with his statement, and admit to being puzzled. But no, for a permanent fix, a reencode is necessary. I think.

[daamon]

But doing it properly is good training for the future, if there is a future.

I totally agree - learn how to do it properly, then you can learn what are acceptable corners to cut.

[celtic_druid]

No I meant that you can physically adjust the brightness of MPEG-2 without re-encoding. Think of it like mp3gain adjusting the volume of an mp3 without re-encoding. You need a special build of mpeg2 requant (engine used in ReJig) or whatever it was called. I still have it somewhere. Worked fine when I tried it. Simple command line app with a float for brightness.

[AlanHK]

I I had one local friend who recommended using a Canopus device to just re-capture the entire DVD from a player (just like capturing a VHS) then editing while still in DV, then encode to DVD.

This is just using hardware to transcode instead of software. It can't be better, and probably will be worse, than frameserving the VOBs (via DGIndex->Avisynth->Virtualdub).

[deadlettr]

Thanks for all the replies from each of you. I appreciate the advice from every angle.
No,...wasn't really planning on going the Canopus route with the additional loss of quality (but I "do" admit...I don't know if "Great Aunt Martha" is going to notice the fuzziness around her favorite potted plant on her circa 1970's floor model Zenith ).
My main idea was to do as pretty much as a re-encode....just didn't know if the subject of "fixing" a DVD (i.e. MPEG2) in regards to this subject had ever come up. I'm actually very surprised not though. I mean, you'd figure that considering how long "click-n-transfer VHS" solutions have been around that more people would have this situation where someone transferred old family tapes over in the past, and then someone else (like me) tries to come along and fix them. Either everyone here on Videohelp is THAT good or maybe lots of people just prefer to remember to "twist the knobs on the tube" every time they watch the old family album.

I think I'm going to start to dwelve into Avisynth....to be honest, I haven't really had the need to much up until now. Reason is because when I transfer an old tape over into the computer, I have a SIMA box in line that allows me to rebalance all the tones/brightness and such (that's also why a friend mentioned the Canopus). It's such a quick set that I usually don't have to do much in the way of post transfer actions in this regard. I know...I'm probably going to get beat up for using such a device...sorry. I know that a lot of you out there spend every day hours on end with video production, but there's professionals like you and "not" professionals like me who use cheat tricks like that and programs like Vegas and such.

Thanks again for the outstanding inputs. I promise that I will try to work on learning Avisynth. It just all looks like complicated programing to me....