Tips and suggestions needed for video cleanup

[VSz]

Hi guys,

So i'm in the middle of capturing my VHS home movies collection, i've done the best i can with the budget i have (captured in huffyuv, passthru with Panasonic ES10) and was wondering how best to go about post capture cleanup/restoration.

Here is a sample snapshot with VLC to show you the quality i am working with (bare in mind this came from an old VHS tape from mid 80's)



I know there isnt a great deal i can do with the actual quality, but i was thinking something like colour correcting etc... I was wanting suggestions on maybe software, and your ideas on what you might do with it if it were your video as i've never really undertaken something like this before and thought maybe some of you guys might have in the past or even currently.

Thanks in advance.

[johnmeyer]

Is this a first-generation tape? It looks like a copy. Even an EP (6-hour mode) VHS tape doesn't usually have details that are this "muffled."

Also, make sure you have all "enhancement" circuitry turned off on the VCR. These circuits are designed to decrease noise, but they can also kill detail. On some decks, you will find an "edit" switch. Turning this on turns off the "enhancements." Therefore, if your deck has an edit switch, you want to have it turned on.

For color and gamma correction I use Vegas. It is expensive. The much cheaper little brother, Vegas Movie Studio, should be able to do what you want. When correcting color and gamma it is very, very useful to have a histogram and videoscope, both of which are included in Vegas.

[VSz]

Is this a first-generation tape? It looks like a copy. Even an EP (6-hour mode) VHS tape doesn't usually have details that are this "muffled."

I cant be 100% sure as i was only around 3 years old when this tape was made (one of the kids in the pic), but i do know the camera it was taken on wasnt great. I do know the tape i have is recorded in SP (3-hour mode).
The screenshot isnt the best though, when its actually moving it looks a little clearer, plus its interlaced and i didnt turn de-interlace on in VLC.
This is probably the worst tape quality-wise that i have, so it could well be recorded from another tape rather than direct from the camera tape.

Also, make sure you have all "enhancement" circuitry turned off on the VCR.

My VCR doesnt have anything like this on it.

For color and gamma correction I use Vegas. It is expensive. The much cheaper little brother, Vegas Movie Studio, should be able to do what you want.

I don't really have the budget for the Vegas products. I do own Movavi Video Editor 12 which has a few colour correcting features, would that be any good for this or do i need something more powerful?

[LMotlow]

You can learn to make advanced corrections with Virtualdub (it's easy to make frame captures and lossless samples with VDub, too). Virtualdub has basic and advanced image controls including aids like histograms and dozens of plugins. Basic editors are poor cleanup and restoration tools but OK for cut and join operations after cleanup.