Suggestions on Hi8 to DVD Process - Cheaply

[BeanCounter]

I’ve been following these forums for over a year, and have spent a ton of time trying to CHEAPLY convert Hi8 Video to DVD. I’m simply trying to archive home videos to DVD. I only need do this 2-3 times a year, thus the aversion to spending a lot of money. I have a very basic system (WinXP, PII-400, TV Wonder card, 320Mb Ram, fast hard drives) that is perfectly adequate for a family PC, but is somewhat lacking as a multimedia workstation. However, I know that many of the posters here started on less capable machines, so I know it can be done (albeit painfully). I'm not looking to buy a new machine at the moment.

My question is whether my process shown below can be improved without adding new hardware or buying expensive software. Amazingly, my process uses up to 11 different programs, which is very tedious and time consuming. While I’d prefer using fewer programs, I’ve run into shortcomings with all of the multi-function software. I’m not too concerned about the speed of the process, but more so getting the best quality possible. I’ve included a lot of obvious steps in the process because many of these simple things tripped me up when I was learning this process.

For your information, here is software I’ve tried that hasn’t worked for various reasons:
- ATI MMC – won’t capture above 240 vertical lines
- TMPGEnc DVD Author – good for burning, but menu buttons are often too small for text
- VirtualDub Capture - won’t capture above 240 vertical lines; requires “wrapper” software to work with TV Wonder cards
- Edit in VirtualDub, then Frameserve to TMPGEnc – Vdub is a great editing tool, but the frameserve process always freezes about mid-way, and seems slower in general.
- Roxio DVD Builder – had high hopes because of great menu content, but it will not load M2V files created from TMPGEnc. It wants to encode directly from the AVI file.
- BTWincap drivers from Sourceforge – had a very bad experience back when I used Win98 and haven’t had guts to try them again. However, according to there website there is a new version which purportedly solves all of the installation issues. Anyone tried the new drivers?


MY PROCESS FOR CONVERTING HI8 CAMCORDER to DVD+R:
- Clear drive space by deleting unneeded files on D drive (80Gb)
- Defragment D drive
- Shut down virus protection and other unnecessary programs that are running

Virtual VCR (this is the only free capture program I’ve found that will capture 480 vertical lines without having to install the buggy BTWinCap drivers)
- Video Compression: Huffyuv Predict Median Best
- Audio Compression: PCM 48K 16Bit Mono (my Camcorder has SVideo out and Mono audio)
- Format: YUY2 352x480 (highest resolution w/o dropped frames) - I'm also trying 364x480 also which has been suggested as the best 1/2 D1 capture resolution in some other threads
- Make sure Smart Tee filter is turned on
- Make sure Properties Setting in Volume Control has Line Input turned On for recording
- If no sound then switch to Composite Video then back to Svideo (weird solution, but works)
- Capture video – I get 0-5 dropped frames per hour
- Note for Newbies: the finished AVI file will look like crap, with lots of horizontal lines especially when there is a lot of movement in the frame. That’s just the interlaced video being viewed on a computer screen. It will look perfectly normal on a TV.

VirtualDub
- Optional step: Scan AVI file for bad frames; cut out bad frames and save to new AVI file
- This step should be performed if the TMPGEnc process crashes or freezes

DVDRHelp BitRateCalculator.html
- Calculate the optimum average and maximum bitrates to get 2 hour video on 1 DVD
- use audio bitrate at 192Kbps, even though initial encoding will be to WAV file

TMPGEnc
- Set source range of file to edit video, cutting out static and undesired video
- Encode as interlaced 352x480, 4:3 size, 2 Pass VBR, WAV audio (768 mono)
- Average bitrate for 2 hour video on 1 DVD is typically 5000, Max 9000, Min 1000
- This will produce M2V file and a WAV file (verrrrry slowly)

To check quality, load WAV file into any WAV software (ATI File Player) and play
To check quality, load M2V into into any video software (Windows Media Player) and play
- note that WMP will report the wrong length for the M2V file, even though it's really the correct length

Audacity (I’ve found that the camcorder introduces an annoying high pitched squeal and background hiss, so this tool removes that)
- Import WAV file
- Select small section of file having only noise
- Click Noise Removal and Get Noise Profile
- Select the entire file
- Click Noise Removal, set slider to about 1/4 and Remove Noise
- When complete, listen to file to make sure voices do not sound “synthesized”, but hiss and high frequency sound is gone

ffmpeggui
- Convert new WAV file to AC3
- Use same audio bitrate (192KBps) as used in bitrate calculator

