VirtualVCR with DirectShow Denoiser

[bb]

This is something I'd like to share with you.

I found VirtualVCR to be a reliable capture software for my Philips chipset TV card. Before I used a Hauppauge WinTV with its Brooktree (Conexant) chipset, and I got good results using VirtualDubVCR with the internal denoise function (the one you can select in Capture mode, not the plugin filter).

Why realtime-denoise during capture? Well, I'm using PicVideo MJPEG, and as a DCT based codec it is very sensitive to noise. You'll get better results if you clean up the video stream before it gets encoded. Of course with lossless codecs like HuffYUV you can do everything in post-processing.

Back to VirtualVCR: This application is based on DirectShow, but it does not have an internal denoiser, but you can add DirectShow filters as you like. So I tried the denoiser from Alparysoft:

http://www.alparysoft.com/prod/denoise.php

You have to register the filter via "regsvr32 AlparyDenoise.ax", and in VirtualVCR you won't see it unless you check "show all filters" (so please feel free to do so!).

Works nice on my system (2.8 GHz P4). Any comments?

bb

[Boulder]

Looks interesting, I'll give it a go tonight. I'll be capturing a TV series which was shot in the '80s, lots of analog noise in the source.

[bb]

I'll be curious to read your results!

bb

[TerraForce1]

Hi,

I will add my experiences too.

[Boulder]

A quick test revealed that:

1) On rather clean sources it's only good with low filtering enabled, see the screenshots. Maybe it behaves differently with non-interlaced resolutions?

2) Fuzzy denoising kills the CPU at 720x576 so it's usable only at very low resolutions.

3) CPU usage was around 30-50% with denoising on compared to 10-15% with no denoising. Turning preview off helped, of course.

4) I'll run a test on a VHS source too. I think this filter might be very useful there, lots of potential IMO.

I run a P4-2267@2796 rig.

Screenshots:

http://www.cc.jyu.fi/~camneely/nofilter.png
http://www.cc.jyu.fi/~camneely/lowfilter.png
http://www.cc.jyu.fi/~camneely/medfilter.png
http://www.cc.jyu.fi/~camneely/hifilter.png
http://www.cc.jyu.fi/~camneely/autofilter.png

[bb]

Maybe you could test the filter on anime, because there you can easily see the spots, and it's much easier to judge the filter's effect (large areas that should be the same color).

bb

[dimz]

i'm using play TV HD + VirtualVCR, and i get Denoiser from when i'm installed ATV2000. In VirtualVCR you will see it (DNR) if you check "show all filters", don't forget using format colour RGB and to check smart tee in visual setting. I thing the result is very good, better than using Alparysoft.

[Boulder]

Originally posted by dimz
don't forget using format colour RGB

This is a big no-no when capturing video:devil:

[DoctorRad]

Originally posted by Boulder
A quick test revealed that:

Does the Alparysoft filter require RGB capture? I think it's installed okay, but I can't get any joy out of it, nor a configuration dialog box.

TIA,

Matt...

[Boulder]

Nope, I used it in YUY2.

[vmesquita]

I`ve tried this denoiser, but altrought I can select it on VirtualVCR, it seems to be doing nothing, since CPU processing remains the same. Also, I can`t change denoiser properties, I click on the button and nothing happens. I have tried changing colorspace with no sucess. Any ideas? I have a BT878 card with the latest BTWinCap drivers, using WinXP.

[]`s
VMesquita

[bb]

No idea why you can't get into the properties page, but unfortunately denoising is turned off by default, thus the filter does nothing.

bb

[vmesquita]

Now that explains, I guess the filter is working I just can't make it denoise because properties won't work. Maybe there's some other place I can change properties? Any ideas?

[]'s
VMesquita