Capture VHS Tapes, Panasonic AG-1970-->Canopus 110-->Computer

[jagabo]

I'm not sure what's going on with your Layer() script. Everything in the lower portion of the frame has gotten darker. It looks like an rec vs. pc levels issue. But you should be working in YUV, not RGB. Try this:

clip1 = DirectShowSource("C:\Users\USER\Videos\Captures\Du an Visit\Edit_allClean.avi", audio=true, pixel_type="YV12") # the default is probably YV12 so you probably don't need to force it
clip2 = DirectShowSource("C:\Users\USER\Videos\Captures\Du an Visit\Edit_fuzzyTop.avi", audio=true, pixel_type="YV12") # the default is probably YV12 so you probably don't need to force it

alpha_mask = imagesource("C:\Users\USER\Videos\Captures\Duan Visit\amask.png").ConvertToYV12(matrix="pc.601")

Overlay(clip1, clip2, mask=alpha_mask)

I might have v1 and v2 backwards in the Overlay() call. Swap them if necessary.

ColourLike() needs to run in two passes. During the first pass it builds log files of histograms of the two videos. During the second pass it adjusts the colors based on those historgrams. I usually build the script with both passes but with either the first pass or second pass commands commented out:

clip1 = DirectShowSource("C:\Users\USER\Videos\Captures\Du an Visit\Edit_allClean.avi", audio=true, pixel_type="YV12") # the default is probably YV12 so you probably don't need to force it
clip2 = DirectShowSource("C:\Users\USER\Videos\Captures\Du an Visit\Edit_fuzzyTop.avi", audio=true, pixel_type="YV12") # the default is probably YV12 so you probably don't need to force it

clip1.WriteHistogram("hist1.txt") # reference clip
clip2.WriteHistogram("hist2.txt") # clip to be adjusted
#ColourLike(clip2, "hist2.txt", "hist1.txt") # make clip2 look like clip1

Open that script in an editor or media player then "play" every frame of the clips. I usually use VirtualDub with File -> Open Video File followed by File -> Run Video Analysis Pass. Then I edit the script, commenting out the two WriteHistorgram() lines, and re-enabling the ColourLike() line. Finally, open the script again and clip2 should look close to clip1.

[bthomas]

I keep getting an error message that says Script error: there is no function named "writehistogram"

Both Media Player Classic and VirtualDub (32bit) say the same thing...???

Is writehistogram not being used anymore...or under a different reference name???

[jagabo]

Do you have the ColourLike() filter? It's not built into VirtualDub. You have to download and install it.
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=1704517#post1704517

[lordsmurf]

There's nothing wrong with Panasonic AG-1970 or AG-1980. They're excellent VCRs -- especially the 1980. However, bad units exist. It's no different from buying used cars. Some were abused by kuids, and others were only driven on Sundays by a little old lady. To claim otherwise is ridiculous.

What I see here is lousy video that's been crammed through a low-end VHS VCR, and further ruined by a low-end Canopus DV box.

As stated, in the 2010s, a lot of eBay buys can be iffy. It's not like it was in the 2000s and 1990s, when you could get perfect gear. If you do get a eBay buy, then send it to be serviced first. Spend $100-200 on the VCR, and another $200-400 to get it fixed. Remember that these decks were $2k+ when new. So picking it up for $300-600 is a bargain. (Resell it when done, if you want. Keep all the service receipts to show the next owners what was done!) A quality deck can fetch $400-500 now, so you'd get most of it back.

If you have under 50 tapes, forget the DIY method,a nd just let a pro do it. It will look better in the end, and cost about the same.

[bthomas]

Thanks for pointing out the filter/plugin...

Do you have the ColourLike() filter? It's not built into VirtualDub. You have to download and install it.
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=1704517#post1704517

O.K...I finally got this colorlike() and writehistogram() thing to work...for the benefit of someone else like me out there I'm gonna try to explain some of the details.

1. Download the colorlike() plugin/filter for avisynth from the above link or the one below...

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=1704517#post1704517
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2. Unzip the file and there will be a folder...mine was called ColorLike_25Aug05-Avisynth-H_Ver3

Inside the folder are several other folders and .txt files....all you want is the .dll file = ColorLike.dll
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3. Copy the ColorLike.dll file/filter into your avisynth plugins folder/directory...for me it was...

Start-->All Programs-->AviSynth 2.5-->Plugin Directory--> Paste your ColorLike.dll here
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Once I had the ColorLike.dll file/filter/plugin in the correct folder/dirctory the below script just worked nicely

clip1 = DirectShowSource("C:\Users\USER\Videos\Captures\Du an Visit\Edit_allClean.avi", audio=true, pixel_type="YV12") # the default is probably YV12 so you probably don't need to force it
clip2 = DirectShowSource("C:\Users\USER\Videos\Captures\Du an Visit\Edit_fuzzyTop.avi", audio=true, pixel_type="YV12") # the default is probably YV12 so you probably don't need to force it

clip1.WriteHistogram("hist1.txt") # reference clip
clip2.WriteHistogram("hist2.txt") # clip to be adjusted
#ColourLike(clip2, "hist2.txt", "hist1.txt") # make clip2 look like clip1

I pasted the, above, script into a text file (colorlike.txt) and renamed the file extension from .txt to .avs (colorlike.avs)

Dragged the .avs file into my Medial Player Classic...one of my two video clips played and TWO .txt files popped up in the folder/directory that my .avs script originated out of.

I then opened up the .avs file and moved the moved the # symbol/character around so the the script will apply the historgram changes from the two .txt files it first generated

clip1 = DirectShowSource("C:\Users\USER\Videos\Captures\Du an Visit\Edit_allClean.avi", audio=true, pixel_type="YV12") # the default is probably YV12 so you probably don't need to force it
clip2 = DirectShowSource("C:\Users\USER\Videos\Captures\Du an Visit\Edit_fuzzyTop.avi", audio=true, pixel_type="YV12") # the default is probably YV12 so you probably don't need to force it

#clip1.WriteHistogram("hist1.txt") # reference clip
#clip2.WriteHistogram("hist2.txt") # clip to be adjusted
ColourLike(clip2, "hist2.txt", "hist1.txt") # make clip2 look like clip1

Notice that the scripts are the same but the # symbol/character(s) have moved. Anything behind behind # in avisynth is ignored

I also got the same results by just dragging the .avs file into VirtualDub (32bit)...two .txt files were generated in the folder containing the .avs file.

I'm sure some think this is basic. But I spent many hours lost is research because I didn't realize that wanting to understand writehistorgram() meant' looking up things related to colorlike()...and that colorlike() meant downloading and intsalling a plugin so that Media Player Classic would stop telling me Script error: there is no function named "writehistogram"