Video8 capture?

[mirh]

When I connect my Video8 camcorder directly to TV (via composite) picture is ok.
After capturing it in full Pal resolution (Huffyuf codec) and encoding it with TMPGEnc (SVCD, 4:3 aspect) the picture looks terrible. I use VirtualDub and tried all suitable filters to deinterlace.
And what I obtained is a bit of distortions and lack of sharpness with reference to original source. I’ve tried to correct it with some filters (sharpness) and it looked even worse.
There is one thing which surprised me. When I captured it in 480x288 and then encoded it with TMPGEnc (1:1 aspect, do not change the resolution) the result is better. Is it matter of interlacing (lack of it)?
What resolution should I capture from Video8? I’m asking cause when I capture from tuner TV (build in my TV card) in SVCD resolution and encode it with TMPGEnc (Vdub&deinterlace) the result is almost the same as original whereas when I capture from Video8 the quality is much worse than picture which I can see connecting my camcorder to TV.
My TV card is PixelView TV Pro.
BTW Is there any link to sth.
Mirek

[ngnr]

As a source, video-8 doesn't give us much to work with but it can produce acceptable results. I capture at 480x480 (NTSC) using VirtualDub and I don't use any filtering at all. That's about as good as I have been able to get it. I then edit with Premiere 6 and lately have been using frame serving to TMPGEnc since I find that seems to be less blocky than the LSX plugin I was using earlier. You will still get some blockiness in high motion however, something that I have been trying to minimize by increasing the bit rate to the max of the SVCD spec and using 128 audio. I still haven't quite gotten it but it's very close to the quality of the source. I intend to do more experimenting with 352x480 to see how that plays on my player and if there is any noticeable difference in the picture. The smaller horizontal res will either give me mores bits to play with or allow more time on the CD - right now my settings give me somewhere between 40-45 minutes on an 80 min CD. I believe that's using VBR minimum 1000 max 2500 which I think puts me slightly out of spec with the audio so I may bring that back a bit.

The 480 or 576 vertical resolution allowed by SVCD captures both fields and gives greater sharpness than I could get with VCD. Don't de-interlace the video when encoding and it will retain both fields and plays back much better on TV. Just make sure you get the field order right or it will be very jumpy; still sharp but it just "looks wrong".

When you say you captured at 480x288 - is that what you intended to say or is that an error since that is not a standard resolution.

Keep trying and good luck!

[mirh]

My standalone DVD Pioneer DV-535 play 480x288 without any problems. As I mentioned before I made it with TMPGEnc (1:1 SVGA, standard SVCD template) and it looked better than captured 480x576.
I've tried not to use deinterlaced filter (480x576) and final looked very awful. Yes I didn't bother field order and I'm going to check it.
BTW I wonder whether cards like Pinnacle DV10+ would give a better quality during capture forma Video8 via composite.
On a forum (I'm not sure if it was on that) I read that a very good solution is to record your Video8 source by DV camcorder, than transfer it to PC and finnaly make mpg.
Mirek

[ngnr]

Maybe someone else can comment on the DV10+ but I am capturing my video 8 now via composite. I'll be trying firewire soon when I get a firewire card since I am using a Sony digital 8 camcorder now which has composite/S-video/firewire and can play my 8mm directly. I read the same as you that it should be better so I guess time will tell.

[EricB]

A number of Sony D8 camcorders can play an 8mm tape and convert them live to DV (mine is a TRV-120). I originally thought that I would have to record the tape to the camcorder to do the DV conversion, but it does it on the fly. In other words, I load a Hi8 tape into the camcorder, and it plays it out of the FireWire.

If you get a unit with analog input, then you can also use this to convert all your analog sources. Only warning is the huge file size of DV; 3.6MB/sec

[burly]

I am converting Hi-8 with a Canon DV camera. It does not have pas-thru like the Sony. The results are very good. The conversion seems clean. I use Premire then frame serve to TMPGENC to encode.

The only drawback is recording on a DV tape limit is 2 hours. But the best part is controling the Canon thru the firewire card with Premire.