VHS Family Wedding tape restoration

[Tafflad]

Gents ... been following the posts above .... what is the final decision to run with the script as per post #135
or to incorporate any changes in the posts since that one ?

I will be as final step taking it into Vegas to try and fix some errors on initial part of video (mainly tranisitions & over dubbed music)
I could if you guys think it worthwhile invest in NEAT video plugin

[sanlyn]

I took the image posted earlier and tried to see if I could make it look more lifelike in Photoshop.
The most natural look seemed to be when trying to set colors that should be neutral to neutral.
The main problem is still the limited color bandwidth. They look a little warmer, whether it's any
better is debatable.

? ? None of those colors look neutral. The bride's gown is supposed to be white. Everyone looks sunburned.

[sanlyn]

Gents ... been following the posts above .... what is the final decision to run with the script as per post #135
or to incorporate any changes in the posts since that one ?

I will be as final step taking it into Vegas to try and fix some errors on initial part of video (mainly tranisitions & over dubbed music)
I could if you guys think it worthwhile invest in NEAT video plugin

ADvise you to use Vegas with lossless media, then encode.

The scripts in #135 are the best I could conjure. You might throw something in there to get rid of even more aliasing, but there won't be any detail to watch. The final color tweak was in VirtualDub after the frames came out of Avisynth. Color is usually subjective for most people, so customize the color controls I used to suit what you want. Some scenes will require special treatment because color balanc changes constantly in those clips. What Avisynth did basically was try to make the wedding gown white. The rest was tweaked in VirtualDub.

IMO NeatVideo is essential for damaged tape. But use it very carefully; don't expect it to do everything. I used it as a final tweak in the videos posted, but it was turned almost down to nothing. Basically used as a sharpener because you can set it for high, medium, and low frequencies-- not easy to do with most sharpeners. Best way to use it is to add it last, only when necessary. And read the manual.

[davexnet]

I took the image posted earlier and tried to see if I could make it look more lifelike in Photoshop.
The most natural look seemed to be when trying to set colors that should be neutral to neutral.
The main problem is still the limited color bandwidth. They look a little warmer, whether it's any
better is debatable.

? ? None of those colors look neutral. The bride's gown is supposed to be white. Colors like RGB 190-240-234 aren't white; it's cyan. Everyone looks sunburned.

Photoshop has controls to monitor "neutral" colors and check color balance for neutrals like black, gray, and white.

I agree. I think the program tried to make neutral grey on the guys suit. It would probably need a Photoshop expert
to go further, and even if it's improved, doesn't really help with the video.

If you balance the colors to get the dress closer to neutral white, it looks as if the rest of the colors will
worse than they were originally. Surely it's because we're dealing with VHS color. It was always poor.

[sanlyn]

It's an aged and poorly stored tape. The color has degraded quite a bit because the signal stored in the magnetic layer has deteriorated. It would be a real quest to make everything look "natural".

If you look at the script in post #35, there are some Avisynth statements that corect the bad offset with red and green. Early in the script:

COlorYUV(cont_y=30,off_y=-7)
COlorYUV(cont_v=-120,off_v=1)

Then near the end of the second script:

ConvertToRGB32(matrix="Rec601",interlaced=false)
RGBAdjust(1.00, 0.92, 0.92,gb=-0.9)

[2Bdecided]

IMO NeatVideo is essential for damaged tape. But use it very carefully; don't expect it to do everything. I used it as a final tweak in the videos posted, but it was turned almost down to nothing. Basically used as a sharpener because you can set it for high, medium, and low frequencies-- not easy to do with most sharpeners. Best way to use it is to add it last, only when necessary. And read the manual.

I think you should post some suggested settings if Tafflad hasn't used it before. As you imply, most people use it at far too strong settings and destroy their videos. Doing nothing is far preferable.

It's an aged and poorly stored tape. The color has degraded quite a bit because the signal stored in the magnetic layer has deteriorated.

