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  1. Member
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    BASIC question...I'm just starting this fun process of converting 4 crates of vhs...yipee....

    How can I automatically stop or terminate capture at the end of the vhs tape? Is there some setting I'm missing in Vdub?

    I've been searching through the forums but this doesn't seem to be commonly asked. Even after multiple searches I can find some people terminating when capturing with WinDV (not possible with my setup), Scenalyzer 2006/04/12. Others using macroscripts/task schedulizer. I would suspect that most of the capture of Vdub can be initiated with a script to start the capture...is there something in the script that can be used to terminate the capture (eg, WinDV's time limit). Another silly idea that I had (very very primitive but should be effective) is so simply record into a partition (real or physical) on my harddrive that peaks at just about the expected filesize of the video). OR just settin the 'PreAllocate capture file space' to maximum MB...that may work better anyway since the OS can allocate the drive space before capture is complete.


    Goal: I've been stalking the forum trying to gleam the best setup/process...just trying to get a fairly decent capture of family movies. Most camcorder VHS of various formats EP/SP, etc.

    Logic behind my setup:
    VHS player: no s-video. Sounds like it doesn't matter that much since it's mostly just a port of the composite
    VDub (32bit, huffyUV): After lots of reading...I think it seems to be the best...sounds to be MUCH better than EZ Grabber in Diamond VC500 box (which seems to capture at 352x240 avi). No luck with using 64bit huffyUV with 64bit VDub despite the step-by-step admin command prompt recommendations...at least 32bit works!
    Resolution: All of the 320x vs 720x has me confused. If I can handle space, it sounds like 720 is reasonabily good unless the output from the capture is trash (most of which seems to depend on the VC500 capture abilities)
    AVT-8710 Time Base Corrector: Probably not that important, but it sounds like it can really help capture process....sounds like money worth not pulling my hair out later on with lousy captures =)
    Output: Althought a DVD format would be great, I don't feel that it's very future proof. I'm planning on capturing in highest resolution reasonably possible, then writing captured files to bluray (eg, bd-r or maybe other higher optical density, mdisc, etc).

    Current setup:
    Win 8.1 pro 64bit
    Intel Core 2 quad Q9550 @ 2.83 ghz, 8g ram
    HD - WDC1001FALS-0038B0 (1TB) x2
    VirtualDub v1.10.4 (32bit) @ 720x480 (since 64bit couldn't load HuffyUV)
    HuffyUV v2.1.1 (32bit)
    Diamond VC500 via usb2.0, ntsc, 720x480 @ 30fps, composite
    Hitachi VT-F494A Hifi VCR (composite only)
    AVT-8710 Time Base Corrector (awaiting delivery)
    Blueray LG 16x BDXL SATA Internal rewriter, Model BH16NS40 (awaiting delivery)
    Last edited by xenakis; 21st Mar 2015 at 14:39. Reason: PreAllocate capture file space
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    Originally Posted by xenakis View Post
    Diamond VC500 via usb2.0, ntsc, 720x480 @ 30fps, composite
    Make sure you capture interlaced, if that device does not support that use something else.

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    And I haven't seen any programs that automatically CROP/terminate video either =(

    Finally - for whatever reason, Vdub has problem scanning through and playing at the point where I would attempt to terminate the video (eg, at 2 hrs, etc). VDub just sits there...video plays fine when starting, but I just can't skip to end and play from that point. Granted the file is 86gigs, but I would have throught it would have been able to seek and play without difficulty. Video plays just fine without problems in VLC.
    Win 8.1 64bit quad @ 2.83 ghz, 8g, VC500 720x480 @ 30fps, composite
    VirtualDub v1.10.4 (32bit) @ 720x480, HuffyUV v2.1.1, Hitachi VT-F494A, AVT-8710
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    Originally Posted by newpball View Post
    Originally Posted by xenakis View Post
    Diamond VC500 via usb2.0, ntsc, 720x480 @ 30fps, composite
    Make sure you capture interlaced, if that device does not support that use something else.

    I'm familiar with interlacing, but how can I tell if it is captured as interlaced or progressive?
    I don't see any setting in vdub. I see that some refer to the deinterlace filter.
    Vdub settings only specify interlay which not the same thing....

