VHS to DVD - Question out of curiosity...

[nharikrishna]

If you give a VHS Cassette (that contains home-made video) to a Hollywood studio and ask them to convert it to DVD, what hardware and software would they use? Just curious

[lordsmurf]

Hollywood studios don't convert VHS to DVD, period.
They deal in much higher end sources like D1, DigiBeta, 2K/4K, etc.

The only exception might be a show like "World's Craziest Police Chases" where footage is submitted (usually on a crude and crappy copy of a copy of a copy) ... and even then, it's outsourced to a lab. While some labs are in Calif., many are elsewhere.

Based on the quality I tend to see, it's probably some boneheaded cheap-ass DV converter box. Rarely do I see footage that has been cleanly ingested to digital formats, when the source was consumer grade. When that happens, you can bet TBCs, high end VCRs, proc amps, audio mixers, and various restoration software is involved.

It's costly and takes time, so the only work that tends to get such quality care is forensic work. Or smaller operations that specialize in clean video work, and make services available to anybody. "Hollywood" is about making money, and often not creating quality videos. (Budget-grade DVD releases, and the crap on TV and in theatres, should make that apparent.)

Documentaries often take time to quality convert/restore footage. Ken Burns' work is excellent about this. I don't know that you'd consider him "Hollywood" in any way.

Forums users edDV and BJ_M could add far more on this topic, no doubt.

[nharikrishna]

Thanks. really, my intention was to find out what kid of set-up is involved when biggies (be it hollywood or Television Studios) try and do it as opposed to average consumers. Regards

[edDV]

"Hollywood" or local TV stations would just ingest it into their servers via frame sync/proc amp while adjusting levels on the scopes. If this was for a quality documentary or for crime investigation they would farm it out to a specialist lab. Those guys would have open transports for precision tracking adjustment and quality A/D equipment.