What are the best edit filters etc for VHS movies to DVD?

[lingoguysw5]

I have VideOH (Adaptec), with USB1 capture device, also Pinnacle Studio 8 also with USB. I decided to capture with the former since with the latter you have to drag and drop everything one by one to the storyboard. I also have Video Studio 6 (software only) since I took the product back. I need to know what is recommended for the following:

What is the best of the 3 capture devices I have?
What is the best edit device?
What filters would produce the best quality for dvd playback.
What settings in Virtualdub/Tmpgenc need to be adjusted and to what?
What compressors, if any, should be installed?
Should I increase the 15fps framerate, if so by what approx/exactly?
People have replied rubbish in and rubbish out. On some of my videos the quality is excellent, so should it not be excellent in excellent out? Admitidly some were LP video-recorded but the end result is still pretty ok.

My OS is a Windows XP (Home) Dimension 8300 with 80GB+120GB storage. Pentium 4 Processor

As u have probably gathered I am new in this field but feel if these questions were answered satisfactorily they would set me and many others on our respective ways to better VHStoDVD quality and by the way I don't have a DV Camcorder only an Analog.

Thanks for taking the time to read this message and look forward to hearing from you all soon. Clive

[holistic]

What is the best of the 3 capture devices I have?

THREE? I counted 2. anyway......
You will not get satisfactory results from a USB1.1 device.

What is the best edit device?

Huh ?! - You mean best editing software. There is no best. There is what is best for your needs. I started out using VirtualDub and have sinced move to Adobe Premiere 6. I still use VirtualDub for simple cuts and 'direct stream copies'.

What filters would produce the best quality for dvd playback.

You are confused. Filters will have no affect on the dvd playback. They can however assist in "tweaking" the VHS source file. Example : filters could be used to sharpen the image or resize it.

What settings in Virtualdub/Tmpgenc need to be adjusted and to what?


For that you need to read more .... lots more . Read the guides. Specifically some of the VHS to mpeg2 guides.

What compressors, if any, should be installed?

CODECS . Suggest HUFFYUV but for that you may need a PCI/AGP type video capture card and not a USB device. (never used a USB capture device so i am not sure if it will regonize the huffyuv codec)

Should I increase the 15fps framerate, if so by what approx/exactly?

Hmm YEAH ! - EXACTLY 29.97 (30) FPS is NTSC , 25fps PAL.

My OS is a Windows XP (Home) Dimension 8300 with 80GB+120GB storage. Pentium 4 Processor

....*sigh* :P

As u have probably gathered I am new in this field but feel if these questions were answered satisfactorily they would set me and many others on our respective ways to better VHStoDVD quality and by the way I don't have a DV Camcorder only an Analog

Honestly you best bet is a stand alone recorder. There are so many ways to convert VHS to DVD .Read up some more and post back - the USB route will give you nothing but grief.

[teegee420]

If you're serious about capturing VHS on your PC you should look into getting a good capture device like one of the Canopus units. You can worry about filtering and editing later. The most important thing is to get a good clean capture. The USB 1.1 unit isn't going to cut it.

[lingoguysw5]

Perhaps I should have said the best quality on the cheap. I did once manage to capture and record a 90 min TV Movie from a vhs tape called The Hitcher and that came out viewable after cleaning up as best I understood with the filters. But it took me about 15 hours to encode! I am not looking for miracles but just something I can watch without it jumping up and down and that wont take that amount of time to encode to mpeg2.
The feedback I am getting tells me that good quality capture is not possible unless I invest in what do u call it a Canapus capture card which no doubt is going to set me back quite a bit and the other capture devices would then become obselete.

I had thought about a recorder but then I want to purchase KISS DP 558 divx/mpeg etc player which records from the tv onto its built in 80GB & via ethernet adapters can be downloaded onto the pc. So I am in a dilemna of where to turn now.

I would just like to know if anyone has captured reasonable viewing from a USB1 capture device and if so what filters did they use to clean it up?

Thanks for coming back to me so promptly.

[fmctm1sw]

The feedback I am getting tells me that good quality capture is not possible unless I invest in what do u call it a Canapus capture card which no doubt is going to set me back quite a bit and the other capture devices would then become obselete.

Not necessarily true and I don't think teegee is saying "only a Canopus capture device will give good quality." I use a Wintv (401 model) card and I am satisfied. Total cost $60 ebay.

I would just like to know if anyone has captured reasonable viewing from a USB1 capture device and if so what filters did they use to clean it up?

Thanks for coming back to me so promptly.

USB 1.1 devices have gotten a bad rap. I havn't heard much about the USB 2.0 devices. Are you certain that adaptec device is 1.1? I thought I looked into those a while back and they were 2.0.

[handyguy]

The best capture is a Panasoni dvd recorder, about $224 at Target. Has the best filters, ease of use, etc.

[teegee420]

The best capture is a Panasoni dvd recorder, about $224 at Target. Has the best filters, ease of use, etc.

That's just your opinion. There are people who would say that using a PC capture solution is best. The truth is that there is no "best" What might be right for you, may not be right for some. A man is born, he's a man of means. Then along come two.........