VHS Tapes to DVD

[bold]Hi Minion,[/bold]
I'm using InterVideo WinDVR 3.0 to capture some home video from my VHS. After doing my menu's and Chapters with DVDLab with my Benq external DVD burner it looks that the video is not like the vhs tape. It's not what I expected, the image freezes for a second each 5 or 10 seconds of the DVD-R.

I actually did 2 DVD-R's

The 1st one: I put the setup record quality at BETTER
this one looked ok

The 2nd one: I put the setup record as CUSTOMIZED NTSC DVD this is the one I had the freezing.

What's the difference and how can I have the best quality possible by doing my transfer and editing.

Please help.
Thanks
Joel79

 

I thought it would be good to post something that has been working.

I've been using the ACEDVio to capture from my VCR using the S-Video input. Using Vegas to capture and edit, have used Architect and DVD-Lab to author the DVD. All of this has been for sign language clips so I cannot comment on audio, but the video solution is perfect! Thanks Minion again for helping me to achieve this.

Now I'm interested in branching out and working with audio and longer clips. My clips so far have only been 2 min. each so I have never had to burn a 2 hour movie or even use a bitrate calculator.

Minion, if you can help me out again since you are familiar with Vegas, I do have a question about adjusting the bitrate. When do I do this and how?(using Vegas) Do I capture as usual then somehow adjust the bitrate when rendering my file to MPEG-2? If so, I have just used the standard MPEG-2 MainConcept option, how do i adjust the bitrate? I'd like to start capturing some full length home movies etc.

Thanks again!

 

Hi, Yes you adjust the Bitrate in the Rendering settings in Vegas...There are actually a Lot of Settings in the Mpeg2 rendering setting that should be adjusted so you can achieve the Best quality...

So when you are ready to render to Mpeg2 go to "File" to "Render as" then select "MainConcept Mpeg-2" and then click the "Custom" button and under the "Video" tab is were the Bitrate settings are...There is also a "Quality" setting that you should set to the Highest setting and there is also a rendering Quality setting which should be set to "Best" and also make sure the audio frequency is set to "48000hz" if makeing a DVD....

Well I hope this helps...Cheers

 

Hi Minion,

I've been successfully capturing VHS and encoding to MPEG for about 6 months now using Canopus hardware for capturing and TMPGEnc for encoding. I'm getting good results however I thought at one time I had read that I can increase the maximum bit rate of the encoder. I can only get TMPGEnc to a maximum of 9200 which is great but an hour of video still leaves a lot of disk space on a DVD. Is there a way I can increase this number and sample at a higher rate?

T

 

I would like to get someones opinion if possible.

What would be the best way to create a single DivX file from captured VHS tape?

I am currently using PowerVCR II (V.3) to capture from VHS, this does a good enough job of creating the MPEG2 files (splits video into files roughly 600 MB big).

Now can I use a program (Dr DiX?) to encode all these files and then somehow join them, or join the MPEG files and then encode the single file?

Am I using correct method, software?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions

 

