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  1. Member
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    Hi everyone,

    What do you all use post-capture of a video tape? I captured with the Grass Valley CHQX codec, which looks awesome. I edited the files to where I want them, but I am using FormatFactory and that is completely pixelating all of my captures. Could you suggest a software and a codec to use to make my files smaller and more of a manageable size?
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  2. Open the edited HQX files in Virtualdub, and use the x.264vfw codec to convert to a good quality H.264 output format. Virtualdub itself can only output avi files, but it's simple enough to put those into a .mp4 container, which seems to be the most widely used presentation format.

    So - download Virtualdub (no need to install it) and the x.264vfw codec (you will need to install that)

    Open your HQX file in Virtualdub ,and export as x.264 using the default settings....

    There are several ways to convert that output avi to mp4. I find the following way the best for my needs -- I'm sure others may suggest alternative ways...

    For the audio.....

    • With the HQX file still open in Virtualdub ... 'File'-- 'Save WAV'. Save the audio file .
    • Download and open Freac (again it's a portable app - no need to install)
    • Drag the saved .wav file into Fre:ac and set the program to convert it to AAC audio
    • Save the new .mpa audio file

    For the video...

    • Download and install MyMP4BoxGUI
    • Open MyMP4 Box GUI and select 'demux'
    • take the Virtualdub x.264 output file and drag it into the MP4box window.
    • select 'demux'
    • Once finished, select 'mux' and drag the demux .264 output file into the window
    • Drag the m4a audio file into the window
    • Hit 'mux'

    • Done!

    It may seem a bit long winded, but once you've done it once it's easy...... and the resulting .mp4 files seem very compatible with all of my playback devices ...TV port ...PVR.... Windows media player...WD Live etc etc..

    Couple of other quick points...

    • IIRC, HQX defaults to 'online fine' output - You can set the configuration to 'standard' for file sizes around half the size of DV files (so around 8GB per hour) without any discernible quality loss

    • Depending on what size file you've captured, you may need to resize in Virtualdub (before outputting the x.264 file) to get the correct 4:3 aspect ratio with 'square pixels' (i.e no need for any iffy AR flags to be set)
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  3. Member
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    Originally Posted by pippas View Post
    Open the edited HQX files in Virtualdub, and use the x.264vfw codec to convert to a good quality H.264 output format. Virtualdub itself can only output avi files, but it's simple enough to put those into a .mp4 container, which seems to be the most widely used presentation format.

    So - download Virtualdub (no need to install it) and the x.264vfw codec (you will need to install that)

    Open your HQX file in Virtualdub ,and export as x.264 using the default settings....

    There are several ways to convert that output avi to mp4. I find the following way the best for my needs -- I'm sure others may suggest alternative ways...

    For the audio.....

    • With the HQX file still open in Virtualdub ... 'File'-- 'Save WAV'. Save the audio file .
    • Download and open Freac (again it's a portable app - no need to install)
    • Drag the saved .wav file into Fre:ac and set the program to convert it to AAC audio
    • Save the new .mpa audio file

    For the video...

    • Download and install MyMP4BoxGUI
    • Open MyMP4 Box GUI and select 'demux'
    • take the Virtualdub x.264 output file and drag it into the MP4box window.
    • select 'demux'
    • Once finished, select 'mux' and drag the demux .264 output file into the window
    • Drag the m4a audio file into the window
    • Hit 'mux'

    • Done!

    It may seem a bit long winded, but once you've done it once it's easy...... and the resulting .mp4 files seem very compatible with all of my playback devices ...TV port ...PVR.... Windows media player...WD Live etc etc..

    Couple of other quick points...

    • IIRC, HQX defaults to 'online fine' output - You can set the configuration to 'standard' for file sizes around half the size of DV files (so around 8GB per hour) without any discernible quality loss

    • Depending on what size file you've captured, you may need to resize in Virtualdub (before outputting the x.264 file) to get the correct 4:3 aspect ratio with 'square pixels' (i.e no need for any iffy AR flags to be set)
    Thank you very much. I am looking at it of more of a perspective of getting the video ready for burning to a DVD. I captured these miniDV tapes for a friend who wants to watch them on DVD. I normally used ConvertXtoDVD to convert items to DVD, but with the file being in CHQX, ConvertXToDVD crashes when it is dragged and dropped into it. If you have any suggestions for burning a CHQX file, that would be great.
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  4. Not sure I can help much there.....the last time I converted an HQX file to mpeg2 for creating aDVD was several years ago, when I used the excellent old program 'Procoder' to do it - Sadly that has long since disappeared.

    Not sure what programs can convert HQX into DVD compliant mpeg2 files these days....?

    Edit: Actually, it looks as if the free mpeg2 encoder HC Encoder can accept HQX files as part of an avs script input....But that does assume you are OK using Avisynth?


    Hopefully one of the other forum members may be able to offer some advice on alternative encoders that will accept HQX as an input?...(there are quite a lot of very experienced DVD creators on this board)
    Last edited by pippas; 24th Mar 2017 at 14:45.
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  5. Member
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    It's way more straightforward to capture native DV from tape, edit, then re-encode to MPEG2 for DVD. I know that doesn't help now that you have done all the editing. FFmpeg reads HQX so you could use the -target DVD option.
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  6. Member
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    Toledo, Ohio
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    Originally Posted by pippas View Post
    Not sure I can help much there.....the last time I converted an HQX file to mpeg2 for creating aDVD was several years ago, when I used the excellent old program 'Procoder' to do it - Sadly that has long since disappeared.

    Not sure what programs can convert HQX into DVD compliant mpeg2 files these days....?

    Edit: Actually, it looks as if the free mpeg2 encoder HC Encoder can accept HQX files as part of an avs script input....But that does assume you are OK using Avisynth?


    Hopefully one of the other forum members may be able to offer some advice on alternative encoders that will accept HQX as an input?...(there are quite a lot of very experienced DVD creators on this board)
    Thank you for the information. I have never worked with Avinsynth.

    Originally Posted by JVRaines
    It's way more straightforward to capture native DV from tape, edit, then re-encode to MPEG2 for DVD. I know that doesn't help now that you have done all the editing. FFmpeg reads HQX so you could use the -target DVD option.
    What are your suggestions that I capture in and use to convert?
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  7. Originally Posted by creaper View Post
    I have never worked with Avinsynth.
    For your purposes it may be as simple as starting notepad, typing
    Code:
    AviSource("filename.avi")
    (change "filename.avi" to whatever the name of your video is), saving with .AVS as the extension (rather than .TXT). Then you open that with HCGUI.
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