How do convert a Digital8 AVI to play on a Roku3?

[_Al_]

If you have slower PC you can use that "make interlace mp4.bat", why not, it is 3x faster or so, and just TV or whatever player would deinterlace it nicely. In PC you can use something line VLC and set it up for yadif 2x (bob) for deinterlace method, that looks just fine.

Or keeping that make progressive mp4.BAT you can try to set QTGMC to medium, in settings.bat set:

SET QTGMC=medium

it should be much faster , you can compare to that slower setting if quality is still is ok for you

For DVD making you need to set up in setting.bat these:

SET LABEL=NAME_OF_DVD
SET drive=F:
SET speed=6x
SET verify=yes
SET eject=yes
SET copies=1
SET double_layer_disk=no
SET direct_VIDEO_TS_burn=no
SET make_ISO_only=no

choose name for you disc, perhaps capital letters only, your drive letter, etc., direct_VIDEO_TS_burn=yes causes batch file skipping creation of ISO and DVD is burned directly from VIDEO_TS, ImgBurn can do that, make_ISO_only=yes makes ISO only into DESTINATION folder, it does not try to burn anything

just m2v and AC3.BAT only makes m2v and AC3, so you can do that if you want to author DVD in some proper DVD authoring, give it menu etc...

Of course I'd always keep originals. So you export from Vegas always that DV avi movie as well, that is lossless.

[Taney2]

Thanks. I do have a slower PC but I think I'll stick with what I am doing. I really like the results and don't want to degrade the output. You have been a real blessing to me. I really appreciate your help.

[Taney2]

_AI_ When i combine avi files I noticed that the combined file is smaller thatn the sum of the parts. I tried it with just one file and the new file is a bit smaller.

What's up with that?

[_Al_]

Those are originals for sure, when you load them into editor and export, it does losslessly again and again, same file. By combining, automatically there is less sections, like headers, if there is such a thing in DV, logically it should be smaller. If only one file is smaller, there is yet something else going on, not sure what is skipped by mencoder , but all important is there.

[Taney2]

Those are originals for sure, when you load them into editor and export, it does losslessly again and again, same file. By combining, automatically there is less sections, like headers, if there is such a thing in DV, logically it should be smaller. If only one file is smaller, there is yet something else going on, not sure what is skipped by mencoder , but all important is there.

Some else is going on. The bit/data rate on the video is being altered.

I am attaching the original.
The joined file. Not really joined since there is only one file.
And a file created by running the joined file back thru the file joiner.

The latter two are the same. The original and the joined file has a different video data/bit rate.

[Taney2]

Here is the third file.

[_Al_]

this is the command line that joins those DVclips:

mencoder -oac copy -ovc copy -idx -o destination.avi clip1.avi clip2.avi clip3.avi       ... etc

no re-encoding is possible, also it writes files with about the same speed as Vegas is rendering DV avi's losslessly , I would not worry about some discrepancies in volume.

The samples of yours are so small that overhead gains much more in overall volume.

[Taney2]

this is the command line that joins those DVclips:

mencoder -oac copy -ovc copy -idx -o destination.avi clip1.avi clip2.avi clip3.avi       ... etc

no re-encoding is possible, also it writes files with about the same speed as Vegas is rendering DV avi's losslessly , I would not worry about some discrepancies in volume.

The samples of yours are so small that overhead gains much more in overall volume.

What do the bit rate numbers mean when I look at the file properties? Does that reflect some change in the video?

The output looks fine so I don't see it as a big deal but since I am getting this far into the weeds I want to learn as much as I can.

The other thing that I notice is that the files can get out of order. I've got one where the first file got put at the end. The filenames are created by windiv when they are copied and are based on the timestamp so they are acending in name based on time and date.

Thanks again. i am getting such great results!

