If capture card says input is certain HZ, what should recording FPS be?

[jagabo]

Both OBS and XSPLIT have captured interlaced frames but they have been encoded in progressive mode. That causes the colors of the two fields to blur together. If either one lets you specify x264 parameters try adding --tff.

[jaibubwan]

Both OBS and XSPLIT have captured interlaced frames but they have been encoded in progressive mode. That causes the colors of the two fields to blur together. If either one lets you specify x264 parameters try adding --tff.

I think I have success recording interlaced using XSplit.
It accepted the "tff" (without the dashes) in its own propietary syntax.
I checked the videos in MediaInfo & Hybrid. Both say it's interlaced.

For confirmation, I have attached a sample video to this post.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get it working with OBS.
That sucks, because audio on XSplit is limited to 192, whereas OBS can do 320.
It's also strange, because OBS seems to have both a standard GUI window & advanced FFMpeg window that should allow advanced syntax:
http://imgur.com/D24FZ9j
http://imgur.com/yDuOmC8

If anyone has any ideas about getting interlaced recording working in OBS windows, let me know (p.s. I already tried "--tff", "-tff", & "tff" in those custom x264 fields).

Either way, I'll advance this topic using XSplit recordings.

[jagabo]

That's got interlaced frames and it's encoded interlaced but the chroma channels are still messed up. Can you capture as YUY2 or some other YUV 4:2:2 format and encode with a lossless YUY2 codec like huffyuv or UT Video Codec?

[jaibubwan]

That's got interlaced frames and it's encoded interlaced but the chroma channels are still messed up. Can you capture as YUY2 or some other YUV 4:2:2 format and encode with a lossless YUY2 codec like huffyuv or UT Video Codec?

You guys previously suggested I use either AmaRecTV or VirtualDub FilterMod.
You said those programs could record interlaced.

I installed both of them. They have lots of settings, but I think I got the basics done, so I'm able to preview my captures in them.
I haven't done any test records yet. Because I noticed they don't seem to have any x264 recording options.
All I see are a limited number of lossless codecs.

Is this how you guys suggest I record? (with compression performed at a later stage)
Or can you suggest some decent compressed encoding "plugins" for these two programs?

P.S. At this point, I would also like to thank you all for the advice thus far. As you can tell, I'm a newb struggling to get a grip. So I really do appreciate you guys pointing me in the right direction.

[Brad]

You simply need to install x264vfw if you want to encode to AVC on-the-fly using those programs. But doing a lossless capture and then using a slower encoding mode in x264 will produce better quality per MB consumed.

[jaibubwan]

You simply need to install x264vfw if you want to encode to AVC on-the-fly using those programs. But doing a lossless capture and then using a slower encoding mode in x264 will produce better quality per MB consumed.

Thanks for the tip. I'm installing x264vfw right now.
I'll also install HuffYUV & UT as jagabo suggested earlier (BTW jagabo, I haven't forgotten about your request for that clip. On it soon.).

In terms of "on the fly", sometimes I'll just need something that's "decent" instead of perfect (for stuff like sports & wrestling).
But I'm more receptive towards lossless for fiction...given that I would like to perform some "post-processing" stuff on it (that I've been learning in this topic), and lossless source might help in that.

[jaibubwan]

Hey guys, I'm having some trouble with the AmaRecTV recording options.

1) I can't get Huffyuv to appear in either AmaRecTV or VirtualDubFilterMod. I click "update codec list", but it does not appear there. I downloaded Huffyuv from the link below. I installed the 32 bit INF. I run Windows 8.1 x64 fwiw.
https://www.videohelp.com/software/HuffYUV

2) UT Video codec appears in AmaRecTV's "update codec list" as various "Utvideo" options. Does it matter which I use?

3) Is there any AAC audio encoding option for AmaRecTV? I only see an MP3 or uncompressed option.

4) I get the error "ICCompressBegin"...when I attempt to record with "x264" as the "Video Compressor" in AmaRecTV. Any idea why?

[jaibubwan]

[please delete this post] [forgot to upload samples]

[jaibubwan]

That's got interlaced frames and it's encoded interlaced but the chroma channels are still messed up. Can you capture as YUY2 or some other YUV 4:2:2 format and encode with a lossless YUY2 codec like huffyuv or UT Video Codec?

