Working to clean-up crappy DVD source, any suggestions appreciated.

[dragonkeeper]

Working to clean-up crappy DVD source, any suggestions appreciated.
I'm currently working on encoding oneof my old DVDs to MKV its quite awful (looks like it was poorly encoded vhs rip), i need a few suggestions best approach to clen this up I've attached still image and video info and my last attempt at a avisynth script.
Media Info:
Format : MPEG-PS
File size : 87.3 MiB
Duration : 1mn 49s
Overall bit rate : 6 714 Kbps

Video
ID : 224 (0xE0)
Format : MPEG Video
Format version : Version 2
Format profile : Main@Main
Format settings, BVOP : Yes
Format settings, Matrix : Default
Format settings, GOP : M=3, N=12
Duration : 1mn 49s
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 6 196 Kbps
Nominal bit rate : 8 000 Kbps
Width : 720 pixels
Height : 480 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 4:3
Frame rate : 29.970 fps
Standard : NTSC
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Interlaced
Scan order : Top Field First
Compression mode : Lossy
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.598
Stream size : 80.5 MiB (92%)



avisynth Script:

directshowSource("Barbarian Queen.vob")
tfm(order=1)
TDecimate()
crop(14,0,-6,0)
deen("a3d",3,4,0,4)
undot()
Spline36Resize(720,480).sharpen(0.3)

Also when detecting field order, which is more reliable to use "info" parm in avisynth script or the information obtained from media info using MPC-HC? The two can't seem to agree on the field order of this video.

Thanks for the help

[manono]

Is the aspect ratio so off that you feel you have to change it? Why do a crop and resize as opposed to a crop and addborders?

You're keeping it 4:3?

An untouched sample is way better than a picture.

I usually get the field order when making the D2V file using DGIndex, and if there's a problem I get it for sure by setting a field order, separating the fields, and then stepping through them. And there's no way I'd ever use DirectShowSource on a DVD.

[jagabo]

Instead of DirectShowSource() use DgIndex and Mpeg2Source("filename.d2v"). It has options for deblocking and deringing. For better noise reduction (but very slow) try McTemporalDenoise().

By the way, you can extract a short sample of the video with DgIndex(). Mark-in, Mark-out, File -> Save Project and Demux Video. Upload the M2V file.

[dragonkeeper]

Is the aspect ratio so off that you feel you have to change it?

??
My intention was to crop out the garbage from the left and right sides then resizing to original resolution of 4:3. If you have a best practice for handling, please fill me in

Why do a crop and resize as opposed to a crop and addborders?

This file is destined to live on my HTPC with a 12' HD projection. To negate the annoyance of pillar boxing at some point in time i plan to add automatic black felt curtains which will detect aspect ratio and adjust for 4:3 source material.

You're keeping it 4:3?

An untouched sample is way better than a picture.

I'll post one some where ASAP, where is the best place?

I usually get the field order when making the D2V file using DGIndex, and if there's a problem I get it for sure by setting a field order, separating the fields, and then stepping through them. And there's no way I'd ever use DirectShowSource on a DVD.

Thanks for the heads up on the field order. I usually use mpeg3source as it has some post filters you can add, i used directshowsource since it was a quick and dirty way to test filter chains.

[dragonkeeper]

Instead of DirectShowSource() use DgIndex and Mpeg2Source("filename.d2v"). It has options for deblocking and deringing. For better noise reduction (but very slow) try McTemporalDenoise().
.

Thanks Jagabo, i usally do use dv2 files for dvd source, used directshowsource just to test filter chains.

By the way, you can extract a short sample of the video with DgIndex(). Mark-in, Mark-out, File -> Save Project and Demux Video. Upload the M2V file.

I'll get a sample up loaded right away.

[manono]

My intention was to crop out the garbage from the left and right sides then resizing to original resolution of 4:3. If you have a best practice for handling, please fill me in.

By cropping a total of 20 black pixels from the right and left sides and then resizing, you changed the resolution of the active video from 700x480 to 720x480, thus stretching the video and making everyone slightly fatter.

This file is destined to live on my HTPC with a 12' HD projection.

Then no matter what you do it'll still look like crap as there's just not enough resolution in widescreen 4:3 DVDs. As maybe you know, there's a 16:9 version available now, although it's teamed with another film also:

http://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Sorceress-Barbarian-Queen-NEW/dp/B00449ZX8C/ref=sr_1_5?s...7870992&sr=1-5

http://www.mondo-digital.com/warriorbarbarian.html

I'll post one some where ASAP, where is the best place?

In my opinion, either MediaFire or Sendspace. I believe you can use Videohelp if the size is under 30 MB (?).

[dragonkeeper]

Here is the link to the file on medafire
http://www.mediafire.com/?zw2bgn1pfbxz5x6

[dragonkeeper]

By cropping a total of 20 black pixels from the right and left sides and then resizing, you changed the resolution of the active video from 700x480 to 720x480, thus stretching the video and making everyone slightly fatter.

Understood, i would rather have that than the pillar box. But i may rethink that if the curtains can adjust to the width being slightly off.

Then no matter what you do it'll still look like crap as there's just not enough resolution in widescreen 4:3 DVDs. As maybe you know, there's a 16:9 version available now, although it's teamed with another film also:

Thanks manono I didn't know there was a 16:9 version. IMHO the conversion from 4:3 to 16:9 in most cases is crap i found that out when i bought 16:9 versions of See No Evil, Here No Evil and Ghost Busters they cropped out way to much. Some of the visual gags in the movies just didn't have the same punch. But thanks for the info. I may get it just so i can get the warrior and the sorceress. Corman was a mad man with a camera .

File has been posted on mediafire.
http://www.mediafire.com/?zw2bgn1pfbxz5x6

[manono]

Oh, I take it back. You have the 1.33:1 version. At first glance I thought I noticed you had the widescreen 4:3 version.

The main thing wrong with it I can see is that the blacks are horribly crushed.

As for whether or not the 16:9 version is better, I don't really see how it can be any worse. In addition, it was (apparently) shown in theaters as 1.78:1, so it's supposed to have been cropped. It could very well be that the 1.33:1 version is a cropped (or panned and scanned) version of the 1.78:1 theatrical cut, meaning it's been cropped twice from the way it was originally shot. There's no way to know that for sure unless and until you have both versions to compare.

[jagabo]

Try something like:

Mpeg2Source("Barbarian Queen.demuxed.d2v", CPU=2)
Crop(14,0,-10,0)
ColorYUV(off_y=-5, gamma_y=50) #bring out a little more dark detail
TFM(d2v="Barbarian Queen.demuxed.d2v")
TDecimate()
VInverse() #remove residual "combing"
McTemporalDenoise(settings="medium", sharp=false)
Sharpen(0.3)
AddBorders(0,0,8,0)

When you IVTC a hard telecined source the two matching fields, even if they are the right two fields, often don't have exactly the same brightness and colors, leading to what looks like comb artifacts. VInverse() cleans up most of that without blurring the entire image.

[dragonkeeper]

Thanks jagabo I'll give that a try.