[_Al_]

the order is how windows explorer lines them up, not sure how winDV names it or how you selected format for names, best bet are numbers, year-month day-hour-minute-second
you can join DV avi using Virtualdub, you can have visual check in there, load the clips, check it up, set video and audio as Direct Stream Copy and File/Save as Avi

bitrate is how much data is going per some time unit, ..., DV avi have fixed data rate, it is always the same, plus minus some overhead depending how it was put together, DVavi has I-frames only, something like pictures stacked together, it is very old format, 20 years, so computers of that time could manage those. Today's codecs can encode with variable bitrate where bitrate depends on video content.

[Taney2]

Here is how winDV is creating the names. It creates these based on the time codes on the files.

Looking at Virtualdub. Look like I have to load one file and then add each additional file one at a time. Interesting piece of software.

[Cornucopia]

Sounds like you didn't have WinDV set up right. You can set the discontinuity threshold to "0" so that the whole transfer shows up as 1 contiguous file. My guess is that it was set to a small default and that you did a lot of Rec-Pause-Rec-Pause-Rec... and it's separating the clips as per the discontinuity. Easy fix.

Same with the filename business - WinDV's dialog box allows you to choose the naming convention. Me, I would do something like "Scott-Cam01_YYYY_MM_DD-HH_MM_SS_FF.AVI".

Scott

[Taney2]

Sounds like you didn't have WinDV set up right. You can set the discontinuity threshold to "0" so that the whole transfer shows up as 1 contiguous file. My guess is that it was set to a small default and that you did a lot of Rec-Pause-Rec-Pause-Rec... and it's separating the clips as per the discontinuity. Easy fix.

Same with the filename business - WinDV's dialog box allows you to choose the naming convention. Me, I would do something like "Scott-Cam01_YYYY_MM_DD-HH_MM_SS_FF.AVI".

Scott

Thanks. I've attached my WinDV settings. Your comments on the other settings would be appreciated as I am still (obviously) learning.

I will mull over changing the threshold setting. I set it that way purposely so that I would get a break between different activities plus I would be able to easily cherry pick very small scenes. It seems easier to put things back together than cut them apart. That said, it may make more sense to have it create files with longer chunks of material.

[_Al_]

Also Scenalyzer Live is for free today, I used to use that one.

[Taney2]

Also Scenalyzer Live is for free today, I used to use that one.

Thanks. I have downloaded and installed. Looks like a fun program.

[jagabo]

Does the Roku play interlaced h.264 in MP4? You can encode interlaced in Handbrake by adding bff to the Extra Options box in the x264 settings. Don't deinterlace, don't crop. Use anamorphic strict.

[_Al_]

Does the Roku play interlaced h.264 in MP4? You can encode interlaced in Handbrake by adding bff to the Extra Options box in the x264 settings. Don't deinterlace, don't crop. Use anamorphic strict.

make interlace mp4.bat is the equivalent of that choice, same thing

[mustbeburt]

[QUOTE=Taney2;2375523]

I would not worry a bit, making 60p mp4. If he wants standard to every living room he has to make a DVD. That is 30i. As for QTGMC not be able to fuss with it all the time or to write scripts etc., I made DV avi helper, that does that automatically, he drops DV avi onto batch file and it makes mp4 using QTGMC. Downside is, it needs this Avisynth installed and Cedocida codec installed in PC, and there are some that did not make it work for some reason. But if it works it could be an enormous help. That DV avi helper makes a DVD as well.

I'm trying to go through this process myself, but I've run into a problem on the install. After installing Avisynth, there is a folder on my Windows 7 Start Menu, but the actual program is missing? There are some other items like links to documentation and the uninstall link, but not the actual program. What's up?

[_Al_]

Avisynth is frame server thing, it runs in the background, you do not see any icons on desktop created etc., just some files are in the computer, I do not even know where they are. You can make sureif it works, you right click desktop and choose New then Avisynth script. After installation of avisynth I started to have that choice in there. If you do not have that in that menu. Just chooseText document, edit it with notepad, type there, for example:
AviSource("C:\.....your_path_to_......\DVavi_name. avi")

Save As with avs extension, for example my_script.avs.
Drop that file onto MPC_HC , it will start to play. MPC-HC can play avisynth script. Or you can load it into VirtualDub etc.

