What filters do you use for analog capture?

[csaag]

I'm trying to get better quality from my analog camcorder captures.
I was wondering what filters people have applied who have done good quality captures/encoding for playback on their TV in SVCD (or VCD) format.

I have an Aver TV98 PCI card using the latest Vdub and Tmpg to capture/encode, usually in 480x480, Huffy codec YUY2. Captures done with composite cables. The original camcorder tapes look pretty good when played directly on the TV.

My finished SVCD's have a slightly fuzzy look to them when I just enable noise reduction in Vdub, and use the noise reduction in Tmpg (w/o the high quality box checked as that pushes my encoding time up to 15x realtime) I also use the High Quality(slow) setting for MSP.
I tried one with 2d cleaner/temporal cleaner/dynamic noise reduction but the SVCD was worse than the ones with the 1st method mentioned.
thanks

[tuco]

I normally use avisynth for my filtering since it is faster and there are more filters. I have used vdub in the past but how do your svcd look without doing any filters? Also if your dvd player supports it, try making a cvd at 352x480 instead of 480x480. Sometimes that can make it look better without upping the bitrate on your svcd.

[csaag]

W/o any filters looks a little fuzzier than with just the noise filters. I'll have to do a comparison at 352x480.
I have noticed if I use the Sharpen filter in Tmpg with the settings set to the max neg value it helps some.
Does Avisynth use VFW drivers like Vdub?

[tuco]

It shouldn't matter what drivers you are using. The learning curve for avisynth is much higher than vdub. However, there is a gui for it and there is a forum here. I don't know too much about tmpgenc filters. You could also try the sharpen filter in vdub (don't know if it is a default or 3 party filter.) Also I would search in vdub forums if you are intent on using vdub.

[bb]

Try Convolution3D (for AviSynth) by vlad59. This filter can greatly reduce noise while keeping details.

bb

[^^-+I4004+-^^]

from "moderate" smoothers i would pick "peachsmoother"
[asynth filter]
and for real hard-core noise removal temporal smoother+
smartsmoother.......

(hard-core removes most of the noise but introduces
"ghosting" to the motion....this is the flaw of all
denoisers/smoothers....)

downsizing also does some good to image (noise-wise)
but it also blurrs image (anyway if you use svcd no resizing
for you my friend..hehe.....or only in horizontal way)

you can use some sharpening on the end (after you elimintaed the
noise) not too much as this will introduce noise back again....

(recently i used xsharpen(for VD) with decent results...)

also do a bit reading on asynth forum-->"noise is your friend"
(hehe)
look for threads on peachsmoother and SansGrip's stuff

at first i thought it is silly,but if leaving some noise will bring me
sharper image..then noise it'll be!

[csaag]

Thanks for the tips!