Neither of us could win this argument without a time machine, but I bet that, apart from a few drop outs and creases (i.e. real physical damage), this tape plays back pretty much the same as it did on the day it was recorded. I bet the colours haven't changed one bit. Chroma is the most robust part of the magnetic signals on VHS tape, being recorded at the lowest frequency. Hi-fi stereo audio goes first. High frequency luma goes next. Tracking (damaged control track, right on the edge of the tape) goes most easily due to physical rather than magnetic damage.

What's changed are people's expectations, and the ability to pick faults. White = electric blue is ubiquitous in camcorder footage from that era, and that's how it always looked. That's how well the auto white balance circuits of the time (didn't) work.




Tafflad: do a bit, burn it to DVD, and watch it - before doing the whole thing. Burn a couple of different versions of that small section if necessary, maybe also including a version that just has the levels tamed a bit but no other processing (i.e. basically the original capture). Differences that look obvious on the PC are often lost on a TV.


Cheers,
David.

[Tafflad]

You are right I have never used this, don't mind investing in it.
Any tips, settings welcome.

[sanlyn]

IMO NeatVideo is essential for damaged tape. But use it very carefully; don't expect it to do everything. I used it as a final tweak in the videos posted, but it was turned almost down to nothing. Basically used as a sharpener because you can set it for high, medium, and low frequencies-- not easy to do with most sharpeners. Best way to use it is to add it last, only when necessary. And read the manual.

I think you should post some suggested settings if Tafflad hasn't used it before. As you imply, most people use it at far too strong settings and destroy their videos. Doing nothing is far preferable.

Agreed. It's somewhat like MCTemporalDenoise or QTGMC in that several functions can be enabled / disabled / tweaked; like those multi-function jobs you can use it to tweak a video or destroy everything in sight. Instead of a script it uses check boxes and sliders configured in a 2-window GUI. But if you save your settings in a .vcf file, you can copy the text of those settings into an AVisynth script. It's a combo filter with spatial and temporal components. The website at http://www.neatvideo.com/ is comprehensive. Unlike the text or html files that come with most Avisynth or VirtualDub plugins, its user guide is a 30-page illustrated PDF. The PDF for each version is a free download.

Getting into detail with NV is like trying to "explain" the details of QTGMC. You can view its interface and preview windows in default mode (and make mush of a video at those settings) or tweak the advanced interface, which the manual covers in great detail. A little time on their website answers many questions -- and of course just using the trial version answers many more in short order. I know of a couple of Avisynth plugins that work in a similar but scripted fashion: you specify a noise sample, then set up how much of that noise you want removed. Explaining here in a post would be tantamount to reproducing their whole website and manual, and makes it sound far more complex than it is in actual use.

I almost always set it at half-power or less. It also has a sharpener which internally runs after denoising. It's a pretty cool sharpener with several settings: the default is 100% power and can be set from 200% to zero. High settings give you something that looks embossed, so I keep it down around 50% to 20%. You can also turn it off, or turn off everything else and use the sharpener alone.

Filtering is divided into frequencies of high (very fine grain or eensty-weentsy detail) and medium and low-frequencies. The high-freq filter can do the most damage and is almost always turned down to a low 30% or less. Medium and low-freq noise would include the kind of clumpy, simmering grungy grayish muck that you see on an LCD when an analog source has movement. The residual background noise of analog and digital tape is where NV is most effective, and it can even spiff up mosquito noise and compression artifacts around edges. It's not very effective with stuff like rainbows. Usually, people specify 30-40% for fine noise, and around 60% for the "bigger" noise.

As I say, trying to explain it is a waste of time. The website demos and just using it for a short spell can quickly replace all the verbiage I just typed. There are some rather extreme demos here: http://www.neatvideo.com/examples.html .

[Tafflad]

Would you advise use of NeatVideo form within VDE or from within Vegas ?

