Help with a VHS Project/Understanding VHS

[Anonym00se]

So after I record the vhs tape (720x540) I digitize the tape as 720x480and resize to 1440x1080. Is there a way to avoid the 16 pixel cropping?

[The 14th Doctor]

Well the active picture area is 704x480, so you'd just be cropping the added black bars from the capture card itself. That's to I believe help with preserving the proper aspect ratio

[Anonym00se]

So capture the tape as 720x480, crop to 704x480, and resize to 1440x1080?

[Alwyn]

Ok, so export from After Effects as 720x540 29.97i, square pixel ratio? (1:1), burn it to dvd (it squishes to 720x480, and when I record it onto VHS it should correct itself to 720x540.

Yes. The capturing and post-processing of the VHS tape is, of course a completely different issue. The main thing, at this point, is to get a proper 4:3 image onto the DVD and then onto the tape.

[Anonym00se]

When I try to export 720x540 as 720x480, theres pixels on either sides, that’s normal right? The tape will correct it?

[The 14th Doctor]

Hm, I believe those black bars would then be included on the tape, along with the black bars adding by the capture card. So that's just making it worse..

I think you'd be able to export it as 720x540 and use something like DVDStyler to make the video be DVD compatible

[dellsam34]

When I try to export 720x540 as 720x480, theres pixels on either sides, that’s normal right? The tape will correct it?

I think what's screwing your project is the rec.709, NTSC digital should be rec.601.

[Alwyn]

When I try to export 720x540 as 720x480

Don't export as 720x480. The square pixel frame of your work is 720x540, so just export as that. Then add that 720x540 file to your DVD authoring program and it will code it correctly. Then you can play that DVD into your VCR for recording.