Avisynth does not like special characters, so no special character , special language characters etc., even in folder names.

[Taney2]

[QUOTE=mustbeburt;2376507]

I would not worry a bit, making 60p mp4. If he wants standard to every living room he has to make a DVD. That is 30i. As for QTGMC not be able to fuss with it all the time or to write scripts etc., I made DV avi helper, that does that automatically, he drops DV avi onto batch file and it makes mp4 using QTGMC. Downside is, it needs this Avisynth installed and Cedocida codec installed in PC, and there are some that did not make it work for some reason. But if it works it could be an enormous help. That DV avi helper makes a DVD as well.

I'm trying to go through this process myself, but I've run into a problem on the install. After installing Avisynth, there is a folder on my Windows 7 Start Menu, but the actual program is missing? There are some other items like links to documentation and the uninstall link, but not the actual program. What's up?

I just ran the file once from from the downloads folder and did everything else that _AI_ said to do and his stuff works. Very pleased.

[Taney2]

Another question I have is concerning my Hi8 tapes (I have both Hi8 and D8). My Sony will play those, convert them to an AVI file and output that to my computer. Is that the best way to recover that material? I've read something about "lossless formats." Not sure what that is and how that relates to this project.

Thanks.

[smrpix]

The D8 ->Firewire ->Computer method is a 1:1 bit for bit data transfer of what is on the tape. You literally cannot do any better. It is not actually lossless in the sense that the original information was compressed ~2.5:1 when it was originally recorded as DV.

The Hi8 tapes can theoretically be better captured losslessly with a good capture card, a tbc and a good deck. The marginal improvement over using a D8 camera is at best ... well marginal. It is quite easy to mess it up even worse with an analog "lossless" capture.

[Taney2]

The D8 ->Firewire ->Computer method is a 1:1 bit for bit data transfer of what is on the tape. You literally cannot do any better. It is not actually lossless in the sense that the original information was compressed ~2.5:1 when it was originally recorded as DV.

The Hi8 tapes can theoretically be better captured losslessly with a good capture card, a tbc and a good deck. The marginal improvement over using a D8 camera is at best ... well marginal. It is quite easy to mess it up even worse with an analog "lossless" capture.

Thank you . Very clear explanation. I think I'll stick to using my camcorder. I'm pleased with the results I am getting and how well my 22 year old tapes are holding up. I'm glad I took the time to record all of these memories.

[Taney2]

I am working through my Hi8 tapes and I often notice noise at the end of tapes that I don't see at the beginning. I'm talking mostly about white streaks as though the head needed cleaning. It isn't there at the beginning of the tapes so I do don't know.

Any ideas as to why this happens?

[bruma]

I would not worry a bit, making 60p mp4. If he wants standard to every living room he has to make a DVD. That is 30i. As for QTGMC not be able to fuss with it all the time or to write scripts etc., I made DV avi helper, that does that automatically, he drops DV avi onto batch file and it makes mp4 using QTGMC. Downside is, it needs this Avisynth installed and Cedocida codec installed in PC, and there are some that did not make it work for some reason. But if it works it could be an enormous help. That DV avi helper makes a DVD as well.

Hi thanks for the avi helper files, working great.
Further question, is it possible to use the deshaker filter from virtualdub, I'm struggeling with it because it's my first steps with avisynth (normally using VD) and how to implement it in your scripts. Deshaker is a 2 pass solution.
And or other VD scripts are also implementable and where to place them.
Before finding this thread I was looking at this site to makeover my DV's: http://www.codecpage.com/DV.html (with VD filters and deshaker)

TIA

[_Al_]

Avisynth script is embedded in batch file, not the best, now I do things differently. Secondly, I do not know if there is Virtual Dub's versions for Avisynth for that filter. And even if there is, for 2 pass to not expose black borders I would not know how to implement it in batch script., perhaps running two scripts one after each other. It looks too much even if it was possible, so no.