[sanlyn]

Each version of NeatVideo works only with the application you buy it for. You can't use it i9n Vegas and in VDub or something else unless you have the plugin version for each app. I have one for VirtualDub, one for AfterEffects. I consider it a waste of versions, as it's so much easier to use it in Virtualdub. I used it in AE only once, and could just as well have done it in VDub. The source has to go to lossless AVI anyway for use.

[Tafflad]

In your script it loads ContastMask.avs

Where do I get that from ? ...
Tried usual sites and it's not listed ... I found a ref that it can be used with Highlight limiter but not ContrastMask.avs as a download

[2Bdecided]

It's in the same post in the same thread...http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=161986
(which isn't stated in the wiki)


sanlyn - can't you just give him exact settings to try in the demo version? Then he can decide straight away whether to bother using it.


I have it (VirtualDUB version), and I only use it for specific problems. It's great for removing noise with some kind of pattern to it. Doesn't always work though. I can imagine the mid-frequency sharpening is useful here - but you really need to check this stuff on a TV rather than just on a PC. Don't use NeatVideo's temporal denoiser.

Cheers,
David.

[Brad]

Tracking (damaged control track, right on the edge of the tape) goes most easily due to physical rather than magnetic damage.

That seems like a disastrously poor design decision.

[sanlyn]

In your script it loads ContastMask.avs

Where do I get that from ? ...
Tried usual sites and it's not listed ... I found a ref that it can be used with Highlight limiter but not ContrastMask.avs as a download

It's ContrastMask.avs. It's been used in the wedding scripts since November. It's included in a bunch of Avisynth plugins as an attached .zip file in post #33 (https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/360482-VHS-Family-Wedding-tape-restoration?p=228406...=1#post2284062). The .zip file is here: https://forum.videohelp.com/attachments/21516-1385842259/Scripts_and_plugins.zip.

The original doom9 post contains an error -- but I don't remember what it is!! However, the version I posted and used has the correction. Here's a copy of the corrected function:

function ContrastMask(clip v, float "gblur", float "enhance")
{
enhance = default (enhance, 10.0)
gblur = default (gblur, 20.0)
enhance = (enhance>=0.0 && enhance<=10.0) ? float(enhance*0.1) : 1.0
v2=v.Tweak(sat=0)
v2=v2.invert()
v2=v2.gaussianblur(50.0,50.0+gblur)
photoshop_overlay=mt_lutxy(v,v2,"x 127.5 > y 255 x - 127.5 / * x 255 x - - + y x 127.5 / * ? ")
merged=overlay(v,photoshop_overlay,opacity=enhance)
return merged
}

Save the text as an .avs file in Avisynth plugins and import it into a script like this (correct the path statement to match your system):

Import(drive:\path\to\Avisynth\plugins\ContrastMask.avs")

The key parameter in that function is the "enhance" variable. It defaults to 10, which is usually too hefty. Start with lower values. What the function does is lighten the darkest shadow areas without affecting brighter parts of the video. The more you ":enhance", the more hidden dark detail it reveals. I usually set it about 2.5 up to 6.0, sometimes 8. Here are two samples of code; one sets enhance to 2.5, the other sets it to 6:

ContrastMask(enhance=2.5)

ContrastMask(enhance=6.0)

To see it's effect, load up a piece of video with darkish shadow detail that looks hidden in the murk. Leave the frame where it is in virtualdub, then change to script to turn that function on and off by entering or removing a "#" comment symbol at the start of the line that contains the function. Then just use "File..." -> "Reopen video file" to reopen the script at exactly the same frame you're looking at. If your script loads a dozen slow filters, of course, you'll have to give things a few seconds to update your view. Try it with a short clip that doesn't load a bunch of plugins. Start the script and find a frame that has some dark stuff of interest. I used a frame that includes sight of the church interior behind the bride and groom. Keep that script as-is, then change the script to activate the function, then restart the script as described. You can turn the function on and off or change the enhance value, and keep hitting "Reopen video file" to check the effect.

