Issue: Background noise on DVD following conversion from VCR tape.

[Beech Cricker]

I am a true newbie--having read several of the posts at this site I really most of this discussion is far and away over my head. But I have a problem I am hoping some of you can assist me with.

Recently I received two DVDs from a friend containing footage of hockey games he shot 30 years ago. Some years ago he had the actual film converted to VCR tapes from which he made me the DVDs. The VCR to DVD conversion was made at his TV, meaning he did not use a computer. Beyond that I am not familiar with his methodology.

In watching the DVDs the quality is really good in terms of the picture and the "normal" sound. The problem is a very annoying background noise that sounds like an air compressor. This "compressor" sound is almost constant throughout--it'll stop here and there for about 15 seconds before starting again.

I told my friend about this upon which we put the same DVDs in his player and there was NO "compressor" noise.

Thinking there may be something amiss with my DVD player I proceeded to play the DVDs on other players, including my computer and my in-law's system and the "compressor" noise was present. It was really bad at my in-law's with their surround sound system.

Did my friend record these DVDs at some setting unique to his system, hence no background noise there? Suggestions?

Jeff

[pcspeak]

Hi Jeff and welcome.

I'd probably start at the source. No, not the film.
If you can, borrow one of the VHS tapes and try it at your place. If it's OK then probably the conversion is the fault. Then we try the next step.

Many members will have good ideas. They'll probably involve computers and codecs. Sometimes nasty, but strangely fascinating things, them.

Edit:-
Better borrow all of the tapes. I have a feeling.

[Forum Troll]

Most likely it's tape hiss or other analog artifacts remaining due to the age of the tapes and the conversion process. Is there any dialog on the tape that is essential to the footage? It is possible to remove the audio track, and just have silent game footage, or replace the original soundtrack with music from a CD or something along that line.

[AlanHK]

You can rebuild the DVD, play with the audio, and reauthor. The video will be unchanged.

One way of doing this:

Rejig, for instance, can give you a separate video (m2v) and audio (probably AC3).

Convert the audio to Wave. (With eg, BeSweet)
Load in the audio editor

I use Audacity, the latest version 1.33. It has a very good noise removal "effect".
http://audacityteam.org/wiki/index.php?title=Noise_Removal


Then save the denoised file as a new WAVE, convert to a new AC3 (BeSweet), reauthor (many choices, but Rejig is good for this too.

[Nelson37]

Is there a way to "fix" this, by modifying the files to remove the noise? Probably, but for a newbie, this may be too complex. BUT, there IS another way.

It really blows me away that there is an obvious answer here everyone is ignoring.

There exists a DVD/player/amp setting combination which either removes or ignores the noise. Examine, determine, and quantify the differences between the working setup and the non-working setup. It is possible there is some oddball component which cannot be easily duplicated, but unlikely.

There are clues here. First clue - Old tape, recorded on home equipment. This would be limited to at best stereo or quite likely mono sound.

Second clue - Surround system makes the problem worse.

Third clue - unknown recording method, most likely a DVD/VCR combo unit.

These clues plus experience lead to the probable answer. Disable Surround sound settings, both actual and imitated. If possible, try Mono sound.

The DVD can be made to play without noise on a presumably normal system. All you need to do is Isolate and Identify the differences, and duplicate them.

[Marvingj]

Goldwave can do wonders.....

[Beech Cricker]

Thanks, all, for the replies. I have some studying/work to do.

Here is another variable that I failed to mention...my friend has done DVDs for me in the past and I've had no issue. These DVDs were of hockey games he had recorded off his TV with his VCR in the late 1970s. He then converted the VCR tape to a DVD for me. The only difference this time is that he had his Super 8mm film with sound footage put on a VCR tape from which he made me the DVD. Again, my DVD's quality in terms of the images and "good" sound is strong. It is the darn almost constant background noise that is the issue.

I really don't want to eliminate the "good" sound (meaning turning it into a silent film) as that would really take away from the package.

Someone told me about the stereo vs. mono possiblility. I'll tinker with that.

I really want to avoid computer software to fix this problem, if at all possible, due to lack of experience.

