ATI MPEG-2 RT VHS Capture 352x480 vs 720x480

[BrainStorm69]

Anyone find that capping VHS directly to MPEG-2 at 720 is sharper than at 352? I've been doing a few tests with my 7500 AIW and that's what I've seen so far. Not only sharper in general, but less problems with blockiness on larger areas of the same color.

This is with MMC 8.1. Settings as follows:

352x480, P-frames 2 B-frames 2, Closed GOP, 5 Mbit/sec max, 4 Mbit avg., Motion Estimate Quality 100, Video Soap Heavy, Combo Filter 1 60%

720x480, P-frames 2 B-frames 2, Closed GOP, 9 Mbit/sec max, 8 Mbit avg., Motion Estimate Quality 100, Video Soap Heavy, Combo Filter 1 60%

Any suggestions as to why the 352 cap is not as good (or how to improve it) even though the source is std vhs (i.e., low res)?

[FulciLives]

Even though VHS is a low resolution video format (compared to DVD) you will always find that Full D1 (720x480) looks better than Half D1 (352x480) in terms of sharpness. The Half D1 will always look just a bit softer.

However ... the difference ... at least on a normal interlaced type TV that is not of a HUGE size (I'm talking 50" or less) ... well the difference should not be THAT big between Full D1 and Half D1

Also a CBR of 5000kbps should be MORE than enough for Half D1 ... you should NEVER EVER see macroblocks at that bitrate with Half D1

If you are seeing compression artifacts then it might be because the ATI cards do (at least partly so) software MPEG-2 encoding.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[indolikaa]

It's true, but the results maybe somewhat subjective, as Fulci said.

On my Sony 27" television, it doesn't matter. On my neighbor's 6245" PlasmaTron Deluxe, you can see a difference. OK, maybe it's not that big, but it sure seems like it.

[Almost Human]

Why are you using "Heavy" Videosoap? Really bad VHS tapes?

I use the same setting as you with MMC 8.9, but with NO videosoap (MPEG2 naturally smoothes out some of the bad stuff). I cannot tell the difference on my 32" TV. Of course, my eyes may be a bit older!