Technical improvements in Hi8 capture

[Kajaboss]

Hi all, I captured all my Hi8 tapes about 10 years ago, using an ezcape.tv product called EzGrabber. A USB 2. capture device. My question is this. Is there anything available for said Hi8 tapes, that would improve the quality of the capture. We've been so spoiled by 4K, HD, UHd etc, that I wondering if I could improve what I have? That is to say, go through the whole process again, but with higher quality results. I am not that knowledgeable on the technicalities. I have attached a couple of very short clips of movies that were made back in the 1990s, using a Sony Handicam ccd TR820E in PAL. Looking at a lot of the movies there are quite a lot of artifacts and I wonder if these can be improved upon.


Any info would be gratefully received.

[Alwyn]

Your attachments didn't come through; if they're videos, use the "Upload Files/Manage Attachments button. If they're still images, easiest to use the "Upload image" button.

Sample videos would be better.

[Kajaboss]

Many thanks Alwyn. I've uploaded a couple of short clips

[Alwyn]

Got them now, Kajaboss. You should get some feedback soon.

Are you on a Mac system and do you have access to a Windows system?

[Alwyn]

Also, could you put up a clip that has a good amount of movement in it eg a person moving about, a car or a faster panning shot. Movement helps to work out the frame pattern; yours currently look like there are a fair few duplicated frames which will make it a bit jerkier than necessary.

At those bitrates, you can make your samples a bit longer eg 15 seconds.

[Sharc]

Try

ffms2("Nepal short.mov")
TDecimate(mode=7,rate=24.00)

Seems to remove the duplicates reasonably well (size reduced in the attachment 'fix.mp4'). Adjust the 'rate' for best results (use a longer sequence), or determine it by counting the unique frames and set in in relation to the total number of frames

Or you could use DeDup (2 passes) to find and remove repeated frames.
Eventually one may have to resample the audio to keep the A/V sync intact.

Edit:
If you still have the tapes and the Handicam (or a Hi8 player) I would strongly suggest to recapture these properly (as interlaced 4:2:2, 720x576 (PAL)), rather than trying to fix these poor and badly post-processed EZgrabber captures (screen grabs). Your original Hi8 videos promise much better results.....

[timtape]

After 10 years your camcorder may well need to be checked/serviced by a good technician. These devices can deteriorate even in good storage. A good camera or deck does not damage tapes and of course those tapes carry the best quality image and sound you have.

[Alwyn]

Technically, the files are a bit wonky: duplicated frames as well as the frame rates; Nepal is 54.855 and Thailand is 55.046. I don't know if they would play properly on a TV. Also, look at the sky; quite blocky/noisy. Also, are they supposed to be 16:9?

Whether the actual image/video quality is off because of the way they were processed is hard to tell. IMO the bitrate's a bit low for good quality.

As Sharc suggests, a recapture would be the best. If you're on a Mac with a Firewire port, a digital 8 camcorder that can play Hi8 tapes would be the simplest and give great results using a Firewire capture process.

Otherwise, an option is to use a USB digitiser (similar process to your ezicap); I'm not sure many of the common/recommended ones work with Mac.

[Kajaboss]

To answer your question I use a 2019 iMac running Sequoia 15.5 (Intel). I don't have access to a Windows system. I am also uploading 2 clips with movement, as requested

[Kajaboss]

To answer timtape's message. The Sony CCD TR820E (PAL), is the camera in which all the Hi8 tapes were originally recorded and then used again to digitise. As to the state of the camera, I couldn't say other than it has been very well cared for and has never jammed or let me down. My daughter has her eye on it now!! Attached is the device I used.

[davexnet]

If you want an evaluation of your capture, provide a clip cut from the actual file.

[Alwyn]

AVIDemux will, by the looks of it, work with Mac. Open your original capture file, use the A and B buttons to select a short segment then for Video and Audio, choose "Copy" and then choose MP4 or MOV muxer (depending on what your capture is) and do a Save As.