    VC500 spec sheet doesn't specify interlaced vs progressive:
    http://www.diamondmm.com/images/legacy-tech-spec/VC500_setup.pdf
    Win 8.1 64bit quad @ 2.83 ghz, 8g, VC500 720x480 @ 30fps, composite
    VirtualDub v1.10.4 (32bit) @ 720x480, HuffyUV v2.1.1, Hitachi VT-F494A, AVT-8710
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    Originally Posted by xenakis View Post
    Originally Posted by newpball View Post
    Originally Posted by xenakis View Post
    Diamond VC500 via usb2.0, ntsc, 720x480 @ 30fps, composite
    Make sure you capture interlaced, if that device does not support that use something else.

    I'm familiar with interlacing, but how can I tell if it is captured as interlaced or progressive?
    I don't see any setting in vdub. I see that some refer to the deinterlace filter.
    Vdub settings only specify interlay which not the same thing....

    VC500 spec sheet doesn't specify interlaced vs progressive:
    http://www.diamondmm.com/images/legacy-tech-spec/VC500_setup.pdf
    The VC500 will allow you to capture interlaced video, if you have set up your capture software correctly. For NTSC tapes, you probably want 480i captures (720x480 at 29.97 frames per second, or 59.94 interlaced fields per second).

    If you want to see if you captured interlaced video, download the portable version of MediaInfo from VideoHelp (to avoid the adware from the installer) and try to open the capture file with it. If it can open the file, click View->Text for a report. MediaInfo's report will usually say if the video is interlaced or progressive.

    I have not used VirtualDub in a long time, so I don't remember how to set it up to time captures. If you can't make VirtualDub work, there are other options, although they may not do everything that VirtualDub can do. I think I used AmaRecTV, which includes a stop timer (duration-based), with Windows 8.1 and a different USB capture device at one time. I'm not sure if I used HuffYUV or UT Video Codec.
    Last edited by usually_quiet; 21st Mar 2015 at 15:32.
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    Here is a Mediainfo report of my capture:
    Complete name : C:\vdub7 (32bit)-huffy.avi
    Format : AVI
    Format/Info : Audio Video Interleave
    Format profile : OpenDML
    File size : 3.18 GiB
    Duration : 4mn 50s
    Overall bit rate : 94.2 Mbps

    Video
    ID : 0
    Format : HuffYUV
    Format version : Version 2
    Codec ID : HFYU
    Duration : 4mn 50s
    Bit rate : 92.7 Mbps
    Width : 720 pixels
    Height : 480 pixels
    Display aspect ratio : 3:2
    Frame rate : 29.970 fps
    Standard : NTSC
    Color space : YUV
    Chroma subsampling : 4:2:2
    Bit depth : 8 bits
    Scan type : Interlaced
    Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 8.952
    Stream size : 3.13 GiB (98%)

    Audio
    ID : 1
    Format : PCM
    Format settings, Endianness : Little
    Format settings, Sign : Signed
    Codec ID : 1
    Duration : 4mn 50s
    Bit rate mode : Constant
    Bit rate : 1 536 Kbps
    Channel(s) : 2 channels
    Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
    Bit depth : 16 bits
    Stream size : 53.1 MiB (2%)
    Alignment : Aligned on interleaves
    Interleave, duration : 10 ms (0.30 video frame)
    Interleave, preload duration : 50 ms


    Just to be clear, it seems that (from your other posts newpball (eg, one that was mentioning the Toshiba dvr 620), that capturing interlaced is almost always preferred since VHS, dvd, bluray are all interlaced - all except 'high res film formats and 720p.

    So it's important to capture interlaced AND save interlaced to preserve formatting. Correct?

    ....sorry...noob =)
    Win 8.1 64bit quad @ 2.83 ghz, 8g, VC500 720x480 @ 30fps, composite
    VirtualDub v1.10.4 (32bit) @ 720x480, HuffyUV v2.1.1, Hitachi VT-F494A, AVT-8710
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    Thanks usually_quiet! - Finally figured it out right before your post! =)

    So I think just the original question is the biggest one - How to stop capture automatically?
    (I'll have to deal with the whole avi/dvd portion eventually...but I understand the issue with burning an avi to a dvd/blueray)
    Win 8.1 64bit quad @ 2.83 ghz, 8g, VC500 720x480 @ 30fps, composite
    VirtualDub v1.10.4 (32bit) @ 720x480, HuffyUV v2.1.1, Hitachi VT-F494A, AVT-8710
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    Originally Posted by xenakis View Post
    Just to be clear, it seems that (from your other posts newpball (eg, one that was mentioning the Toshiba dvr 620), that capturing interlaced is almost always preferred.
    I would not say preferred, I would say absolutely required!

