Capturing using Canopus ADVC1394 PCI Card Distorted Picture

[DNICE_ONE]

Hi! I have been trying to capture some VHS footage using ADVC 1394 PCI capture card which captures in DV but everytime I capture something the picture at the very bottom of the screen of the captured footage comes out horizontally distorted or out of alignment from the rest of the picture. The original VHS source is good and has no problem playing on a TV.

I have tried using Windows Movie Maker and also WinProducer (it came bundled with the card) but everytime I get the same result. I am using a JVC HR-S9600 VCR and Datavideo TBC-3000 all connected using Belkin Silver series cables.

Can someone please explain what is happening or what am I doing wrong and how to rectify it? Thanks.

[redwudz]

If it's just the last 1/4 inch or less, it sounds like VCR noise. Does it show when the final file is viewed on a regular TV? If not, it's in the overscan area and normal. There should be no tearing of the video though, just random noise.

[davideck]

VCRs switch video heads at the very bottom of each field in order to record/playback a valid vertical sync interval. The result is exactly what you have described.
Like redwudz pointed out, this is typically in the overscan region of most TVs, and is most likely normal operation.

[DNICE_ONE]

If it's just the last 1/4 inch or less, it sounds like VCR noise. Does it show when the final file is viewed on a regular TV? If not, it's in the overscan area and normal. There should be no tearing of the video though, just random noise.

VCRs switch video heads at the very bottom of each field in order to record/playback a valid vertical sync interval. The result is exactly what you have described.
Like redwudz pointed out, this is typically in the overscan region of most TVs, and is most likely normal operation.

Thanks guys for the reply. It only occurs in the last 1/4 inch of the screen. I have'nt made a final file or played it on TV yet but it shows on my computer monitor.

So if it only occurs in the overscan area do you think that it can be left alone or does it require cropping the video? I will try and burn a DVD and play it on my TV to see if is also visible there.

[FulciLives]

So if it only occurs in the overscan area do you think that it can be left alone or does it require cropping the video? I will try and burn a DVD and play it on my TV to see if is also visible there.

It is there on the original, trust me, you just can't see it due to TV OVERSCAN ... remember a computer monitor has no OVERSCAN so you see the extreme edges of the image ... stuff you don't see on the TV.

You can leave it as is or you can mask it. Just make sure to mask it ... don't cut it off then resize. Usually masking the bottom 8 lines is good enough unless the tape is in bad shape, like a copy of a copy or was SLP/EP, then you may need to mask more than that.

The reason for masking it ... will make the MPEG encode go smoother since it won't have to encode "video noise" but just plain "black" which is easier. Thus the bitrate goes to the actual image and is not wasted on the bottom "video noise" that is just "junk" anyways.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[DNICE_ONE]

You can leave it as is or you can mask it. Just make sure to mask it ... don't cut it off then resize. Usually masking the bottom 8 lines is good enough unless the tape is in bad shape, like a copy of a copy or was SLP/EP, then you may need to mask more than that.

The reason for masking it ... will make the MPEG encode go smoother since it won't have to encode "video noise" but just plain "black" which is easier. Thus the bitrate goes to the actual image and is not wasted on the bottom "video noise" that is just "junk" anyways.

Thanks for the info. Can you please also tell me which is the best software to use for masking and encoding? The final product is to be a DVD.

[FulciLives]

You can leave it as is or you can mask it. Just make sure to mask it ... don't cut it off then resize. Usually masking the bottom 8 lines is good enough unless the tape is in bad shape, like a copy of a copy or was SLP/EP, then you may need to mask more than that.

The reason for masking it ... will make the MPEG encode go smoother since it won't have to encode "video noise" but just plain "black" which is easier. Thus the bitrate goes to the actual image and is not wasted on the bottom "video noise" that is just "junk" anyways.

Thanks for the info. Can you please also tell me which is the best software to use for masking and encoding? The final product is to be a DVD.

Depends on what MPEG encoder you are using.

TMPGEnc can do this.

CCE can do it only with the help of AviSynth.

Those are the two that I am most familiar with.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman