Cleaning up VHS

[jjoshua2]

I just got a Canopus advc-100 firewire capture device. I've tried capturing with windows movie maker and virtualdub. When I use virtualdub I couldn't get it choose the huffy codec for compression, when I clicked compression it didn't show any codecs. I can see it when I am not in capture mode.

I'm looking for a good script to use on vdub or some advice on mine.
Maybe I should be using avysinth? I'm not sure how to do that.
Here are example pics. The first one is good. The other two demonstrate a problem my filters are creating.
http://jjoshua2.googlepages.com/VHS.jpg
http://jjoshua2.googlepages.com/VHS2.jpg
http://jjoshua2.googlepages.com/VHS3.jpg

I'm doing Video DeNoise 20,20,20 quality
VHS by flaxen default except prenoise and postnoise filter enable at threshold 4
spotremover 3.5 at default vhs
dfn vhs default
temporal cleaner default
auto-levels default

I believe spotremover is causing the trouble. I have tried not using it an that problem didn't occur, but it doesn't occurr in the preview, and I think I like its effect... See http://konstant.freeshell.org/ for more info on spotremover. The 2nd pic down shows one of my problems.
EDIT: Ahh, I found that it is a demo version that does that after a certain time so I buy it. Well, do you think I should or are there similar stuff free?

[rfmmars]

No software spot remover does a good job, You should soak the movie film in "Film Renew" for a couple of hours and wipe with a cotton cloth.

Film must be projected and captured right away for the spots will return in an hour or two, this is called "wetgate" projection. For fungus, film needs to soak for a week or better.

95% of black spots, black vertical lines, and fungus can be removed with this product plus the film is clearer and lubrcated.

If you don't have the film anymore then software is the only way to go. Looking at your clips, it was a poor cature to start with.

Richard
photorecall.net

[jjoshua2]

Ok, I've never heard of that. How risky is it? The reason is since I'm doing this as a business, if I run a tape of someone's kids in a home movie, it is irreplaceable, I would be out a lot of money probably. I suppose if it somewhat risky I could capture before and afterwards? Is this necessary? Do you have a link for an FAQ on this? Would you soak the whole video plastic and all?

[neuron2]

Is one of you talking about film and the other about VHS tape?

[jjoshua2]

I'm talking about VHS tape for sure. I'm not very knowledgeable about this process.

[rfmmars]

Ok, I've never heard of that. How risky is it? The reason is since I'm doing this as a business, if I run a tape of someone's kids in a home movie, it is irreplaceable, I would be out a lot of money probably. I suppose if it somewhat risky I could capture before and afterwards? Is this necessary? Do you have a link for an FAQ on this? Would you soak the whole video plastic and all?

What I discribed was to be use on the raw film, not VHS tape.

In the projector if you have a 100 watt halogen bulb there is very little risk.

Richard

[jjoshua2]

I don't have any raw film. It is all VHS. Are you suggesting removing the film from the VHS tape and then putting it back in somehow?

[neuron2]

Unless you see mould or mildew on the tape, you most likely don't need to clean it. And anyway, cleaning it is a very difficult and dangerous operation -- dangerous to the tape!

If SpotRemover is causing those artifacts, then ditch it, or write to the author about it.

[jjoshua2]

Yes, I did ditch it. It is because it is an unlicensed copy demo version. Any recommendations on a replacement filter(s)? How do those other filters look that I'm using? Is it bad to add an unsharp mask filter, since I have all that smoothing in several filters?

[neuron2]

If you want useful recommendations, you need to post a link to a representative *unprocessed* source stream sample.

[drbuzz0]

Um... I assume here we are talking about a Video VHS tape.. I'm a bit confused because of the talk about the movie in the sense of an actual motion picture film reel.

If you are talking about VHS then don't remove it from the cassett. It's magnetic so it's not the same as film where surface dust is going to make the same difference.

First of all, you want to make sure you are using a good VCR to get the initial capture. If you can use an SVHS vcr or even a DVHS digital VCR, because they tend to be higher quality in general, even if the tape is plain old VHS - it's backward compatible.

Get the best picture using component output if it has it. If it's DVHS, depending on the model, you may be able to use the internal mpeg2 encoder and get it out through firewire.

Obviously you want to do whatever you can to get the best tracking and such. A good VCR and a tape in decent quality shouldn't have too much in the way of tracking errors and that sort of thing. Capture it in something that is not going to cause much compression problems: like DV or Huff

Here is a virtualdub filter which works decently and is designed especially for VHS: http://www.neuron2.net/flaxen/flaxen.html

You may also want to crop the bottom and/or top or sides off the video if you have some bad distortion there. Obviously you don't want to crop too much but if there's a lot of tracking problems on the top and bottom you can do that.