    An interlaced analogue source should always be captured interlaced and archived as such. Digital sources should not be captured they should be copied verbatim (inverse telecined if applicable is ok).
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    Originally Posted by xenakis View Post
    Here is a Mediainfo report of my capture:
    Complete name : C:\vdub7 (32bit)-huffy.avi
    Format : AVI
    Format/Info : Audio Video Interleave
    Format profile : OpenDML
    File size : 3.18 GiB
    Duration : 4mn 50s
    Overall bit rate : 94.2 Mbps

    Video
    ID : 0
    Format : HuffYUV
    Format version : Version 2
    Codec ID : HFYU
    Duration : 4mn 50s
    Bit rate : 92.7 Mbps
    Width : 720 pixels
    Height : 480 pixels
    Display aspect ratio : 3:2
    Frame rate : 29.970 fps
    Standard : NTSC
    Color space : YUV
    Chroma subsampling : 4:2:2
    Bit depth : 8 bits
    Scan type : Interlaced
    Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 8.952
    Stream size : 3.13 GiB (98%)

    Audio
    ID : 1
    Format : PCM
    Format settings, Endianness : Little
    Format settings, Sign : Signed
    Codec ID : 1
    Duration : 4mn 50s
    Bit rate mode : Constant
    Bit rate : 1 536 Kbps
    Channel(s) : 2 channels
    Sampling rate : 48.0 KHz
    Bit depth : 16 bits
    Stream size : 53.1 MiB (2%)
    Alignment : Aligned on interleaves
    Interleave, duration : 10 ms (0.30 video frame)
    Interleave, preload duration : 50 ms


    Just to be clear, it seems that (from your other posts newpball (eg, one that was mentioning the Toshiba dvr 620), that capturing interlaced is almost always preferred since VHS, dvd, bluray are all interlaced - all except 'high res film formats and 720p.

    So it's important to capture interlaced AND save interlaced to preserve formatting. Correct?

    ....sorry...noob =)
    Yes, capture and save as interlaced from a VHS source, especially if you want to author later as a DVD or SD Blu-Ray. The file you archive should be interlaced.

    If you just want a media file of some type, like an MP4, as your end result and don't care about archiving, de-interlacing to 480p at 59.97 frames per second during capture would be OK, but there may be better ways available to de-interlace after capturing using other software.
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    Originally Posted by usually_quiet View Post
    If you just want a media file of some type, like an MP4, as your end result, de-interlacing to 480p at 59.97 frames per second during capture would be OK, but there may be better ways available to de-interlace after capturing using other software.
    Yes, also that strategy is not future proof.
    One would hope we could deinterlace better ten years from now.

    Capture as good as you can and archive without messing with it! What you do with copies of that is secondary.
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    Originally Posted by newpball View Post
    Originally Posted by usually_quiet View Post
    If you just want a media file of some type, like an MP4, as your end result, de-interlacing to 480p at 59.97 frames per second during capture would be OK, but there may be better ways available to de-interlace after capturing using other software.
    Yes, also that strategy is not future proof.
    One would hope we could deinterlace better ten years from now.

    Capture as good as you can and archive without messing with it! What you do with copies of that is secondary.
    You and I both know that some people don't care about the future. They are only concerned with a quick and dirty solution for the present.
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    Originally Posted by xenakis View Post
    Thanks usually_quiet! - Finally figured it out right before your post! =)

    So I think just the original question is the biggest one - How to stop capture automatically?
    (I'll have to deal with the whole avi/dvd portion eventually...but I understand the issue with burning an avi to a dvd/blueray)
    Did you see this already? http://www.virtualdub.org/docs/vdscript.txt
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    Originally Posted by usually_quiet View Post
    You and I both know that some people don't care about the future. They are only concerned with a quick and dirty solution for the present.
    Yes, until 10 years later when they realize that those crappy videos could have been a little less crappy.
    But then it is too late.

