Can you evaluate this video sample (vcd format)

[alebertaz]

I captured this movie (32 sec) from vhs tape at VCD quality using Provideo PV-231 realtime hw-mpeg capture card.

I want to move to AIW cards to capture better VCDs (or SVCDs).
Does AIW 128 with Theatre chip do a better VCD video encoding (using MMC 8.7) or for vcd the hardware encoder PV-231 is the best???

The movie is taken from a cartoon (Saint Seya) in PAL format and 5 MB of size...this is the link to downlaod:


http://s3.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1XCHCJBZD062311OFEOMWPD9JS

[lordsmurf]

Yes, ATI MMC 8.x or 9.x series used in conjunctions with an ATI AIW could do better.

You need two things:
1) A cleaner signal
2) More bitrate (a modern cheat)

1. Either a VHS with filters like JVC S-VHS, or the ATI MMC VideoSoap would clean the video. You're obviously coming from old VHS tapes. Grain and chroma is killing you. You can slightly desaturate to hide the chroma flaw (use ATI MMC proc amp controls), and the VideoSoap to clean up the image. This will yield less blocks. VideoSoap works WHILE you capture, an ACTIVE NR system (nice!).

2. If you are using a DVD player to watch these VCDs (or even the computer), no need to limit yourself to 1150k CBR VCD MPEG1. You can cheat a little and use 1300, 1500, maybe even 1800k bitrates. This will lower your blockiness.

While there are surely other methods to make nice video, this is what an ATI AIW card can do for your on-the-fly captures.

NOTES: Certain versions of MMC (I can never keep track) do different deinterlace methods that others (required for low res x240/x288 VCD MPEG1). Some blend, some drop. You probably want the drop. Usually the MPEG2 VCD res uses the opposite method. Since MMC is free for an ATI card, just keep trying different ones until you get one that you like (remember to UNINSTALL old ones before changing).

[Anonymous65]

I haven't seen any real time software encoders do a better job than the PV-231 hardware encoder. If you want better quality, then capture uncompressed or close to uncompressed AVI (highest frame size you can), and then encode with TMPGEnc with noise reduction filters turned on. This will give you better VCD quality than the real-time PV-231 card (or any real-time software encoders)

You can change the GOP in the registry for the PV-231 from the default to 30 frames, which gives a lot less blocks during high action video. I haven't seen any DVD player that will not play a VCD with a 30 frame GOP count. Most DVD players should also be able to play bit rates up to 1.8 Mb/sec.

[alebertaz]

hi Steve, what registry parameter I have to set to change GOP to 30?

thks

[alebertaz]

What value of these to change???

thks

[alebertaz]

here is the registry settings window...

http://img159.exs.cx/img159/5028/5557an.gif

[Anonymous65]

I have uploaded two files, one is a registry settings file for setting the best capture settings, and the other file is a PDF file of the registry settings for the PV-231. http://steve.kittelsen.com/files

[Anonymous65]

It looks like you already have a 30 frame GOP count in your registry settings. Check other settings also.

"MPJ_AUDIO_COMPENSATION_VALUE"=dword:00000000
"MPJ_AUDIO_COPYRIGHTED_MATERIAL"=dword:fffffff e
"MPJ_AUDIO_EMPHASIS"=dword:fffffffe
"MPJ_AUDIO_ENCODING_BIT_RATE"=dword:fffffffe
"MPJ_AUDIO_EXTERNAL_SOURCE"=dword:fffffffe
"MPJ_AUDIO_LOSS_COMPENSATION"=dword:00000000
"MPJ_AUDIO_MODE"=dword:fffffffe
"MPJ_AUDIO_ORIGINAL_COPY"=dword:fffffffe
"MPJ_AUDIO_STEREO"=dword:fffffffe
"MPJ_AUDIO_VIDEO_SYNC"=dword:00000000
"MPJ_CAPTURE_TYPE"=dword:00000000
"MPJ_COMPRESS_METHOD"=dword:00000000
"MPJ_FRAME_DISTANCE"=dword:00000001
"MPJ_LOGO_ENABLE"=dword:00000000
"MPJ_MPEG_B_START"=dword:00000000
"MPJ_MPEG_BIT_RATE"=dword:00118c30
"MPJ_MPEG_CLOSED_GOP"=dword:00000000
"MPJ_MPEG_DUPLICATE_B"=dword:00000000
"MPJ_MPEG_GOP_HEAD_FREQ"=dword:00000001
"MPJ_MPEG_HALF_PEL"=dword:00000001
"MPJ_MPEG_INTRA_DISTANCE"=dword:0000000a
"MPJ_MPEG_NUMBER_OF_B"=dword:00000002
"MPJ_MPEG_RC_METHOD"=dword:00000001
"MPJ_MPEG_SCENE_CHANGE"=dword:00000001
"MPJ_MPEG_SEQUENCE_HEAD_FREQ"=dword:00000003
"MPJ_MPEG_SLICE_HEAD_FREQ"=dword:00000001
"MPJ_MPEG_TC_FRAME_NUMBER"=dword:00000000
"MPJ_MPEG_TC_HOUR"=dword:00000000
"MPJ_MPEG_TC_MINUTES"=dword:00000000
"MPJ_MPEG_TC_SECONDS"=dword:00000000
"MPJ_MPEG_TELECINE"=dword:00000000
"MPJ_MPEG_TIME_STAMP"=dword:00000000
"MPJ_MPEG_VBV_INITIAL_FULLNES"=dword:00000013
"MPJ_MPEG_VBV_SIZE"=dword:00000014
"MPJ_PICTURE_RESOLUTION"=dword:00000001
"MPJ_QUALITY"=dword:00000001
"MPJ_VIDEO_IN_BLANK"=dword:00000000
"MPJ_VIDEO_STANDARD"=dword:00000000

[alebertaz]

I haven't seen any real time software encoders do a better job than the PV-231 hardware encoder.

Hi Steve, I confirm that Ati Theater chipset vcd captures via mmc 8.7 software are much better quality than PV-231.

I made many test to comprove it.

[Anonymous65]

Thanks for the update. So it looks like real-time software is catching up to hardware encoders...