I did as you asked. But I don't think the end result was interlaced video output (at least according to MediaInfo & Hybrid analysis).

You can find the lossless samples links here:
https://files.videohelp.com/u/269407/amarec%20ULY2%20SAMPLE.avi
https://files.videohelp.com/u/269407/amarec%20MAGICYUV%20SAMPLE.avi
https://files.videohelp.com/u/269407/amarec%20FFDSHOW%20HUFFYUV%20SAMPLE.avi


But let me also share the settings used in AmaRecTV & the encoders.

- Here is the source information from my capture card properties:
http://imgur.com/a/OSuSF
One thing I want to note is that it says "12 Bits" for "Color Depth".

- Here are the settings I used in AmaRecTV:
http://imgur.com/a/84rHa
Note that in the "Graph 1(Device)" section, I could not find any "YUY2" preset that had "12 Bit". So I selected the "16 Bit" preset instead.

- Here are the encoding settings for the FFDShow HuffYuv sample:
http://imgur.com/a/fREeg
I don't know why, but I don't think this format could output properly. I tried multiple times, with same strange result.

- Here are the encoding settings for the UT Video Codec (ULY2) sample:
http://imgur.com/a/IvtJz

- Here are the encoding settings for the MagicYuv sample:
http://imgur.com/a/y6z2H

[jagabo]

Finally, some proper interlaced video.

I'm having trouble with the huffyuv video. It starts out ok but garbage starts appearing at the bottom of the frame and moves up until the whole screeen is a mess.

But the UT codec video decodes properly and there is no cross contamination between the chroma channels.

AVI doesn't really support flagging interlaced video (actually, there is an officially documented method but hardly any program uses it) so you have to keep track for yourself whether the video is interlaced or progressive. A quick encode of this script gives a proper 23.976 fps with no duplicate or missing frames:

AviSource("amarec ULY2 SAMPLE.avi") 
AssumeTFF()
ConvertToYV12(interlaced=true)
TFM()
TDecimate()

[jaibubwan]

A quick encode of this script gives a proper 23.976 fps with no duplicate or missing frames:

AviSource("amarec ULY2 SAMPLE.avi") 
AssumeTFF()
ConvertToYV12(interlaced=true)
TFM()
TDecimate()

Very exciting!
I'm going to test this script on some TV show & movie recordings.
Thanks for the guidance! Will report back soon.

[Brad]

- Here is the source information from my capture card properties:
http://imgur.com/a/OSuSF
One thing I want to note is that it says "12 Bits" for "Color Depth".

If I were you, I would turn off HDMI Deep Color on the source device when doing captures, if possible.

- Here are the settings I used in AmaRecTV:
http://imgur.com/a/84rHa
Note that in the "Graph 1(Device)" section, I could not find any "YUY2" preset that had "12 Bit". So I selected the "16 Bit" preset instead.

The "12 Bits" reported by your capture card is referring to a single channel of the three-channel YUV signal. If your card supported capturing this format, it would show as 36-bit in the nomenclature of AmaRecTV (bits-per-pixel or bpp). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_depth

12-bit YUV 4:4:4 = 3*12 = 36bpp (Your source device.)
8-bit YUV 4:4:4 = 3*8 = 24bpp
8-bit YUV 4:2:2 = 8 + 8/2 + 8/2 = 16bpp (Your capture format; "YUY2" is one way of arranging 4:2:2 data.)
8-bit YUV 4:2:0 = 8 + 8/4 + 8/4 = 12bpp (The decompressed broadcast your source device is upsampling to 4:4:4 and representing as 36bpp.)

- Here are the encoding settings for the UT Video Codec (ULY2) sample:
http://imgur.com/a/IvtJz

Predict Median will give the smallest filesizes.

2) UT Video codec appears in AmaRecTV's "update codec list" as various "Utvideo" options. Does it matter which I use?

Yes. For HD captures in 4:2:2, you should be using ULH2 instead of ULY2.

[jaibubwan]

Predict Median will give the smallest filesizes.

Hey guys, I'm having a strange problem in Amarec.
No matter what setting I apply to *any* of the encoders in Amarec...it does not retain those settings.
For example, I will try setting "predict median" as vaporeon800 suggested.
But when I re-open the encoder window to confirm...it just resets it to the defaults.