Hi Minion (and all others) you really do seem to be a star!! I have finally found a thread I think can help me, having read through all the threads I think I have a better understanding of what I need to do being fairly new into Video editing. I have had no problems with my setup capturing DV from a Panasonic NV37 (with DvIn enabled) via Firewire and mastering into Adobe Premiere 6.5, using the MPEG2 encoder and then using Nero Express for Menu’s/ chapters etc and writing to a NEC DVD writer as DVD-R (if anyone needs some info with this come back) – am I missing something on quality using this route?
However for a wedding I videoed in June! I used 2 cameras and I am now trying to transfer analogue video from a Canon A10 Canonvision Hi8 (10-12 year old with 1 Video and Audio RCA o/p only and a Stero headphone jack o/p). I tried capturing a Video clip directly into a Premiere DV project, resetting the capture device settings for Analogue I/P - this kept crashing Premiere when using a composite lead into AVerDVD EZMaker WDM Video Capture Card, Audio Capture is direct into the SoundBlaster Audigy soundcard at 32,000 Hz, 16 bit Stereo, uncompressed using the single RCA connection. The rest of the Computer setup is an Evesham P4 2400 with 512Mb Ram, 2 x 120 Gb HD running XP home with SP1 + updates (excluding SP2). Nvidea Gforce4 FX4800 video card. AS per previous threads, Video Capture is to a different HD to OS and programs.
however trying to capture ANALOGUE IS PROOVING HORRENDOUS.
Decided to capture into a new Premiere project and managed to set up the capture device as an analogue source with project settings as follows:
Video for Windows
25FPS, PAL, preroll 5secs, T/C offset? 0, resolution 720 x 576, YUY2 , size 829440 bytes.
It correctly saw the video i/p device as: Aver EZMaker WDM Video Capture Card, VS: Video Composite, no recompression, using driver: Microsoft WDM Image Capture (Win32), version 5.1.2600.1106, and compressor Cinepak Codec by Radius and pixel aspect ratio : D1/DV PAL (1.067) at 100%. Data rate is 1000, recompress selected and Maintain Data Rate [hope all this means something to you and helps]
Doing a test on a 10-15 sec clip it appears to capture it ok (I can see and hear the clip during capture). On importing the video clip file 2.56Mb .avi movie I get the following message:
“Unable to open that file File is either damaged, an unsupported type, locked or in use by another application.
I have tried to open it in Windows Media Player version 8.00.00.4487 and get a similar WMP error message:
“Class Factory cannot supply requested class” – check M’soft web site. This led me to the 80040111 Error message
Have tried capturing about 3 times always with same result.
I followed some links on the Windows Media Newsgroup which suggested
Quote:

Error generally occurs when you have the wrong codecs installed.
Download and use GSpot (http://tinyurl.com/328cp) to check the avi file
Have down-loaded and run this, it reported the file was a correct .avi file format, no codecs needed for video or audio is no compression (having read all the threads now I wouldn’t expect any as avi’s are non compressed files – I am learning!) but when using the Direct Show Render option to test the file it was unable to open the file (can’t remember the exact message but will check again today)
Have you come across this before?
Following your threads, from last year, am I better trying to or can I Capture to AVI using Huffyuv and the equipment I have and import this AVI into any Premiere project to edit and then encode and make my DVD as before?

I have managed to capture video using Mediamaker s'ware that came with the capture card, but this is in MPEG1, MPEG2, DVD or DVD Video format options. And no options I can see to really edit (looks OK to put straight onto DVD but haven’t tried yet).
When importing MPEG2 files I need to render the clips when imported as a file into Premiere, this takes ages and tends to crash out unless in tiny pieces) Running the clips to edit in/out points is very jumpy and I presume this is because its compressed?. Am I also right in my understanding that the imported MPEG2 clips in Premiere which are then encoded into MPEG2 for DVD, will it try to recompress the already compressed MPEG2 clips and therefore loose more definition?

Questions – Am I on the right tracks?
What am I doing wrong?
Am I using the wrong settings?
What should I be doing next?

Sorry for the length of message, but any help I can get would be appreciated.
Thanks in anticipation.
PAL

 

SierraB: You can not Set the Bitrate for Makeing DVD"s above 9800kbs Total for Both Audio and Video because that is the Most that the DVD stabdard will support....
You should be Putting more than One Hour on a DVD as it seems Like a Bit of a waste to me as I can get anywere from 3 Hours to up to 6+ hours depending on the DVD Format I use.....


Cheers

 

Hi I need help......... Tansfering VHS to DVD. I have a Dell 4600 with the full version Nero 6 and DVD Shrink. Pc has Nvidia GeForce FX 5200. Alos have video and Audio codecs, Legacy audio and video devices, and Sound Max digital audio. I run Windows Xp and have DirectX 9.0c. Cinepak Codek by Radius. Not sure what kind of info you all need but I am trying to copy VHS tapes to DVD using my PC. How do I go about doing this? Also how do I plug this device into my system in order to accomplish this? I've mastered burning DVD's to DVD's but now I need to get this. Any advice and help out there for me????? Thanks

 

What type of capture device do you have???

 

I am not sure if this is was what you wanted but under my harware devices it says Legacy Video Capture device. Is this what you want? If not where else do I find this info?

