Restoring and Compressing Old Home Videos.

[Nordo22]

Hi

10-15 years ago I transferred all my old videos onto my pc.
I can't remember the name of the capture software I used, but it was very basic (but pretty standard for the time).
The results are very average at best (using a camcorder to record a projected image of an old 8mm video is not the best way to go, but was all I could afford at the time).

The originals were a collections of Std 8, Super 8, VHS, SD camcorder tapes.
The saved format is mainly .avi, but there are some .mp4 and .mkv. I think the latter two must be when I was trying to use various converter programs to improve the quality.

However I want to have another go at improving the quality of what I have saved, and hopefully reduce the size of the files, as they are currently quite large.
I can't really transfer the originals again, as I don't have the display hardware (8mm projector; camcorder, etc.).

So I need advice on suitable software for my Windows 11 pc to restore/improve my existing saved videos and hopefully reduce their size.
As this will be a once only project, I'm happy to use paid software, if it's relatively cheap - e.g. month by month.

Any advice would be very appreciated.

[dellsam34]

Anything you do to a compressed format will degrade it further, it will look dull and washed out. I don't have a problem with watching a video the way it was, But that's me. Like they say you can't polish a turd. Good luck with your project, but I think the members would want some samples uploaded.

[Nordo22]

Anything you do to a compressed format will degrade it further, it will look dull and washed out. I don't have a problem with watching a video the way it was, But that's me. Like they say you can't polish a turd. Good luck with your project, but I think the members would want some samples uploaded.

The older stuff (which is obviously the 8mm stuff) is probably the videos I would like to restore the most.
As an example of the worst quality I have, the attached is a still from a very old standard 8mm video.
The format, in this case, is .avi.

[Attachment 73735 - Click to enlarge]

[Sharc]

For film restoration you may collect some ideas from here:
https://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=144271&highlight=videoFred

[Alwyn]

Nordo22, it would be best if you posted a short clip of one of your videos for us to assess. There are options, free and paid, command-line type coded or GUI based, that you can use to improve just about any video. Blacks/Whites and colours can be easily adjusted, sharpness added, noise reduction applied.

To make a short sample, use AVIDemux (you can run the portable version so it doesn't install on your system), open your file, leave all the settings as-is except for the Output Format dropdown-make that the same as your file (eg AVI file? Select AVI Muxer from the dropdown)-then, on the timeline, set an "in" point then hit the A, then set the "Out" point and hit B, then save the video.

10 seconds or so of AVI won't exceed the forum upload limit of 500MB (the time-length of the selection is over on the right of the timeline). Try to include some movement so the Interlacing can be assessed.

[Nordo22]

For film restoration you may collect some ideas from here:
https://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=144271&highlight=videoFred

Thanks, I'll check it out.
I used to be on Doom9 (and VideoHelp) many years ago, but had forgotten about Doom9.

[Nordo22]

Nordo22, it would be best if you posted a short clip of one of your videos for us to assess. <snip>
To make a short sample, use AVIDemux (you can run the portable version so it doesn't install on your system), open your file, leave all the settings as-is except for the Output Format dropdown-make that the same as your file (eg AVI file? Select AVI Muxer from the dropdown)-then, on the timeline, set an "in" point then hit the A, then set the "Out" point and hit B, then save the video.

Ok.
I've added a sample below (using AVIDemux) which is from an early model SD camcorder that I had transferred onto my pc (avi).
BTW, most of the videos I want to restore and keep have little movement or fairly slow movement similar to the sample.
I do have some standard 8mm with some fast movement (virtually unwatchable), but I don't want to keep it, so I'll edit it out before starting any processing.
SD Camcorder Sample.avi

PS Not sure if I've attached the clip correctly.

[Alwyn]

That attachment came through nicely. The experts will now dissect and improve!

Re that image in post 3, I reckon most of the cross-hatching noise could be removed. Could you also post a small sample of that video?

[Nordo22]

That attachment came through nicely. The experts will now dissect and improve!

Re that image in post 3, I reckon most of the cross-hatching noise could be removed. Could you also post a small sample of that video?

Thanks Alwyn.
Cheers
Std8mm Sample.avi

[jagabo]

A little over processed maybe...

[Alwyn]

The master at work.

[Nordo22]

A little over processed maybe...

Hi jagabo
Remember we're in the Newbie section.
It does look overdone (even I can see artifacts), but I haven't the faintest idea what you have done.

Being a one-off project, and having little experience, I don't want to spend months learning the basics of Avisynth.
I'm not too interested in upscaling or fps, just enhancing the images to make them more watchable.

[Selur]

See what you get with BasicVSR++ model6 and a 250 range.
For the Std8mm Sample some heavy RemoveDirtMC, SpotLess&Co will be needed.

Cu Selur

[jagabo]

I used AviSynth:

function UnSharpMask(clip v, float radius, float strength)
{
  blurry = v.BinomialBlur(VarY=radius, VarC=radius, Y=3, U=3, V=3) # or GaussianBlur
  edges = Subtract(v, blurry).ColorYUV(off_y=2).ColorYUV(cont_y=(int(strength*radius*256.0)-256.0))
  Overlay(v, edges.ColorYUV(off_y=-128), mode="Add")
  Overlay(last, edges.Invert().ColorYUV(off_y=-128), mode="Subtract")
  ColorYUV(off_u=-1, off_v=-1) #overlay is causing U and V to increase by 1
}

LWLibavVideoSource("SD Camcorder Sample.avi") 

ColorYUV(off_y=-20, cont_u=50, cont_v=50)
ConvertToRGB(interlaced=true, matrix="rec601").ConvertToYV24(interlaced=true, matrix="rec709")

QTGMC(Sharpness=0.0)
SMDegrain(thsad=200, tr=2, PreFilter=3)

UnSharpMask(1.5, 1.0)
KNLMeansCL(d=0, a=2, h=2)
aWarpSharp2(depth=5)
Sharpen(0.5)

nnedi3_rpow2(2, cshift="Spline36Resize", fwidth=960, fheight=720)
aWarpSharp2(depth=3)
Sharpen(0.5)

nnedi3_rpow2(2, cshift="Spline36Resize", fwidth=1440, fheight=1080)
aWarpSharp2(depth=3)
Sharpen(0.5)

You could tone down some of the sharpening or skip the upscaling to get the look you want.