VHS to DVD conversion

[doubledeck]

Greetings,

I have been poking around in this website for several months, but this is my first post.

I have been working on converting my home videos to DVD and have gotten a TON of help from the information that I have read and downloaded from this site.

Here is my configuration:

Software
VirtualDub 1.4.8
- Using Huffyuv codec 1.3.1
CCE SP 2.50.01.00
TmpgEnc
ATI MMC

Hardware
Compaq Professional Workstation AP550
Dual 1GHz Processors
512MB RAM
100GB Drive (dedicated for video)
Pioneer DVD-RW A03
ATI AIW 32

I capture using VDub to AVI in 720x480 at 29.97fps with audio at 48000. This creates a LARGE file. I then use VDub to frameserve the AVI to CCE and have it encode to MP2 (pretty much standard settings in CCE - I just modify the bitrate to make the file fit on the DVD). The resulting MP2 looks GREAT on the computer. I can even convert it to VOB and watch it on the computer and it still looks and sounds great. Please note that I am NOT deinteralincing this at all. There is no reason - VHS and DVD are both interlaced.

Tonight I did this process with Star Wars Special Edition (yes, I own it). The resulting files looked wonderful. The resulting DVD looks great when played on my DVD drive. But when I play the DVD in my stand alone player (JVC XV-S45) I noticed some problems. The picture looks great, but whenever there is a lot of motion the actors appear to move in "semi-jerky fast mode". This is hard to describe but it is kind of like the old karate flicks of the 70s and 80s. They appear to move jerkily, but faster than possible.

Like I said, if I play this same DVD in my computer it looks fine. I also played the DVD in my laptop DVD drive and it STILL looks fine.

I am beginning to wonder if this is a bitrate problem with my JVC DVD player. I encoded Star Wars at 4750.

I have two other questions:

1) I have noticed that when I capture from VHS that there is some garbled screen data (about 15 lines or so) at the very bottom of the screen. Is this normal? When I put the resulting capture back to DVD you really can not see this info, but it does poke into the bottom of the screen from time to time.

2) Is there any easy way to convert the stereo sound to AC3 with the tools that I am currently using? I would like to convert the rest of my Star Wars set and possibly do this with AC3 sound in the process. (next is the Back to the Future set...)

Thanks for any and all help.

MarkS

[doubledeck]

Anyone have any ideas?

[ebaldino]

Hi doubledeck.

I have a suggestion for the jerkiness. I too backup my VHS tapes but since I haven't got a dvd burner yet (I'll get that before I get the dual 1Ghz processors... , I'm making SVCDs, with almost the same technique you use.

In CCE, try clicking on "Video" and then un-check "upper field first" option. That should do away with the jerkiness.

I use AVISynth to frameserve to CCE. I've found it's easier to use its filters and splicing than those of VirtualDub... It's script-driven but you might want to play around with it.

good luck.
EBaldino

[spheroid76]

Why do you use 720x480 resolution? This is completely overkill for video captured from VHS. I suggest you capture at 352x480 this is also part of the DVD spec. This would save you bitrate, or increase the quality.

[doubledeck]

EBaldino,

Thanks so much for your reply. Unchecking the "upper field first" option did the trick.

Now the only thing that I have left is the 15 or so lines at the bottom of the screen that appear to be skewed video data. They are mostly just a small problem, but I would like to know why they are there and how to get rid of them.

MarkS

[Romper]

Doubledeck, the 15 or so lines at the bottom of the picture are the video heads swapping on your deck, these lines aren't normally seen on TV as they are masked by the TV surround, but when capturing to PC you see the full screen and therefore you also see the headswapping.

If you want to get rid of the lines then you will have to crop the video in VDub and then frameserve to your chosen encoder (make sure you center the picture (and keep aspect ratio) otherwise the image will stretch slightly. The cropping and centering should still be hidden by the TV surround.

Hope this helps.