The "Highlighter" function you mention does the opposite: it's supposed to bring out highlights without blowing them away. A little more difficult to manage, though.

[sanlyn]

sanlyn - can't you just give him exact settings to try in the demo version? Then he can decide straight away whether to bother using it.

I have it (VirtualDUB version), and I only use it for specific problems. It's great for removing noise with some kind of pattern to it. Doesn't always work though. I can imagine the mid-frequency sharpening is useful here - but you really need to check this stuff on a TV rather than just on a PC. Don't use NeatVideo's temporal denoiser.

I seldom use it nowadays. Sometimes you just "need" some noise, especially with VHS which is where a lot of "detail" really is. Of course there's always the case of just too much of it. But when it's needed, NV does do the job where nothing else will.

I think a sample noise file and settings were used somewhere in a thread on one of tafflad's clips, along with a sample of loading NV in Avisynth. I'll see if I can locate it.....

Hmm, I found something from another thread. Give me a while, I'll get up a demo of some sort using frames from something the O.P. has already posted. Will return a little later.

[Tafflad]

In your script it loads ContastMask.avs

Where do I get that from ? ...
Tried usual sites and it's not listed ... I found a ref that it can be used with Highlight limiter but not ContrastMask.avs as a download

It's ContrastMask.avs. It's been used in the wedding scripts since November. It's included in a bunch of Avisynth plugins as an attached .zip file in post #33

Sorry I missed that zip file .... had all the other plugins .. except that one

[Tafflad]

Having some fun trying to get Step 1 to run ...
Found a missing line in the Highlighter.avs file ... needed to be a '}' after the last line.

Script reduced to attached .... currently stalling as I don't have plugin DeHalo_Alpha

I can't find that, most places I look seem to want me to download DeHalo_Alpha_MT2
but as your scripot calls for DeHalo_Alpha assume there is a difference.

Can you advise which version I need ?

[sanlyn]

Oh, drat! Those { } brackets. I do that to myself more often than I care to admit.

DeHalo_Alpha must have been posted earlier somewhere, we've been using it evreywhere. I wish the powers-that-be would stop replacing on standbys. The MT version ought to work, but I haven't used it. The original is attached with its "old" html.

[Tafflad]

Spent last couple of Hrs trying to get Step 1 of script to run .... my knowldege of Avisnyth is not good enough

Had a number of poUp window errors, managed to fix these. missing Plugin or path statements incorrect. etc.
But now I don't get a PopUp error window but get an error msg in bottom bar of VD. :
"Error reading source frame 0:Avisynth read error: ERROR: Invalid memory alignment"
This is the first script where you have used DirectShowSource

Previously you have used :

loadCplugin("D:\Program Files (x86)\AviSynth 2.5\plugins\ffms2.dll")
aud = ffaudiosource(PathToVideo+"name.avi")
vid = ffvideosource(PathToVideo+"name.avi")
audiodub(vid,aud)

Is there something I'm missing to use DirectShowSource

My script with local changes is attached

[manono]

The FFMS2.dll isn't a 'C' plugin. Remove the 'C' from the LoadCPlugin line. I don't know for sure if that'll fix it, but checking my template scripts (and I use FFVideoSource a lot), it's not loaded as a 'C' plugin.

And I don't use DirectShowSource for anything if I can possibly avoid it. You have the Chromashift plugin and the other filters you're using in the script?

[Tafflad]

But FFMS2.dll isn't used in the script anyway, I was only mentioning that as a comparison.

I was just trying to look at previous scripts to find why it won't run and can see that this script uses DirectShowSource, whereas it has not been used in other scripts.

[manono]

Yes, but since you posted the script in the post, even though it's not in the uploaded script, I thought I'd mention it.

...can see that this script uses DirectShowSource, whereas it has not been used in other scripts.