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    Originally Posted by usually_quiet View Post
    Originally Posted by xenakis View Post
    Thanks usually_quiet! - Finally figured it out right before your post! =)

    So I think just the original question is the biggest one - How to stop capture automatically?
    (I'll have to deal with the whole avi/dvd portion eventually...but I understand the issue with burning an avi to a dvd/blueray)
    Did you see this already? http://www.virtualdub.org/docs/vdscript.txt

    So it looks like:

    $state controls the execution state of the job entry:

    0 WAITING Job is ready to be executed.
    1 INPROGRESS Job is currently being executed. If VirtualDub sees
    this tag when loading a jobs file, it assumes that
    the operation crashed, and the job is switched to
    the ABORTED state.
    2 DONE Job is completed and does not need to be executed.
    3 POSTPONED Job is ready to be executed but has been postponed
    by the user and thus should be skipped.
    4 ABORTED Job was started but did not complete properly.
    VirtualDub won't reattempt this job unless it is
    switched to WAITING by the user.
    5 ERR An error was enountered while executing this job.
    VirtualDub won't reattempt this job unless it is
    switched to WAITING by the user.

    $start_time and $stop_time contain the starting and stopping times,
    respectively, of the given job. The times are stored as two 32-bit hexa-
    decimal values, with the first being the dwHighDateTime value of a Win32
    FILETIME structure
    , and the second being dwLowDateTime.
    Zero for both
    values indicates no time for that entry. It makes no sense to have
    a stop time without a start time.


    OR

    void SaveSegmentedAVI(string filename, int spacethresh, int framethresh);

    Runs the processing engine to produce an output file in multiple AVI
    files. spacethresh is the maximum file size in megabytes, framethresh
    is the maximum number of frames.
    framethresh is ignored if it is
    zero.


    EXAMPLE:

    // $job "Job 1"
    // $input "f:\mkrtest.avi"
    // $output "f:\test.avi"
    // $state 2
    // $start_time 01c01df3 c2eb68c0
    // $end_time 01c01df3 eb3d85b0
    // $script

    <script commands>

    // $endjob


    SO, now I just have to learn how to specify these time formats... (maybe http://fmdiff.com/fm/timestamp.html can help)
    I'm guessing that I also have to hard-code all parameters for the capture into the script (eg, capture device, capture settings, codec, frame/drop settings in addition to the filenames, etc.

    Does anyone actually use this or do you guys just do it all by hand? Manually crop after running a few min/hours over since your not babysitting it? Set filesize thresholds? Creating a script to set every single parameter just makes my head hurt thinking about it....
    Win 8.1 64bit quad @ 2.83 ghz, 8g, VC500 720x480 @ 30fps, composite
    VirtualDub v1.10.4 (32bit) @ 720x480, HuffyUV v2.1.1, Hitachi VT-F494A, AVT-8710
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    To be honest, I always do video captures by hand. I do use PVR software for recording TV, but none of the PVR software I use works for anything like a VC500.
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  16. Originally Posted by xenakis View Post
    Does anyone actually use this or do you guys just do it all by hand? Manually crop after running a few min/hours over since your not babysitting it? Set filesize thresholds? Creating a script to set every single parameter just makes my head hurt thinking about it....
    I do it all manually as well since I'm capturing films on VHS tape. They may run anywhere from two to over three hours, sometimes with ads and sometimes not. I just check every half hour or so. Also, you're not using 'crop' correctly, at least not correctly in a video sense. If you're intending to mean 'remove the excess' later on then, yes, that's what I do. I'll cut out the part before the film begins, the part after the film ends, and any advertisements in the middle. No big deal. So, I have no use for something that has the capture length set in advance. However, the WinDV capturing program can be set to capture only a certain amount, but it's by frame numbers.