 

Minion or others. Anyone know anythoing about the Dazzle 150? Having problems getting dvd quality video rrecorded. Works fine in lower quality but no picture in DVD mode. Will this capture devise work with other software than pinnacle?

 

kirktank: Your Going to have to Find out a Little more about your System than you know now before you are going to be able to do anything....

Contact your Computer Manufacturer and Find out what Type of Capture device Came with your Computer If any at all....You should have Known this before you even Bought the Computer.....

 

[bold]Need Help with CCE Basic Settings[/bold]

I am in the process of converting many years of [bold]home[/bold] VHS video to DVD. My video output quality (on DVD when played on a tabletop DVD player hooked to a Sony TV) has been less than desirable - specifically jerky motion. I suspect the problem lies in the CCE Basic encoder settings. I have read the CCE manual and CCE guidelines posted the Doom9 forum and adjusting the settings, as they recommend, and this has helped somewhat.

In CCE Basic I output to MPEG-2, aspect ration 4.3, and I have tried 2 pass VBR with the minimum frame rate set to 4000, Avg set to 6000 and max 9000. Output is jerky on fast scenes or camera pans. Less jerky output results when moving CCE Basic Quality slider to Complex, and using 2 pass CBR instead with the frame rate set to 9,500. However the picture is not as rich and is noticeably grainy. Regardless of the settings, there is some rainbowing in the DVD output. The original VHS tapes and the captured avi files show virtually none of these negative aspects when viewed.

Any suggestions for CCE Basic settings [bold]specific to encoding VHS home videos[/bold] to high quality MPEG-2 will be greatly appreciated.

[bold]Background data:[/bold]

1. VHS videos captured via a Canopus ADVC100 box and WinDV.

2. Captured video (avi files) edited with Microsoft's MovieMaker 2.1 and saved as DV-AVI (NTSC).

3. Encoding done with CCE Basic trial version.

4. Authoring to DVD with TMPGenc DVD Author 1.6 (trial).

5. My system: Dell 1.5 GHz/256 Mb RDRam, 120 Gb 7200 RPM 8mb Buffer hard drive dedicated to video files only.

Thanks everyone.
JoeP

 

I'm using InterVideo WinDVR 3.0 to capture some home video from my VHS. After doing my menu's and Chapters with DVDLab with my Benq external DVD burner it looks that the video is not like the vhs tape. It's not what I expected, the image freezes for a second each 5 or 10 seconds of the DVD-R.

I actually did 2 DVD-R's

The 1st one: I put the setup record quality at BETTER
this one looked ok

The 2nd one: I put the setup record as CUSTOMIZED NTSC DVD this is the one I had the freezing.

What's the difference and how can I have the best quality possible by doing my transfer and editing.

Please help.
Thanks
Joel79

 

joep42: I believe what you are Seeing are Interlace artifacts Possibly from a Reverced Field Order...

You will notice it a Lot on wide Panning Shots and it Looks allmost like there are Frames Missing or something.....

There are 2 Ways to Fix this problem ,One would be to select the Correct Field order when encodeing in CCE Basic, if it has such a setting..(Usually Bottom Field First for DV AVI files)

The other Solution would be to De-Interlace when encodeing (If CCE Basic has such a Setting)....

I use "CCE SP 2.67" for all of my encodeing and if it is set up properly it is the Best encoder there is for Fast High Quality encodeing to Mpeg-2....
When useing CCE SP to encode I can Fit 2 Full movies on a DVD-R in Full D1 format or up to 4 or 5 movies on a Single DVD in SIF/CIF format......

I would suggest you Download the Newest Experimental version of "Virtual-Dub" and use it to De-Interlace your DV AVI files and Frameserve them to CCE Basic..
You can also use the new Virtual-Dub to edit your DV AVI files and it"s "Direct Stream Copy" rendering is Much faster than Movie Maker and Probably produces better quality because there is no Re-Compression but there is No Need to render when you can Frameserve...

Cheers

joel79: You should maybe try the Capture Method I use with WinDVR 3.0?? It takes Longer than the method you use but it also produces Much better quality but you will also need a Faster Computer than Before so Hopefully yours is at least a 2.5ghz P-4.....

