PAL Hi8 capture via FireWire. How to prevent the infamous 'green strip'?

[marcusv]

I'm working on digitising hi8 tapes. I was using the original Canon camcorder the tapes were shot on to record via s-video into virtualdub2/amarectv via a gv2usb capture card, however both were giving me audio drift issues that I couldn't reliably solve. I do have a ViewCast Osprey 260e PCI-E Analog Video card on the way which I was going to replace the gv2usb with, but I later discovered you can capture hi8 tapes via firewire from a backwards compatible digital8 Sony camcorder, which would reliably keep the audio in sync.

I am using the Sony TRV355e Digital8 Camcorder and my mid 2012 macbook pro with it's inbuilt firewire port for capture. Sadly, all of my footage has a transparent green line on the right side of the frame. See this image here. I have tried multiple capture software, and all have the same issue. After searching online, I found multiple posts on this exact issue show this exact artifact. The only solution offered has been to crop the green line out. This means losing part of the footage underneath, which is captured properly via s-video. I don't want to lose this part of the image.

All of the posts I have seen focus on solving the users problem with their particular set up, but instead I am asking whether there is any solution at all possible to record hi8 via FireWire without this issue - whether that be with a different camcorder, or a different kind of dv capture device.

Ultimately this is to get a reliable method for audio syncing, so if this FireWire set up is not possible, then is there a method or setup to get reliable sudio audio sync during the initial capture of hi8 tapes, and for that matter, any other kind of tape, without needing to fix it in post?

I do also have a Panasonic DMR-ES15 on the way which I was planning to use with my S-VHS player - I don't know if that would help at all in capturing hi8 via s-video into say, the superior Viewcast I will have soon.

Thanks!

[themaster1]

avisynth can help you get rid off it:

avisource()
assumetff()
# Remove green edge on right side
ConvertToYUY2(interlaced=true)
U = UtoY() # separate U channel
V = VtoY() # separate V channel
V = Crop(V,0,0,-16,-0) #remove discoloured portion and black border
extra=Crop(V,342,0,2,-0).PointResize(12,V.height)
V=StackHorizontal(V,extra).AddBorders(0,0,4,0,$808 080) # add the extra, pad to 720 with grey
YtoUV(U, V, last) # mix the separate U and V with the original Y

[marcusv]

Hi, thanks for reply. As per my post, I don't want to crop out this space, which is what this script is doing.

avisynth can help you get rid off it:

avisource()
assumetff()
# Remove green edge on right side
ConvertToYUY2(interlaced=true)
U = UtoY() # separate U channel
V = VtoY() # separate V channel
V = Crop(V,0,0,-16,-0) #remove discoloured portion and black border
extra=Crop(V,342,0,2,-0).PointResize(12,V.height)
V=StackHorizontal(V,extra).AddBorders(0,0,4,0,$808 080) # add the extra, pad to 720 with grey
YtoUV(U, V, last) # mix the separate U and V with the original Y

[lollo]

to record via s-video into virtualdub2/amarectv via a gv2usb capture card, however both were giving me audio drift issues that I couldn't reliably solve.

Can you detail more on the asynch issue?

What is reported in the AmarecTV log file?

[ozymango]

Sadly, all of my footage has a transparent green line on the right side of the frame. See this image here. I have tried multiple capture software, and all have the same issue.

Hi, marcusv. I've had this issue with some tapes more than others, but I know of no fix for it, simply because your capture device (any capture device) is capturing the "overscan" area of the image, i.e. you are seeing the actual edges of the entire video frame, which is not how your average CRT monitor/TV used to display the video image. I used to work in VHS video production back in the 80's and 90's and when we recorded or edited tapes we would watch the video on monitors that would allow us to see the "overscan" area of the screen, which would (normally) not be seen on your average TV. When we were adding titles or any graphics to recordings we always had to be careful about checking the display vs overscan image edge, so as to make sure we put the graphics in the "safe" area of the screen, and also with photographs we liked to get the edges of the photo pretty much right on the edge of the "overscan" area, just as a bit of a challenge when we got bored doing transfers.

Anyway I can't remember all my electronic theory, but some VCRs and some tapes were more prone to weird video issues on the edge of the video frame, in the "overscan" area, and while some things can be corrected with certain equipment, that greenish "bar" down the right side is one of those things I've seen millions of times (well, hundreds of times, anyway) and in my old age, I now kinda like it, it takes me back to my younger years when watching a home-made VHS tape was a huge deal.

Well it's certainly possible that somebody has a "fix" for this issue these days, but really I'd just leave it, kind of a flashback to the past, pardon the pun.

EDIT: I capture old VHS tapes and DVDs from time to time today, and my own method is an Avermedia C039 USB capture dongle for video, and a Behringer UFO202 USB audio capture device for audio, and I get great results with zero dropped or added frames on 2+ hour captures (VirtualDub, HuffYUV) on an old PC running Windows 10.

[jagabo]

As per my post, I don't want to crop out this space, which is what this script is doing.

His script isn't cropping the frame. He's stretching a good portion of the V channel (from just to the left of the discolored area) over the discolored area. It's not a perfect fix but may look acceptable most of the time.

[themaster1]

His script isn't cropping the frame.

Noobies eh....