Jeff

[jameshgross]

I know just what you are talking about as I have had this happen on several VHS to DVD conversions.
It's the "Th.. TH.. TH.. TH.." sound in the background.
I have not been successful in fixing this at the digital end.
It will require re-encoding the original transfer from VHS to DVD and selecting MONO only for the audio.
That is how I fixed mine.

PS.
The Mono audio setting works best when set in the capturing SW.

[GideonK]

Does your friend still have the original 8mm film? If he does I would have him connect a camcorder to the DVD recorder and convert and burn directly from the 8mm to a DVD, thus eliminating 2nd generation transfer.
No guarantee that it will eliminate the problem but, worth a shot.

[Beech Cricker]

It will require re-encoding the original transfer from VHS to DVD and selecting MONO only for the audio.
That is how I fixed mine.

PS.
The Mono audio setting works best when set in the capturing SW.

James, newbie here...do you simply mean we need to attempt another VHS to DVD transfer but select mono only this time around? What is the "capturing SW"?

Jeff

[pcspeak]

Hi again Beech Cricker.
Just to confirm. NO computer involved.

1. Does this mean; play the VHS and burn to the DVD; just the one step?
2. Your friend has A VHS player and a DVD recorder (or maybe a HD/DVD recorder)?
3. Does the VHS player feed directly into the DVD recorder?
4. Does the VHS player feed into the TV and the DVD record from the TV? If so can he leave the TV out and use VHS to DVD?
5. What's the brand and model of the DVD recorder? We may be able to provide the best setup for the task.

For someone trying to supply an answer I sure seem to be asking a lot of questions.

[MysticE]

Almost sounds like the automatic audio gain on older VCR's kicking up and down. When there is no audio, or very quiet audio the VCR would turn the gain up, this could be very noticeable (kind of a swooshing/hissing sort of sound), as soon as the audio returned to normal or loud the auto-gain would lower itself, this did in fact compress the dynamic range. That's why I liked my old Sony BetaMax Hi-Fi, no auto gain. It had a couple of sliders to manually set the audio levels, resulting in nice full dynamic range.

[Beech Cricker]

Hi again Beech Cricker.
Just to confirm. NO computer involved.

1. Does this mean; play the VHS and burn to the DVD; just the one step?
2. Your friend has A VHS player and a DVD recorder (or maybe a HD/DVD recorder)?
3. Does the VHS player feed directly into the DVD recorder?
4. Does the VHS player feed into the TV and the DVD record from the TV? If so can he leave the TV out and use VHS to DVD?
5. What's the brand and model of the DVD recorder? We may be able to provide the best setup for the task.

For someone trying to supply an answer I sure seem to be asking a lot of questions.

pcspeak, I've e-mailed your questions to my friend...hopefully he can respond within a reasonable timeframe. I do know he did NOT use a computer in the VHS to DVD conversion.

Jeff

[Beech Cricker]

Last night my wife and I played around with our sound system. We cut the surround sound but the background noise was still present. We did not know how to convert to mono, if that is even possible. She then suggested trying it in her laptop which just so happens to contain the newest DVD player in the house. NO background noise there. I then tried it in a coworker's DVD player (wihtin three years old) this morning and no background noise there either. I'm ready to conclude that both our DVD player and my in-law's are just plain to old to handle what was likely recorded on new equipment.

Jeff

[pcspeak]

NO background noise there. I then tried it in a coworker's DVD player (wihtin three years old) this morning and no background noise there either. I'm ready to conclude that both our DVD player and my in-law's are just plain to old to handle what was likely recorded on new equipment.

Probably a fair guesstimation.
Maybe take a DVD down to one of the superstores that always have a dozen players lines up, explain the problem and, as you are probably in the market to buy a new player, , ask a sales person if they wouldn't mind playing the DVD on one of their new fancy players. Just to check that that is the problem, before you fork out any hard earned readies.
Joyce Mayne, one of our stores, is selling a chinese brand for AUD$27-00. It plays just about anything. Not what I'd buy if I was assembling a home theatre system.

[jameshgross]

Sorry for the delay in responding

I capture from the VHS to a video capture card using WINTV 2000 sw.
If you are going from VHS to a DVD recorder then set the VHS to output mono audio.

[lordsmurf]

I would isolate a noise print and use GoldWave. It's not easy, but easy enough for somebody that's experienced at restoring audio and video.