[Kajaboss]

I have tried to upload AviDemux but my Mac isn't allowing it. How about if I take a file, run it through DaVinci Resolve 19 and select a clip. Would that be enough?

[Alwyn]

How about if I take a file, run it through DaVinci Resolve 19 and select a clip. Would that be enough?

Yes, that'll give the experts a good idea on how you captures are. Set the bit rate/quality nice and high so you don't lose any quality.

[Kajaboss]

I have now uploaded a clip cut using Davinci Resolve 19 using the original frame rate

[davexnet]

I have now uploaded a clip cut using Davinci Resolve 19 using the original frame rate

IT's 24 frames per second. If this was from a PAL video tape capture it should be 25 fps.
So it's probably dropped one frame every second because of the frame rate conversion

[jagabo]

I have now uploaded a clip cut using Davinci Resolve 19 using the original frame rate

IT's 24 frames per second. If this was from a PAL video tape capture it should be 25 fps.

And since it's from a camcorder it should be 50 fields per second for much smoother motion.

[JVRaines]

The Sony CCD TR820E (PAL), is the camera in which all the Hi8 tapes were originally recorded and then used again to digitise. As to the state of the camera, I couldn't say other than it has been very well cared for and has never jammed or let me down.

All other things being equal, you will often get the best playback from the camera on which you recorded. Definitely be sure to use the S-video output and not the video output. Tape transports employ rubber rollers and even with the best possible storage, rubber degrades over time and may become hardened or sticky. Try playing back an unimportant tape first before you put anything precious in there. If possible, capture in a lossless format for highest quality and flexibility in postproduction.

[Kajaboss]

I have now uploaded a clip cut using Davinci Resolve 19 using the original frame rate

IT's 24 frames per second. If this was from a PAL video tape capture it should be 25 fps.
So it's probably dropped one frame every second because of the frame rate conversion

OK. Thank you one and all for your valuable input here. Another thought which has been mentioned is to run all my Hi8 tapes through a digital 8camcorder which has firewire. That seems to be the simplest and most effective way of getting lossless footage. Now I just have to find a good one!

[davexnet]

That's one option, it's been used successfully by forum members, PAL and NTSC.

Or the typical standard definition capture via the USB2 device (I-O Data GV-USB2 or Hauppauge USB-live2 most often recommended),
capture interlaced, 720x576 PAL or 720x480 NTSC @ chroma sub-sampling 4:2:2 using AmarecTV and
a lossless codec such as UT video codec

[Alwyn]

@Kajaboss, apart from the frame rate and fields, I thought the exposure and colours weren't too bad. The video is, overall, "soft" and a bit fuzzy. Could be caused by the Ezcap digitiser.

@Davexnet, Kajaboss is on a Mac.

[Sharc]

Another thought which has been mentioned is to run all my Hi8 tapes through a digital 8camcorder which has firewire. That seems to be the simplest and most effective way of getting lossless footage. Now I just have to find a good one!

A good decision in your case, IMO. It won't be 'lossless' though (the camcorder's conversion Hi8 -> digital is lossy), but it will deliver reasonable quality (much better than what you have now) and keep a lot of the usual headaches of analog capturing away from you.

[rgr]

I have now uploaded a clip cut using Davinci Resolve 19 using the original frame rate

IT's 24 frames per second. If this was from a PAL video tape capture it should be 25 fps.
So it's probably dropped one frame every second because of the frame rate conversion

OK. Thank you one and all for your valuable input here. Another thought which has been mentioned is to run all my Hi8 tapes through a digital 8camcorder which has firewire. That seems to be the simplest and most effective way of getting lossless footage. Now I just have to find a good one!

thread for you:
https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/416658-Nero-Video-Grabber-vs-Hauppauge-WinTV-USBli...e2#post2778487

You must also have a FireWire card in your PC.