NTSC VHS newbie summary #4: VirtualDub 1.9 Capturing + Editing

[brockway]

I've spent the past year slowly plugging away at capturing some NTSC VHS tapes. I had to create notes to keep things straight, so I thought I'd share them in case they help others. I'm a newbie. Not an expert. These are not comprehensive. Take them for what they are.

Here is what I used in my setup: JVC SVHS HR-S2913U > DMR-ES15 > Pinnacle 710 USB > Windows 10 > Virtual Dub 1.9.11 .

NTSC VHS newbie overall summary: Capturing
NTSC VHS newbie overall summary: Processing & Conversion

NTSC VHS newbie summary #4: VirtualDub 1.9 Capturing + Editing


Setup / background

I used VirtualDub 1.9.11 to capture & edit. Then VirtualDub 2 with AviSynth scripts.
I used Lagarith lossless for capturing the avi, but Huffyuv was also recommended.

lordsmurf: "Use VirtualDub 1.9.x (for capturing). VirtualDub2 is terrible at capturing". http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/video-web/11098-vet-vhs-mp4.html#ixzz79kyXb4QH

You can download lordsmurf's VirtualDub 1.9 here: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/video-conversion/1727-virtualdub-filters-pre.html

Great virtualDub guide from sanlyn (read this!): http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/video-capture/7427-capturing-virtualdub-settings.html

Capturing resolution: sanlyn: "Capturing PAL VHS at 720x576 or NTSC at 720x480 is considered the best." From http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/video-capture/9893-image-format-resolutions.html#post62834
However, some capture devices require specific dimensions (e.g. Honestech 5.0 must be captured at 704x480 or else it is stretched).

Note: VirtualDub 1.9 worked great with Pinnacle 710 USB capture device, but I sometimes had issues with audio and/or video when attempting capture with Honestech VHS to DVD 5.0 and Roxio Easy VHS to DVD 3 PLUS (https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/403619-Sharing-snapshots-from-4-different-capture-methods)

lordsmurf's list of recommended devices for VirtualDub 1.9 is here: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/marketplace/8253-sale-ati-600-a.html


***** NTSC Capturing Settings *****

Below is meant to be a quick guide. It is best if you review all sanlyn's settings info here: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/video-capture/7427-capturing-virtualdub-settings.html

Capture > AVI
File > Set capture file
Device > pick the right one
Video > Preview (System) if not displayed.
Video > Video Source (S-video is best if available)

Video > Capture Pin > 29.97 / 720 x 480
- Note: If this resolution is not available, then Video > Set Custom Format > 720x480

Video > Capture filter > Video Proc Amp > Default
- (optional) You can play around with these settings to see if it yields better results.

Video > Compression >
- Not recommended: Uncompressed. 43 Gb per hour
- Lagarith or Huffyuv
- For Lagarith:
-- Configure > Use Multithreading / Mode = YUY2
-- Pixel Format > No Change

Audio > Raw Capture Format > 48000 stereo

Capture > Timing >
- Leave defaults, only set these:
- Check (YES) "Drop frames when captured...."
- Check (YES) "Insert null frames ...".
- Resync mode: 3rd: sync audio to video by resampling. This keeps video true.
- Check (Yes): Correct video timing for fewer frame drops/inserts

Capture > "show information panel" should be checked.

Hit F6 to start capturing (F5 is not recommended)

During capture, watch the "information panel" on right.
- In the "Sync" box, the "VT adjust" and "Current error" should remain close to zero.
- If not, then your video will have audio/video sync issues during playback.

During capture, check the "information panel" on right.
- Ideally, the "Frames dropped" and "Frames inserted" will be zero. Otherwise, you may have sync issues with audio / video.

If there is a buzz to your tape, be sure to capture a sample of just the buzz so it can be easily removed in a future step.

File > Exit capture mode


****** Editing: Splitting / Cutting a clip ******

If you are splitting or editing a clip (i.e. removing sections), speed things up and avoid re-encoding it by selecting either:
Video > Direct Stream Copy (this is what I always used)
or
Video > Smart Rendering

For these to work, the output format of the video must be the same as the input.
In particular, for Smart rendering, the Lagarith codec must be the same.
Note that Vdub 1.9 uses 32-bit lagarith and Vdub 2 uses 64-bit, so smart rendering doesn't work between the 2.

Direct Stream Copy: "VirtualDub allows audio and video streams to be processed in direct mode. In this mode, data is simply copied
from input and output. This has the advantage of much faster rendering and no quality loss, while still allowing
a limited amount of editing."

Smart Rendering: "Smart rendering attempts to identify which portions of a video stream must be re-encoded and which
can be copied verbatim from the source file. This can save a lot of time, as typically only the regions around an
edit must be re-encoded. It also preserves the quality of most of the non-edited video."

[javidial]

Thanks for the post. Feel free to keep posting your journey to capture with the best quality, like removing the buzz background noise, etc. Thanks again