    For example, to capture 2 hours of material, 30 frames per second times 60 seconds per minute times 120 minutes is 216000 frames.
    Last edited by manono; 21st Mar 2015 at 19:00.
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    Originally Posted by manono View Post
    Originally Posted by xenakis View Post
    Does anyone actually use this or do you guys just do it all by hand? Manually crop after running a few min/hours over since your not babysitting it? Set filesize thresholds? Creating a script to set every single parameter just makes my head hurt thinking about it....
    For example, to capture 2 hours of material, 30 frames per second times 60 seconds per minute times 120 minutes is 216000 frames.
    So is it reasonable to calculate the estimated file sized based upon the fps and a rough idea of compression for maximum file size? For instance the bitrate, bit depth, Bits/(Pixel*Frame), etc? I don't need exact, but just so I can setup a capture before work and have something that is within three or four hours of the exact length. With our camcorder I seem to recall anywhere from 1.5 - 3 - 6 hr long videos...Im sure all of which is a jumble of what you just happened to use when pressing record.

    I haven't seen any program to automatically determine the ends of the video either, even if my vcr will play a bluescreen/etc after completing.

    Code:
    Bit rate : 92.7 Mbps
    Width : 720 pixels
    Height : 480 pixels
    Display aspect ratio : 3:2
    Frame rate : 29.970 fps
    Standard : NTSC
    Color space : YUV
    Chroma subsampling : 4:2:2
    Bit depth : 8 bits
    Scan type : Interlaced
    Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 8.952
    Stream size : 3.13 GiB (98%)
    Win 8.1 64bit quad @ 2.83 ghz, 8g, VC500 720x480 @ 30fps, composite
    VirtualDub v1.10.4 (32bit) @ 720x480, HuffyUV v2.1.1, Hitachi VT-F494A, AVT-8710
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    Originally Posted by xenakis View Post
    So I think just the original question is the biggest one - How to stop capture automatically?
    Sounds like a job for AutoHotkey, which is a fabulous, FREE and very functional GUI scripting app. It has a SetTimer function that can send a STOP keystroke or click to VirtualDub after the specified interval has elapsed.
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    Well, VDub simply ignored the FileAllocate size that I set via the GUI dropdown menu - It allocated the space for the initial file, then filled the space and extended beyond the maximum space allocated. Im not sure if setting it in the script would be any better.

    And a Virtual HD didn't work...a 5gig virtual drive just started inserting massive amounts of frames (didn't report any dropped). It failed with 8k of frames inserted and poor a/v sync with cpu usage 20%. Resuming capture after first attempt lead to 0 frames inserted.

    I'm not sure if it was b/c:
    a) it was a virtual drive,
    b) the percentage of the drive used, or
    c) how it would compair to an actual drive

    But scripting via AHK or VDub seems like that will work.
    Last edited by xenakis; 21st Mar 2015 at 20:55.
    Win 8.1 64bit quad @ 2.83 ghz, 8g, VC500 720x480 @ 30fps, composite
    VirtualDub v1.10.4 (32bit) @ 720x480, HuffyUV v2.1.1, Hitachi VT-F494A, AVT-8710
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  20. Originally Posted by xenakis View Post
    So is it reasonable to calculate the estimated file sized based upon the fps and a rough idea of compression for maximum file size?
    With WinDV you can as it captures to DV AVI which uses roughly 13GB per hour. But you might need some specialized hardware to be able to use WinDV. If you cap lossless you can only get a ballpark figure. If capping to MPEG-2 it might depend on the bitrate you choose, but you should be able to guess in advance pretty closely. With the size of hard drives these days and their low cost, most people don't worry about how large the initial capture size might be.
    Last edited by manono; 22nd Mar 2015 at 14:27.
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    Originally Posted by manono View Post
    Originally Posted by xenakis View Post
    So is it reasonable to calculate the estimated file sized based upon the fps and a rough idea of compression for maximum file size?
    With WinDV you can as it captures to DV AVI which uses roughly 13GB per hour. But you might need some specialized hardware to be able to use WinDV.
    No-go with my setup...'Error: Can't find DV output pin'.

    http://muvipix.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=7751
    Reported some success with 64bit Vista, unknown card.

