Weird lines= ?

[RazorCow]

Hi.

I'm pretty new to capturing video etc with a TV/capture card, and I just wonder if it's a sign of overheating if I get "lag-lines" when the picture moves. I don't get any of those when I watch/record with a pixel height of 288 (ie, I can capture at 756*288 without any lag-lines). It has nothing to do with the codec, so I'm beginning to wonder if it's hardware related of software related.

For example, I was recording a clip off my xbox, playing halo, at 640*480, using Picvideo's MJPEG. Or well.. I've been recording like 20 clips, but to get to the point. The laglines aren't there all the time when I capture off Halo. Sometimes the frames are complete, perfect you might say, and when I tried facing a wall, just right up to the wall that is, and shot ~10 plasma shots, which causes alot brightness, the laglines reappeared. But then when I tried again to shoot into the wall again, the laglines disapeared. They reappeared each time there was a bright mesh or.. whatever on the screen.

When I record off a VHS, or off the TV at 640*480, the laglines appear just randomly. Except when I'm recording off the VHS. I tried recording some off a Star Wars vhs tape and the laglines were there all the time. When I recorded off Simpsons on the regular telly, the lines only came sometimes, when there was alot of movement involved.

Hope you can explain this for me.. Hmm, I'm expecting a very short answer like "dude, your card can't handle resos' that high, goddamnit!".

Oh and by the way, my capture card is a Leadtek Winfast VC-100.

EDIT: hmm.. perhaps I should have put this in the "capture" part of the forum?

[Mr Walker]

Do you capture in RGB24, RGB16 or yuv2. I got those lines using RGB24 with my pinnacle pctv. But it's ok in RGB16 or yuy2, don't know why.

[RazorCow]

yuv2

I've tried RGB24 and RGB16, but when I use RGB24, I get other lines.. :P but they appear perhaps 10 at a time, and look awful.. the lines I get kindof follow with the picture as if it was divided into lines.

And I can't even record at RGB16.. just get an error: "corrupt data blabla.."

[DJRumpy]

It almost sounds like your describing interlace lines.

[LanceSteel]

It almost sounds like your describing interlace lines.

I think you're right.

Sometimes the frames are complete, perfect you might say, and when I tried facing a wall, just right up to the wall that is, and shot ~10 plasma shots, which causes alot brightness, the laglines reappeared. But then when I tried again to shoot into the wall again, the laglines disapeared.

RazorCow Are these lines more visible during high action scenes?

In Halo when you are just facing a wall and not moving it would be difficult to see the interlacing lines. On the other hand, after shooting a plasma bolt (and thus putting a lot of action on the screen) you should see the interlacing lines. Why you don't see them everytime you shoot is odd.

Check out this link that explains interlacing and let us know if this looks like what you are seeing:

http://www.lukesvideo.com/interlacing.html

[RazorCow]

It's interlacing allright. Done some research on that, dug up some definitons.

I could convert the the file I recorded to ~20mb divx file if anyone's interested in seeing the transitions between the interlacing frames and non-interlacing (icq 47753814). It's pretty weird, because sometimes the interlace lines disapear COMPLETELY. I'm a gfx freak and I have 20-20 vision, so, when I don't see any interlace lines, there are none hehe =)

Now, I've tried some of the de-interlace filters, but they don't seem to work, or, I'm not using them correctly. Anyone got a hint on "getting rid" of the interlace lines?

edit: Nevermind.. maybe I should try the stuff that's in the url you pasted first.

[RazorCow]

hmm.. I've tried using the filters listen on that page you gave me, but none seems to work seemingly :(

[DJRumpy]

If they are indeed interlace lines, you shouldn't worry about them. They will look just fine on your standalone. TV is made for an interlaced signal. They won't be visible. If you want to watch these on your PC, make sure your software can de-interlace it for you. Try WinDVD, or PowerDVD. Ma VCD/SVCD and take a look for yourself. If it goes wrong, you've made a new coaster!

[RazorCow]

If they are indeed interlace lines, you shouldn't worry about them. They will look just fine on your standalone. TV is made for an interlaced signal. They won't be visible. If you want to watch these on your PC, make sure your software can de-interlace it for you. Try WinDVD, or PowerDVD. Ma VCD/SVCD and take a look for yourself. If it goes wrong, you've made a new coaster!

doh.. still wont work