Best way to archive VHS to Digital - skittelsen !?!

[holistic]

Greetings All

So much talk seems to be around DVD rip to DIVIX,SVCD,VCD the question i pose is :
what is the best format to archive VHS and Hi-8 tapes?

Correct me here : VHS - analog signal (of course) @ 240 lines of vertical resolution , Hi-8 @ 400 lines of vertical resolution.

1)HOW ? -> will this convert to the digital format and still keep the same vertical lines of resolution.

2) If i capture at 352 (NTSC) * 240 have i achieved a 'mirror' of the original or have i added\removed information to\from the video data signal.?

3) Should I even bother wasting my time and capture at 640*480 then encode to (X)VCD?


more questions to follow ..........
thanks

[RemoteCtrl]

You've got the concepts somewhat mixed up, but that is very common. Vertical resolution consists of horizontal lines and there are 525 of them in NTSC, of which 480 contain image data.

Horizontal resolution is not made of lines but they are still used for measuring the resolution. This is the only variable so it's the most commonly quoted figure. Line measurement is done assuming a square image, so the result must be multiplied with the TV aspect ratio(1.333) to get the approximate horizontal resolution. This means you should use at least 352*480 for VHS and 640*480 for Hi-8 to make sure you capture all the detail.

The only archival format that handles interlacing is MPEG-2 so it's the logical choice for preserving full temporal resolution. At relatively low bits-per-pixel -ratios noise tends to increase artifacts and this is especially true with SVCD compliant streams. You should either use a heavy filtering chain to remove most of the noise prior to compression(might affect the image) or prepare to use non-compliant streams, higher bitrates and more CDs.

[Tommy]

Whats the end format going to be? Is it something to view on the computer or is it going to be viewed on a dvd player?

[holistic]

RemoteCtrl - "This means you should use at least 352*480 for VHS and 640*480 for Hi-8 to make sure you capture all the detail."

By this do i understand i should be capturing in 352*480 screen size for VHS tape signals.
What if i have no plans for output to todays present analog TV but prefer to preserve video for tomorrows digital TV. (which is pixels like todays monitors - correct??)) Is 352*480 the way to go??


Tommy - the end format will be (high bitrate)XVCD and will be viewed on a computer monitor (not too intrested in the TV side of things since years from now TV will be digital anyway.) Will experiment though and perhaps buy a standalone DVD player that will support XVCD.

[Anonymous65]

I just want to add that if you don't need a standard, then 352x480 will capture what you have on a VHS tape nicely. Otherwise, I would use 352x240 using 2:1 vertical reduction mode to make standard compliant VCD's. S-VHS and Hi-8 are listed as having "full" NTSC resolution, but in reality they don't. They have a major high-end roll off. 480x480 should be fine for S-VHS and Hi-8 captures. If you had Betacam SP or 1" video tape, then 640x480 will the way to capture full broadcast video quality.

[holistic]

Thanks skittelsin , the numbers i wanted (to hear) were 352*480 as i am planing for the future when all TV will just be huge monitors.
I asume i need to ENCODE at 352*240 or the picture will appear stretched?
Will use this format for my VHS tape and make some 480*480 SVCD with my newer Hi-8. Number of CD's used not an issue (useing highest possible bitrate) will just copy to a DVD-R when money/time permits.

- "2:1 vertical reduction mode "
- "major high-end roll off" - please explain

[kinneera]

Well, if xVCDs are usable for you, it is perfectly feasible to encode to 352x480. It will look squeezed on your computer screen, but if you author an actual disc out of it, all of the playback devices will display it correctly.
Make sure to use the "Full Screen" without preserve aspect ratio option in TMPGEnc, though.

[Anonymous65]

If you are going to save the file as AVI, then you will have some aspect problems. I would capture the file in 352x480 uncompressed or with low compression AVI and then convert it to mpeg with Tmepg. See above post for getting correct aspect ratio. 2:1 vertical reduction is a process where you capture in 480 mode, but combine two lines into one, making it 240 lines. This way will give you "almost" 480 line resolution vertically using 240 lines. This is a feature I have only seen in Vdub, and it's done during capture. As for high-end roll off, it means the format cannot reproduce the full resolution at full level. Broadcast video can record full resolution at 100%, but Hi-8 or S-VHS will record this signal at 50% or less. In other words, full resolution might be at -3dB or -6dB level, not 0dB.

[holistic]

thanks - will try that