Rememeber that you can't expect stellar results. This is VHS

[drbuzz0]

Oh damn... looking at the name above it looks like I just posted a link to his own damn site. All well: give credit where it's due.. thanks for the filters neuron ;-)

[neuron2]

You're welcome but I just host flaxen's stuff.

jjoshua2 was the guy looking for help, BTW.

[jjoshua2]

Thanks for that VHS filter. I have tried it. Is there any help manual for what all the different settings do? Like 8 direction sharpening? And post and pre noise filtering? Would I want both?

[jjoshua2]

Hi! I'm using Didée's script from http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=952831#post952831
The only change is I set it to use max 1024 megs of memory since I have 2gb. Additionally, I put hdragc(max_sat=1.0, corrector=1.0) near the end in between } and #end on the second to last line. That works right?

The thing is I have a quad core q6600 and it gets .5 fps using just one. The res is 720x480 I think.

Once I get the finished avi, does it matter much how I convert it to dvd format? I was thinking of using nero, probably nero recode. Is there a better free or cheap one?

[chipzoller]

HCEnc (free) or CCE (trial/commercial)

[jjoshua2]

I'm looking into HcEnc. I found two guides on it.
Will I be able to use a simple avisynth input for it such as
aviSource("l:\test\video1 final.avi")
converttoyv12()

It looks like my audio bit rate is currently 1536 so I will have to lower that to 224 I suppose. Do I need to use vdub, wavewizard, and aften gui EncWavtoAC3 as in the guide? There must be a simpler way, but is this higher quality?
The videohelp bitrate calculator told me video of 6725. That should be plenty fine quality for a home videos right? Should I maybe but two vhs tapes to a dvd?

Here is my processed clip with avisynth script. (http://www.mediamax.com/jjoshua2/Hosted/sample_avisynth.avi)

[jjoshua2]

Here is my original clip unprocessed. (http://www.mediamax.com/jjoshua2/Hosted/sample_short.avi)
Both are huffy lossless

Is the output of that didee script interlaced still since my source was vhs? I'm wondering if for HCEnc I should tell it is interlaced or not. I think it looks like it still is in parts with motion.

Sorry for all the questions, but once I have my ac3 from aften and m2v from hcencode then should I use Nero?

[jjoshua2]

I discovered that my ac3 file and m2v were different lengths. I found out the issue was hcencode shortened the length from about 1 hour 30 min to 1 hour 1 min! I don't know what to do about this. No its out of sync. Maybe speed up the audio? There's got to be a way to fix hcencode.

It appears that it is time compressed, not just last part cut off. Additionally, it appears that media player classic plays for a minute or two after it says that the time is of the video is played, but not the half hour. When HC is looking at it, it shows both the movie length and encoding length at the correct time.

Gspot shows the encoded file has the correct number of frames and framerate!

[jjoshua2]

I just noticed that my ac3 seems to be 3 minutes longer than correct and then my wav was. This is maddening!

I'm trying just using the avi outputed by avysinth in Nero and doing a sample folder now. It put the bit rate to standard of around 5000. I'm not sure what it does with the audio.

Edit: Nero finished and it appears to work fine with audio synced and correct length. Should I just go with that? It isn't optimal audio or video encoding I suppose, but its better than a better solution that doesn't work :(. Nero used 192kbs AC3 CBR. I was going to use 256VBR. The video is encoded around 5000 VBR. The calculator showed me that I could have 256 audio and over 6200 video.

[jjoshua2]

The Nero is still going. I redid the HC on fast with all other settings default this time. Last time I had changed several settings. This time it lasted 44 minutes. About 1/2 the time its supposed to be!

[jjoshua2]

I discovered Nero only sees 109177 frames in the longer short version instead of the full 157717.
I tried use ac3machine with bee sweet and that produced the correct file length.
The version made with aften is showing different lengths in different programs, as is the vid from HC I guess. I believe Gspot reported the HC as having the correct number of frames.
Is ac3machine with beesweet higher quality than nero? I used 256kbs instead of 192 at least.

[jeffy]

Hi! I'm using Dundee's script from http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=952831#post952831

Didée is his nickname, Dundee was a Crocodile. :)

[jjoshua2]

Ok, I fixed it, thanks, but I have a whole slew of questions that haven't been answered.