Should one use noise filters on TMPGenc?

[DieselsDen]

After scanning some of the posts, I noticed that some people advise disabling the noise filters option on the TMPGenc for converting VHS to DVD.

I always leave the filters on to a setting of Range 1, with the other settings at 8 each.

The picture looks cleaner, but I wonder if I am losing detail. It's hard to tell with a VHS source. Any firm recommendation as to what to do with filters?

Thanks!

[Don2050]

I used the filters to clean up slight synch lines on old VHS cartoon dubs. It works amazingly well for cleaning up poor VHS tapes.

That being said it does degrade quality some, I believe that is how it achieves the noise reduction, by averaging and smoothing out the pixels, which creates some blurriness. I especially notices it at still frames, but it is so minor, at least for the cartoons, that I didnt mind, I had to go frame by frame and look 6 inches away from my PC monitor to notice.

What I found is that if you plan on watching this on a standard TV that you will not be able to tell anyway. The higher you set the NR filter the more it averages/smoothes the picture and blurs it, but the more noise is removed.

Hope that helps

[fyreboltx2]

i use both noise and smoothness filters in TMPREnc...

it helps greatly for converting old episodes or cartoons from VHS to VCD or DVD...

i use these settings for the noise filter: 100/2/100
and these for the smoothness filter: -127/-127

using both of them increases the encoding time a lot, especially the noise filter. but using both of them together helps increase smoothness in high motion scenes...

its pointless to use those filters for DVD backups...

[DieselsDen]

Thanks for the reply. I also notice that with television programs recorded on VHS, the picture looks much cleaner, but also loses some crispness. Of course I want as accurate a digital reproduction of the original tape without losing quality.

Thanks again.