WinDVR audio quality

[Luis Neves]

I capture from Tv and VHS source with a Pinnacle PCTV card, using Virtualdub and Huffyuv compression; encode with CCE and author to DVD with Maestro. Audio is captured through the audio card (built in the motherboard). All the steps are working nicely, I am using half DVD resolution to get more film in one single DVD. Final quality is good.

The only slow step is encoding, with VBR it takes 3 hours for each hour of video. Thus, I have decided to try Intervideo WinDVR, which captures and encodes to mpg2 in real time. Using half DVD resolution, I was surprised by the quality of the result, which I was expecting to be bad. There is a small noticeable difference when comparing the same capture from WinDVR and Huffyuv/CCE on the computer (full screen), but after burning to DVD and checking on my 16:9 Tv (82 cm) the difference is hardly noticeable.

The problem, and this was a surprise after getting relatively good video, is sound quality. Using huffyuv/CCE sound quality is good, but sound from WinDVR is just so bad that the result can not be used. I don´t think this is a problem of the audio card, since captures with Virtualdub work fine. I also tryed every possible audio setting of WinDVR always with the same bad result. So I would like advice from other people using this program: do you have the same problem? Possible causes?

[susie]

I never had any problem with audio when I record using WinDVR2.0

[Luis Neves]

Ok. So its not hardware because works ok with Virtualdub/CCE, and its not the software that sucks. It should be something related with WinDVR settings. What sampling rate and bitrate do you use?

[spr3dave]

I had the same problem. I was using a Shuttle ak35gt mobo with onboard sound. The problem was the onboard sound. Bought a soundblaster sound card and the audio was perfect.

[greengate69]

I had problems capturing audio which turned out to be related to the line input level. I think by default windvr has it at about 75% of maximum.If (like me) you capture via the vcr composites then that already boosts the signal (3db I think) and the default 75% setting makes the sound it distorted.

I think you can lower the level within windvr (30% works perfect for me), if not you can change it within windows. Best to change within windvr as the program will then "remember" the setting each time you open it.

[Luis Neves]

After my first post I have been playing with settings and have already set record level to 35% and also changed audio sampling between 44 and 48 khz and back. I got a great improvement in sound quality but still from time to time some "shhhh shhhh". After greengate69 answer I have tryed with just 20% level and now it is working perfectly, that was really the point. The reason I was still getting problems at 35% is that I have been capturing from a satelite music channel that has the sound level quite high relatively to other channels. 35% should be ok for other channels.

Problem solved, thanks all for the tips.