Help capturing vhs > mpeg-2 interlaced

[cold_187]

Hi, I was wondering if there is any good software out there that can do this in good quality? I've tried doing virtualdub + huffyuv > mpeg-2 but I don't have the knowledge to handle these avi files well. I've tried VideoReDo and Womble MPEG Video Wizard to encode them, but they're outputting as progressive with the interlaced lines. Any help would be appreciated.

[KarMa]

Are you wanting DVD compatible MPEG2? HCenc would be good but it uses avisynth.

[cold_187]

Well, I've tried the software and it seems to work, but I think there's something wrong with my captured avi. I'm getting ghost frames after encoding to mpeg-2. Here's a sample of the original avi.

Are you wanting DVD compatible MPEG2?

Yes.

[jagabo]

Your AVI is messed up. It's been deinterlaced already -- with a blend deinterlace that simply blurs the two fields together. VirtualDub+Huffyuv should have no problems capturing interlaced video. You must have done something wrong. Since there's not much head switching noise at the bottom of the frame I suspect you cropped it away and resized the frame. Don't do either of those.

[cold_187]

Filter Chain is disabled in virtualdub, so I've not added any de-interlace or cropping filters while capturing. I'm having this same problem with Ulead VideoStudio with no compression filters.

Changed drivers from "China" to "Conexant", same results. Looks like I'm stuck

[jagabo]

Oh wait. I made a mistake. I used the wrong automated AviSynth script batch file. Your video is interlaced but it has blended fields. That can often be fixed with AviSynth but there's something else going on here. It may be the particular tape. Try a different VHS tape and see if you can get anything better.

Also, don't capture as RGB. Video is natively closer to YUY2 (or UYVY, or other YUV 4:2:2 format). Converting to RGB risks losing brights and darks.

[cold_187]

Try a different VHS tape and see if you can get anything better.

Thank god. It was the tape that had the blended frames, what a relief. I guess that was how the video was shot. Tried the other tape and it de-interlaced fine. Thanks!

Also, don't capture as RGB. Video is natively closer to YUY2 (or UYVY, or other YUV 4:2:2 format). Converting to RGB risks losing brights and darks.

So, what you're saying is that I should use the option "Convert to YUY2" when capturing?

Also thanks @KarMa for the software, it's working very good!

[jagabo]

TIt was the tape that had the blended frames, what a relief. I guess that was how the video was shot.

That type of blending is usually a result of PAL/NTSC conversion. So the NTSC tape you have was probably made from a PAL studio tape.

So, what you're saying is that I should use the option "Convert to YUY2" when capturing?

No, your capture device's drivers should have a YUY2 (or other YUV) option. All capture devices capture as YUV (the native form of analog video). Conversion happens when you specify RGB -- ie the device captures as YUV and the driver converts to RGB. That conversion to RGB has crushed all your blacks.

And see if you can adjust the capture device's video proc amp to bring the black level up.

[cold_187]

And see if you can adjust the capture device's video proc amp to bring the black level up.

I can't seem to find anything in the manual to do this, or It's really complicated. I will have to do this in post.

[jagabo]

The proc amp is in the capture filter, capture pin, or crossbar filters. Just go through the different items in VirtualDub's Video menu.

[cold_187]

Yes, I have to play around with the brightness and contrast a little. Here's the blue screen I'm getting off the TBC, and the one below is directly from VCR.

https://forum.videohelp.com/images/imgfiles/08XvRsU.png

https://forum.videohelp.com/images/imgfiles/cRlSVFh.png