It's not just UT. And it's not just a single setting like "Predict Median".
I notice the same thing in MagicYuv as well.
Every encoder setting always displays defaults when I re-open the encoder window from Amarec.

I'm running Windows 8.1 x64 in the built-in Administrator account. But I'm not sure my system is at issue.
Because VirtualDub FilterMod seems to use these same "VFW" style encoders.
But when I modify encoder settings there...it is able to retain the settings when I check them again.

Any ideas? Is this normal on your Amarec installations?

[end-user]

jaibubwan, I know you're focusing on video right now, but any luck in capturing uncompressed video + 5.1 audio on your Magewell card with any of the software you've used so far?

[jaibubwan]

jaibubwan, I know you're focusing on video right now, but any luck in capturing uncompressed video + 5.1 audio on your Magewell card with any of the software you've used so far?

Do you know any software that has the option?
I've looked through most of the popular ones, and never came across one that had the option to capture multi-channel.

I do know there is a little app in the MageWell *legacy* SDK which captures it as Wav files.
A few months ago, I used it to capture a certain internet VOD's multichannel audio.
My memory's a little foggy on this, but iirc it saved each "channel" in a separate Wav file.

Obviously, the problem is you have to put it all back together...and as this topic demonstrates...way above my pay-grade!
If you were somewhat of an expert though, I assume it wouldn't be impossible.

[jaibubwan]

To all,

I've been recording samples based on the principles you're tried imparting on me (vaporeon800's post on all those YUV's clarified the color issues for me!).

I've found a consistently successful recording routine, which works well with the general AviSynth scripts I received from Jagabo & sneaker.

The vast majority of the time, the generic AviSynth framerate correction script works.
I suspect this is because most of my recordings have the pattern:

a b c d D

(1 cycle of the 5th frame being a repeat)

But I notice occasionally, I will get an unorthodox pattern where the generic script doesn't work.
For example, one video has the following pattern:

a b c C
a b c C
a b c C
a b c C
a b c d D

(4 cycles of the 4th frame being a repeat.
1 cycle of the 5th frame being a repeat)

For that unorthodox example, could you tell me what kind of AVISynth code would be used?
I think that by getting that solution, I will be able to modify it for other unorthodox patterns.

[Brad]

Modify cycle and cycleR like in the earlier post. In this case cycle = 4*4+5 = 21 and cycleR = 5. What the heck is the source, a strange silent film?

Also use the display=true parameter of TDecimate to check how well the decimation is lining up with the dupes.

[jaibubwan]

In this case cycle = 4*4+5 = 21 and cycleR = 5.

Also use the display=true parameter of TDecimate to check how well the decimation is lining up with the dupes.

Does this code look right?

a=LSmashAudioSource("Z:\AVISynth\SAMPLE.mp4")
v=LSmashVideoSource("Z:\AVISynth\SAMPLE.mp4")
AudioDub(v, a)
TFM(slow=2)
TDecimate(Cycle=21, CycleR=5, display=true)

EDIT: Earlier version placed Cycle & CycleR in wrong line. My bad!

What the heck is the source, a strange silent film?

Downey Jr., playing Arthur Conan Doyle's famous character, on that station featuring long conversations during a zombie apocalypse.

Most, if not all, of the unorthodox patterns I get come from that station.
I'm not particularly attached to anything it airs.
But I can use its samples to learn, in case a station I do like gives me something unorthodox as well.

[jaibubwan]

Interesting. Vaporeon's suggestion worked. I can find no repeated frames. But result was 22.796 fps. Superficially, somewhat concerning. Visually, I don't see anything wrong. Audio looks okay...but I have this sneaking feeling something's slightly off.

Will upload samples later. Nap time right now lol!

[Brad]

It shouldn't be 22.796 unless your video sample was extremely short. 16÷21×(30,000÷1,001) = 22.834. Ensure that LSMASH got the frame rate of your capture correct by adding Info() immediately after the source filter. So after AudioDub in your script.

It isn't unusual for American TV to speed up films and TV shows these days, to fit more ads. I spent a lot of effort deciphering the patterns used by TNT HD to speed up old Law & Order. But your case is a slowdown, which is bizarre.