What My method entails is I use WinDVR 3.o and make a Custom capture profile useing the Highest Quality settings Possible with the Highest Possible Bitrate and after Captureing the Files are Huge but have a Very Good Quality so I then use a High Quality Standalone Mpeg Encoder to re-encode the Captured File useing a Lower Bitrate so that the Whole movie fits on a Single DVD-R.....

These are the Capture setting I use:
#1)Under the "General" Tab select Mpeg-2 and give your Profile a Name and Click "Apply"....

#2) Under the "System" tab I select "Mpeg-2 Genaric" and set the Max file size to "50,000mb" and then click "Apply"...

#3)Then go to the "Video" Tab and set the Video Format to "Ntsc" and set the Resolution to "720+480" and then set the "Bitrate" to "20,000kbs" and then click "Apply" and then click the "Advanced" button and set both "Motion Vectors" to "32" and then click "OK"....

#4)Now go to the "Audio" tab and if your Version supports it select the "Dolby Digital" audio format and set the Sample Frequency to "48.0Khz" if you don"t have the Dolby digital Option then select "Mpeg-1 Layer 2" ,Then click the "Advanced" button and select "384kbs" as the Bitrate and set it to "Stereo" and then click "OK"...

Now Use this Profile to Capture your Movie and after Captureing you will have a Huge Mpeg-2 file but the Quality will be Great(If your PC can Keep up when captureing at this Quality) But the File will be Far too big to author to DVD like this So then what I do is do any editing with "Womble Mpeg Video Wizard 2003" or "Womble Mpeg2VCR" and render my edited File as a Seperate AC3 audio file and a M2V Video file and I re-encode the M2V Video file useing a High Quality encoder like "CinemaCraft encoder" or "Tmpgenc Xpress" or the "MainConcept Encoder" so that the File is small enough to fit on a DVD and then Just author the Dolby AC3 audio file with the Re-encoded M2V file to DVD useing a DVD Authoring Program Like "DVDLab Pro" ......Cheers






Good luck

 

Thanks Minion - both suggestions helped. CCE Basic had an "Output Top Field First Stream" checkbox (in the Advance menu) and I unchecked it. It also has a "Deinterlace" checkbox and I enabled that.

Now finding the right combination in the bit rates and Complexity setting should further improve the quality.

My question now which is better? 2 pass CBR set to 9,500 with or without System Stream enabled - OR - 2 pass VBR with the VBR Min set to 1000 or less, Avg set to 3K or 4K and Max set to 9,600? File size is not a major concern.

Any other CCE Basic Video settings you can demystify will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again - JoeP

 

joep42: Hi ,The Bitrate you use to encode to Mpeg2 should be determined by the Length of your Movie so that the Movie will be the Perfect size so it Fits on a Single DVD...
It is a Big waste to Just use the Most Bitrate you can and end up putting a Movie on Two or more DVD-R"s especially when you can Just as easilly Fit the whole movie on a Single DVD-R....

What I use is a "Bitrate Calculator" Called "PowerBit" which tells me the Average Bitrate I should use Based on the Length of my Movie so it Fits on a DVD....

I usually use a 2 Pass VBR with a Maximum bitrate of 8000kbs and a Minimum Bitrate of 2000kbs and set the Average Bitrate to the Bitrate I get from useing the Bitrate Calculator....

For instance if your Movie is 90 minutes long then you would use an Average Video Bitrate of 6575kbs and a Audio Bitrate of 192kbs....

If your Movie is 2 Hours Long you would use a Video Bitrate of 4875kbs and 192kbs for the audio..

If your Movie is 2.5 hours Long you would use 3875kbs for the Video and 192kbs for the audio...

If your Movie is 3 Hours Long you would use an average Bitrate of 3200kbs for Video and 192kbs for the audio.....

If you use these Bitrates to encode your Movies based on there Lengths then your Movies should Fit perfectly when authoring them to DVD....

Cheers

 

Wow - learned something new again. My home video's consist of many and mostly 10 to 20 minutes events of holidays and family affairs. Nevertheless, now I understand the need to plan ahead to utilize the space effectively on the DVD.
Thanks again - JoeP

 

Post Removed 12/30/04

 

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