    My WinDV settings:
    Video source: Conexant Polaris Video Capture (what shows up in VDub, and the only option listed in WinDV)
    Capture file: new name and also tried creating/overwriting an existing avi.
    Checked and unchecked the box next to capture

    Originally Posted by manono View Post
    With the size of hard drives these days and their low cost, most people don't worry about how large the initial capture size might be.
    True, but after a 10 hour day at work...that's more TB than I can afford
    Last edited by xenakis; 21st Mar 2015 at 21:45.
    Win 8.1 64bit quad @ 2.83 ghz, 8g, VC500 720x480 @ 30fps, composite
    VirtualDub v1.10.4 (32bit) @ 720x480, HuffyUV v2.1.1, Hitachi VT-F494A, AVT-8710
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  22. That's what I meant by 'specialized hardware'. One way to make the capture is with an ADVC box and a firewire card and cable. I have no idea about anything working with Win8-64bit, but others probably do.
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    Originally Posted by manono View Post
    That's what I meant by 'specialized hardware'. One way to make the capture is with an ADVC box and a firewire card and cable. I have no idea about anything working with Win8-64bit, but others probably do.
    I'm new to those, too - How does the ADVC box help? It would convert the composite to firewire...isn't that just another format conversion (avoiding the composite/USB). How does this significantly improve the quality? The hardware of the box seems like it would be less power/ability than a computer?

    eg http://www.amazon.com/Grass-Valley-Canopus-77010150100-Converter/dp/B00030ATTO ?

    Thanks!
    Win 8.1 64bit quad @ 2.83 ghz, 8g, VC500 720x480 @ 30fps, composite
    VirtualDub v1.10.4 (32bit) @ 720x480, HuffyUV v2.1.1, Hitachi VT-F494A, AVT-8710
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    Originally Posted by xenakis View Post
    Originally Posted by manono View Post
    That's what I meant by 'specialized hardware'. One way to make the capture is with an ADVC box and a firewire card and cable. I have no idea about anything working with Win8-64bit, but others probably do.
    I'm new to those, too - How does the ADVC box help? It would convert the composite to firewire...isn't that just another format conversion (avoiding the composite/USB). How does this significantly improve the quality? The hardware of the box seems like it would be less power/ability than a computer?

    eg http://www.amazon.com/Grass-Valley-Canopus-77010150100-Converter/dp/B00030ATTO ?

    Thanks!
    The ADVC 110 is an external capture device. It digitizes analog video and analog audio (from composite or S-video and stereo audio) and delivers them in a DV stream over FireWire. You need either a FireWire 400 port on the motherboard or FireWire 400 add-on card for your PC to use it, plus appropriate software, such as WinDV. Windows 8.1 would provide FireWire drivers. I don't know if WinDV can work for Windows 8.1 64-bit. DV isn't lossless but it is lightly compressed and produces smaller capture files than HuffYUV,
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    Just following up:

    AutoHotKey code to terminate capture after specified number of minutes:

    Code:
    #NoEnv  ; Recommended for performance and compatibility with future AutoHotkey releases.
    ; #Warn  ; Enable warnings to assist with detecting common errors.
    SendMode Input  ; Recommended for new scripts due to its superior speed and reliability.
    SetWorkingDir %A_ScriptDir%  ; Ensures a consistent starting directory.
    
    
    
    IfWinExist, VirtualDub
    {
        WinActivate  ; Automatically uses the window found above.
        Send, {F5}
        Msgbox, Started capture.
    }
    
    ;sleep 21600000  ; 6 hours
    sleep 18000000   ; 5 hours
    ;sleep 14400000   ; 4 hours
    ;sleep 10800000   ; 3 hours
    ;sleep 7200000    ; 2 hours
    
    
    IfWinExist, VirtualDub
    {
        WinActivate  ; Automatically uses the window found above.
        Send, {Escape}
        Msgbox, Stopped capture.
    }
    Return
    AND I kept getting waaay too many dropped frames despite everything that I was doing initially. Stumbled upon AVDV passthrough how-to video which was tremendously helpful.

    So I gutted my Quad core @ 2.83 and upgraded to 500g SSD, i7-5820 running stock @ 3.30, 16g ddr4 ram and running passthrough via Sony DCR HC96 after doing more research. Still using same VHS and TBC. Firewire input after shelving the Diamond VC550. I wish that I heard about passthrough before considering purchase of Diamond and trying with my first setup. I proceeded with i7 update mostly because I didn't want any potential reason why I couldn't complete this project. Same with TBC for $225 of sanity. Capture termination handled by DV input window...if needbe I'll write another AHKey script.