DVD Lab
- In the assets windows, open the M2V and AC3 files
- Insert the file to the project
- Insert chapter points. A chapter point at the beginning is not necessary
- Double click on Menu 1
- Drag a background into the menu
- Enter titles (Family Videos, Play Movie, and Scene Selection)
- Drag Movie 1 onto Play button
- Click the Wizard button and click Add Scene Selection Menus
- Drag the new Scenes 1 for Movie 1 menu to the Scene Selection menu
- Drag Scenes from the Preview Video window to each submenu to replace the first frame that was put there automatically
- If desired, Create Transitions between menus and other effects
- Click Compile DVD - This will create a DVD image on the Disk
- Optionally to test, open WinDVD and Right Click, Source, DVD From Folder
Note: I don’t burn in DVD Lab because it’s DVD won’t come up on my standalone Toshiba (Disc Error)

ImgTool Classic
- Make sure Settings are set to burn image using DVD Decryptor, which will auto-initiate a burn after this program create the ISO file
- Insert Blank DVD+R in drive
- Set Source for the folder containing VIDEO_TS
- Set Output Directory
- Click Image button

DVD Decryptor
This program opens automatically from ImgTool Classic and burns DVD

Done. The DVD+R is very watchable on a 55" PTV, seeming to be only slightly less quality that the original camcorder video.

[andie41]

Impressive - obviously you have spent time sorting this out.

I also like VirtualVCR It appears most use the BTWincap driver, but I had better success with the BT8xx driver -but if it ain't broke ...

I would suggest trying HuffYuv "predict left at 704x480. I had a similar system (Celeron OC to 450) and was able to cap at 704 with generally zero dropped frames.

As I am not concerned with how much I can get onto a DVD, I don't use 2 Pass in TMPGenc - cuts encode time in half, of course.

Curious as to why you use mono sound?

It seems many use ffmpeggui, I use Nero's wave editor.

As you mention, VDub is excellent and I use it to cut out the undesired video, rather than TMPGenc. I save the audio as direct stream from Vdub and don't bother with audio at all in TMPGenc.

I like TMPGenc DVD Author - simple, quick, reliable. I usually put 6 on a menu - 2 or 3 menus, as required. If TDA is adequate, this eliminates DVDLab, ImgToolClassic and DVD Decryptor.

[BeanCounter]

Thanks Andie. I set Huffyuv to the fastest setting, and your right, I can capture at 704x480 with minimal dropped frames (4 per hour)! As to why I am capturing WAV files at Mono 768 kbps, my source (camcorder) has only mono out, and it seems a waste to capture in 1536 kbps stereo.

Regarding your comment about using VDub to save audio, and only using TMPGEnc for video conversion, I assume this means that you frameserve video from VDub to TMPGEnc. I agree, that sounds like a preferable method, but I've never been able to get frameserving to work efficiently. The TMPGEnc process seems to take 50-75% longer when frameserving than when working with a saved file. Since frameserving is out, I'm stuck with editing the AVI using TMPGEnc.

Regarding BTWincap drivers, I'd like some opinions on whether I should give these drivers another shot. Using overused cliches, I feel like the grass could be greener using these drivers, but like Andie said, if it ain't broke don't fix it. Exactly what benefits could I expect to get with these drivers? And, has anybody tried the new version on the Sourceforge website?

[andie41]

I had hoped some others might jump in and offer you some help, but I guess people are too busy raging about corporations trying to protect their selfish intersts.

Anyway, IMO frameserving from VDub is the way to go. I don't understand why it is so slow for you - you do have a slower computer, but I find things faster frameserving rather than directly in TMPGenc - noise filtering, for example. You said it was slower, so I assume you have installed the handler and have it working, to some extent. Do you you have one of the latest versions.

Depending on file size and your hard drive space, you could still edit (cut frames and/or append other segments) in VDub and then save as a "Direct Stream" avi. You could then, save separate audio and video and feed just the edited video into TMPGenc. Might not be much advantage in doing it this way, just a thought.

[hech54]

[quote="andie41"]I had hoped some others might jump in and offer you some help, but I guess people are too busy raging about corporations trying to protect their selfish intersts. quote]

I applaud all of your effort and time....both of you...HOWEVER Andie....alot of us went straight to a VCD Recorder and then to a DVD Recorder and know absolutely NOTHING about capturing other than little bits here and there in Windows Media format to e-mail to friends.

MOST people here are FAR from selfish....including myself. Just look at the guides section to your left THEN comment about selfish people.

[andie41]

aw hech, a bit sensitive?

As I read my comment Re "corporations trying to protect their selfish intersts" , it seems clear to me that I was referring to selfish interests of corporations. I was simply having a little fun with what turns our cranks. If one wants to get an active thread going, talk about bad ol' corporations, RIAA, copy protection, etc. To each his own; I find it amusing. I could have instead referred to corporations protecting their property; however, there appears to be some question as to what is their property.