VHS to DVD Restoration. Best AviSynth scripts?

[themaster1]

Try this: DePulse(h=74, l=12, d=255, debug=true) but i prefer the DvDropout script which work temporally (analysis of the next frame) and spatially indeed so it's for video only, not a single frame.

The debug mode in Depulse is very useful it show you if you're off the mark or not

[Gavino]

i prefer the DvDropout script which work temporally (analysis of the next frame) and spatially

Depulse is a spatio-temporal filter too (using both previous and next frames).

[Lucky Starr]

Add this line before calling DePulse:
ConvertToYUY2()

Then I get Script error: ConvertToYUY2 does not have a named argument "h"

or, if your source is interlaced YV12:
ConvertToYUY2(interlaced=true)

This one actually opens and plays video in both screens but I don't see any difference. Both are filled with "comets". BTW is he saving 'restored' video somewhere?

Try this: DePulse(h=74, l=12, d=255, debug=true)

I get again that YUY2 parameters are missing


Would it maybe help if I shared sample 1 minute of this video and you could tell me what to write?

[midnightsun]

Hi,
You need the converttoyuy2(interlaced=true) line in your script because that's what depulse expects as input, i.e. if you feed it anything but yuy2, it will throw an error. All the converttoyuy2(interlaced=true) line does is convert the input clip's colorspace to yuy2 (look up yuy2, yv12 and the other colorspaces if you're not familiar with these terms).
After you've converted to yuy2 you may use depulse:

avisource("youfile.avi")
converttoyuy2(interlaced=true) #assuming the file is REALLY interlaced
depulse() #insert depulse's parameters between ()

And no, the video at this point is not saved anywhere, avisynth just passes (it is a "frameserver") the frames to any appplication that works with it, you could say it's a "virtual video" at this stage. To save the video you will have to open the .avs file you've created in an encoding application or video editor of your choice and render as a new file. If you tell us what your final format is (DVD, PC playback, NMT playback, web upload etc...), the people here will advise you on what type of encoder is suitable for your needs.

[jagabo]

avisource("youfile.avi")
converttoyuy2(interlaced=true) #assuming the file is REALLY interlaced
depulse() #insert depulse's parameters between ()

With arguments to DePulse::

avisource("youfile.avi")
converttoyuy2(interlaced=true) #assuming the file is REALLY interlaced
DePulse(h=74, l=12, d=255, debug=true)

Or if the file isn't interlaced:

avisource("youfile.avi")
converttoyuy2()
DePulse(h=74, l=12, d=255, debug=true)

[Lucky Starr]

OK, so from what I gather I first need to convert the vid to yuy2 by writing command
avisource("youfile.avi")
ConvertToYUY2(interlaced=true)
So I made .avs file with those lines and I opened it in virtualdub and clicked save segmented avi. Then, if I understand correctly, I should that saved video run with commands
avisource("youfile.avi")
converttoyuy2(interlaced=true) #assuming the file is REALLY interlaced
DePulse(h=74, l=12, d=255, debug=true)

I did but I got video that looks like this


I still have those 'comets' but they are violet along with some other parts of the picture.

I then tried with this commands
avisource("youfile.avi")
converttoyuy2()
DePulse(h=74, l=12, d=255, debug=true)

and I still get this violet result.

If you tell us what your final format is (DVD, PC playback, NMT playback, web upload etc...), the people here will advise you on what type of encoder is suitable for your needs.

my desired final format would be .avi. So if you can also tell me how to save the file from virtualdub so it doesn't get that big.

[jagabo]

Don't use "debug=true" if you want to fix your video. That's just to make it obvious what DePulse() is going to fix. With all those large purple areas you're going to have to play with the other settings.

[Lucky Starr]

With all those large purple areas you're going to have to play with the other settings.

You mean to change variables h, l, d ? Could you tell me what each stands for?

Because I was playing with them and entered this:

converttoyuy2() #assuming the file is REALLY interlaced
DePulse(h=135, l=30, d=255, debug=true)

And there is no violet exept for the "comets" that are violet:

[Gavino]

You mean to change variables h, l, d ? Could you tell me what each stands for?

See http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=1355414#post1355414:

Pixel brightness values greater than h (high) are targeted as white noise.
    If a pixel (t) is target'ed as white noise then surrounding pixels
    (above, below, before and after [temporal], Not left and right) are tested
    and if ALL of them are less than (t - d) the target pixel t is
    depulsed.

Pixel brightness values less than l (low) are targeted as black noise.
    If a pixel (t) is target'ed as black noise then surrounding pixels
    (above, below, before and after [temporal], Not left and right) are tested and
    if ALL of them are greater than (t + d) the target pixel t is
    depulsed.

In debug mode, pixels judged to be black or white noise are coloured pink or green.

there is no violet exept for the "comets" that are violet

It looks like some parts of your comets are still showing white, so you might need to tweak the parameters just a little more.

[Lucky Starr]

OK thanks for the info, but I don't want those "bad" pixels or "comets" to be green or violet I want them to be inconspicuous.

[Gavino]

I don't want those "bad" pixels or "comets" to be green or violet I want them to be inconspicuous.

The idea is that you use Depulse with debug=true to tweak the other parameters until only the bad pixels are coloured green or violet. That shows you which pixels Depulse is going to fix. Then to do the actual work, you change debug to false and run the script again for the last time.

[Lucky Starr]

OK thanks I think I got it. It's just that now I have problem saving video in virtualdub. It's too big. I searched on the internet and all tuts that I find say that you have to click "Video" and set "Direct Stream Copy" and then "Save as AVI". I do this but it's still BIG. I mean it's starts saving and when it's on 29 seconds it's already 456 MB.

[jagabo]

It's just that now I have problem saving video in virtualdub. It's too big.

You need to select a compression codec and adjust its settings.

[Gavino]

all tuts that I find say that you have to click "Video" and set "Direct Stream Copy" and then "Save as AVI". I do this but it's still BIG.

You don't use Direct Stream Copy when using Avisynth, since it delivers uncompressed video.
Use Fast Recompress instead (and select a compression codec as jagabo says).

[Lucky Starr]

OK it cleaned it pretty good from those 'comets' thanks for the help!

But there is also another problem that happened during VHS to wmv conversion (I was using honestech program) and the problem is that picture frequently but briefly becomes "linear" when there are fast movements or switching between shots. Like this



Is there any cure for this? Would it be better if I captured VHS with VirtualDub?

[jagabo]

You have interlaced video, probably telecined film (if it's a movie). It needs to be deinterlaced or inverse telecined if you want a progressive picture. Without seeing an actual video sample I can't say which. Try this in VirtualDub:

Video -> Color Depth... 4:2:2 YCbCr (YUY2)
Video -> Filters -> Add -> IVTC... Reduce Frame Rate, Top Field First, Adaptive

If you still see comb artifacts try Bottom Field First.

[themaster1]

WMV don't support interlacing but progressive only to my knowledge so you either have to deinterlace on the fly (wrong idea imo) or post capture stage

[jagabo]

WMV does support interlaced video, at least with the VC1 codec. Many applications don't support interlaced VC1 in WMV though.