8mm video capture

[xaxaupua]

Hi,

I would like to have some advice. Just a newbie.

I'm capturing some old (8-12 yrs) 8mm videotapes of my sons and family to 480x356. I'm using:

Camera: Sanyo Premiere Series 8mm (the same used to record the videotapes)
Card: AverMedia 203
PC: PIII 733 MHz (of course with all unnecessary processes/services killed)
Software: iuVCR + PicVideo MJPEG v3 with q19 + iuLab Deinterlace

The results are reasonably good compared to other capture apps that I tested. After testing Huffyuv codec and Picvideo MJPEG with Q19 (not less), I think that the second has almost the same quality (I'm talking about 8mm video) for half the space required.

Nonetheless, I think the quality might improve if I could connect my camcorder directly to the S-Video input of the card, but I cannot because it just allows me to use the TV/ant card input by means of an intermediate tunned modulator (I'm using 615 MHz exactly). Possibly I'll be able to get an old Sony Handycam that possibly it could have a baseband output (I don't know right now). Meanwhile, I have no other cable nor camcorder to do that.

Nonethelss, my question is if is this setup ok or could it be really improved? My goal is to digitize all my videos into one big HD and then use all that source files to author and edit dvds for my family, put them in a family website, etc. ... you know. And of course for backup purposes.

Should I look for a camcorder that can output baseband video (S-Video or Composite)?

Should I capture always without any deinterlace filter and postprocess all that stuff with avisynth to deinterlace and, why not, clean, etc?

I insist, the goal is to have the best possible quality in a reasonably space. The time is of no concern by the moment.

Best regards,

---
xaxaupua

PS: Thansks for all the good stuff you leave in videohelp! Very helping indeed!

[gshelley61]

If you want to create video files that will be authored into DVD's, you should be capturing those 8mm tapes in full D1 interlaced digital video in either AVI or high bitrate MPEG2 (720x480 for NTSC, 720x576 for PAL). Those are the correct frame resolutions for the DVD-Video format. You do not deinterlace for DVD.

480x356 is not within the DVD standard and would have to be resized to work

You can easily make DVD's from your 8mm camcorder with a standalone DVD recorder. The resulting VOB (MPEG2) files can be resized and deinterlaced for use on the internet.

And yes, you should use a camcorder or playback deck that has composite or s-video output.