    Anyway - thanks everyone for all of the input!
    Win 8.1 64bit quad @ 2.83 ghz, 8g, VC500 720x480 @ 30fps, composite
    VirtualDub v1.10.4 (32bit) @ 720x480, HuffyUV v2.1.1, Hitachi VT-F494A, AVT-8710
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  26. Member
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    Yes, a very old thread but this topic has been on my mind as of late since I received 3 shoe boxes full of family VHS tapes recently. I use Hauppauge Rocket to capture composite from a Panasonic VHS player. I take the mp4 files from the Hauppauge Rocket into ConvertXtoDVD and make the DVDs after all the capturing is complete. I keep the MP4 files on a 128GB flashdrive for future use. But back to the capture part of this workflow. Most of the VHS tapes are approx 2 hrs in length, but some a much less. I like to capture in an unattended fashion. I start by fast forwarding the VHS until the digital time counter stops counting. This indicates the end of the recording on the cassette. I eject the cassette and that causes the counter to reset to zero. I then rewind the cassette to the head of the tape and read off the counter the length of the recording. Typical reading, -01:34:20 I enter that length into a utility called "Mouse Clicker" (free) and start the recording and the "Mouse Clicker" at the same time. I then park the cursor over the record STOP button and go to sleep. Next morning I wake up, put in another VHS cassette and repeat. Then I drive to work. I come home from work......
    This is all pretty much automated. There are other concerns that I've worked through and would discuss if anyone is still interested. And the proper term is "trim", not "Crop".
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  27. Video Restorer lordsmurf's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by LSBREWER View Post
    Yes, a very old thread but this topic has been on my mind as of late since I received 3 shoe boxes full of family VHS tapes recently. I use Hauppauge Rocket to capture composite from a Panasonic VHS player. I take the mp4 files from the Hauppauge Rocket into ConvertXtoDVD and make the DVDs after all the capturing is complete. I keep the MP4 files on a 128GB flashdrive for future use. But back to the capture part of this workflow. Most of the VHS tapes are approx 2 hrs in length, but some a much less. I like to capture in an unattended fashion. I start by fast forwarding the VHS until the digital time counter stops counting. This indicates the end of the recording on the cassette. I eject the cassette and that causes the counter to reset to zero. I then rewind the cassette to the head of the tape and read off the counter the length of the recording. Typical reading, -01:34:20 I enter that length into a utility called "Mouse Clicker" (free) and start the recording and the "Mouse Clicker" at the same time. I then park the cursor over the record STOP button and go to sleep. Next morning I wake up, put in another VHS cassette and repeat. Then I drive to work. I come home from work......
    This is all pretty much automated. There are other concerns that I've worked through and would discuss if anyone is still interested. And the proper term is "trim", not "Crop".
    VHS to MP4 (H264?) with a plain consumer VHS VCR? Yikes. I can't imagine that's going to look good.
    Want my help? Ask here! (not via PM!)
    FAQs: Best Blank DiscsBest TBCsBest VCRs for captureRestore VHS
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    It looks no better or worse than the original VHS. The Hauppauge is set to 10Mbs CBR which is more than fast enough to handle standard def NTSC. In fact 10Mbs MP4 does a fine job capturing 1080p.

    The loss I notice is in the mpg2 conversion. But gotta fit it to a 4.5GB disc, right?
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  29. Originally Posted by LSBREWER View Post
    Yes, a very old thread ... But back to the capture part of this workflow. Most of the VHS tapes are approx 2 hrs in length, but some a much less. I like to capture in an unattended fashion. I start by fast forwarding the VHS until the digital time counter stops counting. This indicates the end of the recording on the cassette. I eject the cassette and that causes the counter to reset to zero. I then rewind the cassette to the head of the tape and read off the counter the length of the recording. Typical reading, -01:34:20 I enter that length into a utility called "Mouse Clicker" (free) and start the recording and the "Mouse Clicker" at the same time. I then park the cursor over the record STOP button and go to sleep.
    Just found a useful feature in VirtualDub for unattended capture (you'll still have to review for sync and capture errors, obviously).

    Under "Capture" -> "Stop Conditions..."

    use "capture time exceeds" and multiply your time in minutes by 60 to get seconds, and of course check the square to activate it.

    I've used it a couple of times for overnight captures and it works pretty precisely... I add a few minutes to make sure I get it all and then edit it out later. Enjoy!
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