Capturing best practices

[armyofquad]

I've asked about capturing best practices several times around here, but I don't feel I've ever received all the details I need to put it all together.

I'm currently using a mitsubishi VCR with built in TBC, connected via s-video to an XP PC using an all-in-wonder video card to capture, using virtualdub, using cineform compression

My result has been 29.97p files with this workflow.

But the issue of interlacing and such has come up a lot. If I'm capturing to 29.97p, doesn't that mean I'm only capturing half of things? Should I somehow be setting it to capture 29.97i, or 60p, to get all fields?

And then there's the topic of interlacing of which I see a lot of inconclusive technobabble around here. And a lot of talk about TV vs streaming, as if there's any distinction between those anymore, as everyone streams to TVs.

Please enlighten me as to what I should be doing to get this workflow to a proper place so I can stop redoing everything every time some missing detail that was never explained right comes up.

[_Al_]

That is not a choice. You capture to the same properties as your source is. If not, you are forging it into something else right away.

[armyofquad]

Ok.....so how do I do that for home movie VHS tapes?

[_Al_]

Anything on VHS is 29.97 interlace.
But , did footage was shot with a camcorder? That means footage is really intelaced.
But was a footage recorded from a TV broadcast? It is technically interlaced, you have to capture it as such, but the content does not have to be. YOu capture a TV news, footage was interlaced. You capture a movie it might be telecined to 29.97i. But I am no expert on recording TV broadcasts, never did, so there might be other flavors.

[armyofquad]

In this case it is camcorder home movie footage.

I followed advice here, I ended up with 29.97p files. I'm quite frustrated that I am going to have to redo hours of work due to yet more poor advice from this site.

So please, for the love of almighty, just give me all the details to get this right this time.

[Alwyn]

due to yet more poor advice from this site.

I don't recall anybody here ever suggesting that you capture Progressive.

The recommended process has always been to capture interlaced then, if you want/need, deinterlace.

[armyofquad]

No one really explained anything here. I asked for a best practice for capturing, I got nothing useful.

[Alwyn]

Unfortunately, you'll have to wait for the XP/AIW/VDub/Cineform expert/s to give you a hand. You have the necessary hardware, by the sounds of it.

[johns0]

The op has been given good advice in the many threads i read,if you can't learn from then try somewhere else,people are here to help when they feel like it,it's not a job for them.

[armyofquad]

I wouldn't call incomplete vague suggestions with essential details missing good advice.

I've asked several times for help with best VHS capturing processes.

At NO POINT in ANY of the discussion was the topic of frame rates, interlacing, and how to set your capture sessions to set them properly EVER discussed.

I'm not sure how discussing best practices in VHS capturing without mentioning any of these important critical details equates to good advice.


I've answered any questions asked of me, I'll continue to answer them.

I've read over every reply and considered all options.

I've asked follow up questions.

I've listed in detail all the things I've done and all the equipment I have.

Heck - I've shared samples that demonstrated what different equipment has done and compared it, as information that could hopefully be useful to others.


But what I"m really seeking out here, a good and detailed workflow beginning to end to get a proper VHS capture, has never been shared to this point.

Hopefully someone can come through here. There seem to be many with the knowledge, just no one willing to put it all together so far.

[Alwyn]

@Johns0, I agree to a certain extent, although I do sympathise with the op that some come on here, drop a few barbs and titbits, and then don't come back or provide detailed help. I think you who know I'm referring to. This subject is a black art and people need to have the details, not just get this and that and away you go, particularly when we're regularly told all YTers are morons. So what do people do? Come here and get the cold shoulder. Even those of us who have worked out a reasonable workflow/process are reluctant to post any detailed ideas because of the guaranteed sledging that will be rained upon them by the expert.

[Alwyn]

@AOQ, did you get that GV-USB2?

[Sharc]

I've asked several times for help with best VHS capturing processes.

Asking for the "best" is mostly pointless as there is no simple "best". Any technical solution is a compromise in some respect, and attempts to answer this question will be personal opinions which others may readily disagree.
What is the "best" car for (mediocre) driver X? What's the "best" car for a F1 driver? What is the "best" car for dirt roads? What is the "best" GUI? The answers depends on many factors/circumstances. There is no simple cookbook.

At NO POINT in ANY of the discussion was the topic of frame rates, interlacing, and how to set your capture sessions to set them properly EVER discussed.

In any of which discussions? Maybe not in your threads, but the forum is full of explanations on this subject. Some concerns very basic knowledge, some answers depend on the gear one is using, etc.

My result has been 29.97p files with this workflow.

But the issue of interlacing and such has come up a lot. If I'm capturing to 29.97p, doesn't that mean I'm only capturing half of things? Should I somehow be setting it to capture 29.97i

If your VHS is home video as you mention which was shot with your NTSC compliant videocam then you should capture to 29.97i = 29.97 interlaced frames per second (= 59.94 fields per second). Can't help you with your specific setup and capture SW&Driver settings. Maybe the Cineform codec is the issue, there seem to many versions and updates floating around. Can you try a different codec like lagarith, UTVideo, Huffyuv? Is your capture really 29.97p or is it just wrongly flagged? I have seen Cineform captures here some time ago which were truly interlaced but have erroneously (or by default) been reported as progressive. Upload a sample with motion if you have some doubts with your capture.

Keep on reading, searching, learning, and trying, or someone using your exact setup may chime in.