Retail Newbie asks about AI for digitized VHS and Super 8 mm footage

[BobbyL]

Hi,

Have miles of VCR footage digitized long ago through an AVC? capture card (RCA jacks to the card) and later thru a JVC video camera
I digitized Super 8 mm film with Wolverine Movie Maker Pro.
So that's the level I'm at.
Is it worth it to play with any of the "AI" software upscalers being touted? THAT is my question, what do you think?

https://www.elegantthemes.com/blog/business/best-ai-video-upscalers#:~:text=Topaz%20Vi...haky%20footage.


EXTRA CREDIT QUESTION:
I have the gumption to re-digitized all the VHS before I discard them. I don't know if 2024 provides any better VHS capture compared to 10 years ago.
tried to understand the TBC Sticky -- don't know WHAT that is.

Bob

[JadHC]

One thing you have to keep in mind is that AI softwares were trained on 720p digital footage, not on old analog VHS tapes. So if your captures (you haven't shared any) have any defects (jagged lines due to TBC, color bleeding, cross color, ghosting, interlacing, aliasing, ...), those softwares will take all those defect and enhance those as it will think they are part of the image.

Therefore, if you want to use AI upscalers, it is imperative you first remove all those defects and restore the digitized video as close to digital video as possible, otherwise you will not be happy with the results.

[BobbyL]

Thank you for describing that.