Have you tried yet with a different source filter? DirectShowSource is built into AviSynth so, no, there's nothing else needed. I'd still avoid using it, if I were you. And I wouldn't include the audio, either.

Are you keeping it double-rate, or are you reinterlacing it later on?

[poisondeathray]

The FFMS2.dll isn't a 'C' plugin. Remove the 'C' from the LoadCPlugin line. I don't know for sure if that'll fix it, but checking my template scripts (and I use FFVideoSource a lot), it's not loaded as a 'C' plugin.

Certain versions of ffms2.dll are cplugins - the ones that have avisynth 2.6.x support and additional colorspaces like YV24 are cplugins

"Error reading source frame 0:Avisynth read error: ERROR: Invalid memory alignment"

@Tafflad, try adding "true" to the crop - it's for memory alignment . Some of Lato's plugins require memory be aligned

In your script :

Crop(22,2,-6,-14, true)

[Tafflad]

The full script is

In step 2 it says "Input is de-interlaced Lagarith YV12 from Step 1." .... but Step one is not deinterlaced so I'm a little confused here.

[poisondeathray]

The full script is

In step 2 it says "Input is de-interlaced Lagarith YV12 from Step 1." .... but Step one is not deinterlaced so I'm a little confused here.

It's deinterlaced in step one by QTGMC, this line:

QTGMC(preset="faster",Lossless=2, TR2=2,EZDenoise=2,sharpness=0.7)

Like manono suggested, I would replace DirectShowSource with AVISource(), if I were you . If that is a DV AVI - make sure you configure you decoder properly to output the proper colorspace

[Tafflad]

"Error reading source frame 0:Avisynth read error: ERROR: Invalid memory alignment"

@Tafflad, try adding "true" to the crop - it's for memory alignment . Some of Lato's plugins require memory be aligned

In your script :

Crop(22,2,-6,-14, true)[/QUOTE]

That fixed it ...

I'll run Step 1 for now ....

[Tafflad]

The full script is

In step 2 it says "Input is de-interlaced Lagarith YV12 from Step 1." .... but Step one is not deinterlaced so I'm a little confused here.

It's deinterlaced in step one by QTGMC, this line:

QTGMC(preset="faster",Lossless=2, TR2=2,EZDenoise=2,sharpness=0.7)

Like manono suggested, I would replace DirectShowSource with AVISource(), if I were you . If that is a DV AVI - make sure you configure you decoder properly to output the proper colorspace

Yep just realised that 'duh!'

Could you advise more on your comment "make sure you configure you decoder properly to output the proper colorspace"

I want to get it right

[poisondeathray]

[


Could you advise more on your comment "make sure you configure you decoder properly to output the proper colorspace"

Some VFW DV-AVI decoders like Panasonic's DV codec output RGB (this is bad because you will clip superdarks/whites, and the conversion to RGB usually isn't optimal)

To figure out what current VFW DV codec is being used on your system (and thus should be used for 32bit AVISource() in avisynth) , open up 32bit vdub, and load a DV-AVI file directly, check file=>file information .It should tell you what decoder is currently being used

Cedocida is recommended by many people . You should configure it to output YUY2 , disable the other formats. You may have to do some codec management with vcswap, depending on what other decoders you have installed

[manono]

Certain versions of ffms2.dll are cplugins )

Thanks. Learn something new every day. I guess just the version I use at the moment isn't a C Plugin.

[Tafflad]

[QUOTE=poisondeathray;2297383]

[


To figure out what current VFW DV codec is being used on your system (and thus should be used for 32bit AVISource() in avisynth) , open up 32bit vdub, and load a DV-AVI file directly, check file=>file information .It should tell you what decoder is currently being used

Just did what you advise .. it is using CEDOCIDA

In the scripts its output using Lagartith YV12

I'll try changing to AVIsource - unless I hear from Sanlyn that there was a particular reason for using DirectShowSource