Help with my old VHS!

[tomhopkins]

Hi guys!
I’m completely new to this forum and need your help! I have an hour of family video on VHS which I have imported to my pc. I have tried cleaning it up in virtual dub, but I can’t get it right! Below is a download link for a section of my video.





http://www.megaupload.com/?d=XZZMUGPF

(16mb)

As you can probably see there appear to be black outlines around objects in the video. There is also obviously some noise issues aswell as colour problems. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to improve the video in avisynth? Also if a can’t improve it to a suitable standard, will getting it retransferred at http://www.alivestudios-memories.co.uk/video.html improve it greatly? (It was originally transferred via a DVD/VHS combi.

Thanks in advanced!

[Southstorm]

Take a look at these:
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=136551

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=83234

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=119985

[tomhopkins]

thanks for your reply!

I've looked at these posts but they don't seem to be very revelant to my problems. More help would be appreciated!

Thanks.:script:

[thetoof]

The first problem I see is that your source is already compressed... that means less detail + a LOT more blocking = harder to restore. If that's all you have, I could still help (I've dealt with a lot of VHS lately), but before I just want to be sure; would it be possible for you to have a lossless source?

[tomhopkins]

:thanks:I had my vhs transferred to dvd via a combi and then imported the vob file into my editing suite (powerdirector). I then exported it as a dv avi. I'm not sure where the blocking came from! As you can see the original video is very bad quality. Do you think theres any hope? Any scripts would be greatly appreciated!

[thetoof]

I then exported it as a dv avi
Are you sure about that? From what I can see, your video is encoded in DivX @ 827kbps... and your audio in PCM @ 1536 kbps. What I'd suggest is : rip your DVD into a .vob file using DVDdecrypter (or simply copy it to your computer if it doesn't have any compression, which is most probably the case), use DGIndex to create a .d2v and then load your video in avisynth with mpeg2source("yourd2v.d2v"). If you do that, it'll be much easier to achieve higher quality ;) If not, I could still try to help :)

[Spuds]

Are the "black outlines around objects" present when you play back the vhs tape on your tv? The noise and scratches can be dealt with but that ghosting is a problem.

[tomhopkins]

Hi guys!
Thanks for all your replys! Sorry, I forgot I compressed tthe video so it could be downloaded, so I do have a uncompressed version. Also the ghosting is there and the original tape, which is about 18 years old! Any one have any scripts or ideas? :script:

Thanks!

[Spuds]

Please post a short ~10 seconds of the original uncompressed video. Without that its difficult to supply a filter chain that would be appropriate for the problems at hand.

[tomhopkins]

Uploading now. Takes ages!

[tomhopkins]

here is the uncompressed video.

Sorry for the large size!

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=1AKKG5V9

123mb

[thetoof]

Heh... it looks as blocky as the compressed one. Would it be possible for you to do a lossless VHSrip (i.e. not compressing it to a DVD before)? What I usually do is : Plug my VHS player to my TV card and record it losslessly in YUY2. This way, you'll be sure to have a high quality rip and post-processing will be easier + you'll have a better video in the end.

If you don't have a TV card, you could buy one for less than 50$.

If you can't, we'll see what we can do for you.

[Spuds]

Thats a pretty messed up video ... and if thats what you have it will never look very good IMO. Here is a basic script chain to give you a place to start which may help. You could throw more sophisticated motion compensated scripts at that source but I just don't see much detail to preserve or extract ....


# remove scratches, tune to your needs
turnleft
descratch(mindif=3, maxgap=70, minlen=30, blurlen=10, keep=100, border=0, maxangle=1, modey=3)
turnright
# remove the blocking, tune to your needs
deblock_qed(quant1=0,quant2=40,uv=1)
# Noise removal
fft3dfilter(sigma=6,bw=16,bh=16,ow=8,oh=8,bt=3,dehalo=0.5).removegrain(5)
# touch of color fixing
removegrain(0,11)
# thin lines
awarpsharp(depth=16)
# minimize horible ghosting
last.lanczos4resize(width,height*3/4).lanczos4resize(width,height)
# w is the ghost removal factor .. 0.7 (strong) and 1 (none)
w=0.8
overlay(last.invert().duplicateframe(0),last,opacity=w)
levels(round((1-w)*255),1,round(255*w),0,255)
# final light sharpenging or not
limitedsharpenfaster(smode=4,strength=70)
# touch of grain to add detail illusion
AddGrain(4,0,0)

[scharfis_brain]

@tomhopkins:

If you transferred the VHS directly to a DVD, then please do NOT convert to VOB-Files.

Please upload a M2V or a VOB-File!

YOu can use DGIndex to cut out a segment of a VOB and save (demux) it as M2V file, which you can upload.

Everything else is just waste of time, cause it alters the source footage.

[2Bdecided]

Tom,

if that's really what the VHS>DVD copy looks like, you have several problems which make it unsuitable...

1. It's blocky! If transferring 1 hour of video, use the mode that fits only 1 hour on a disc. The longer play modes are lower quality.

2. Unless you edited it, even the small clip you uploaded is jumpy - it seems the DVD recorder is dropping frames.

What you've uploaded is deinterlaced, so you've obviously processed it. You've probably uploaded the wrong thing entirely. Uploading as scharfis_brain has suggested will let us see the original - though the conclusion will probably the same same: transfer it again, properly.


Is this tape an original, or a dub? Do you have the original? The black lines are normally seen on a copy of a copy of a copy. If that's what this is, you need to shift the chroma up several lines too - one line per field per tape generation.

Cheers,
David.

[FlimsyFeet]

What you've uploaded is deinterlaced, so you've obviously processed it.
Not necessarily - there are some DVD recorders that will apply de-interlacing filters to everything they record, specifically ones made by LG. (see http://uk.lge.com/products/AV/dvd_13_True%20Scan%20Pro.swf - why do they do this?)

Just reiterating advice from the previous poster who recommended a lossless capture via a TV card.

[2Bdecided]

Not necessarily - there are some DVD recorders that will apply de-interlacing filters to everything they record, specifically ones made by LG. (see http://uk.lge.com/products/AV/dvd_13_True%20Scan%20Pro.swf - why do they do this?)Are you sure? It seems a bit bizarre! Isn't that animation just a marketing pitch for the deinterlacing on the progressive output? (I don't know - I don't have the URL for the page that linked to it).

Cheers,
David.

[tomhopkins]

Thanks for all your replies! I have just watched the DVD and it isn't blocky. Also the "dropped frames" are due to me making it a smaller clip to upload. How can I convert and shorten a vob file without it losing quality (please be aware I am COMPLETLY new to scripts and programming!)? Your probably right when you say it's a copy of a copy but it's the only one in exsistance so I guess we'll have to work with it! Would you agree it won't make much of a difference if it's retransferred? The VCR/DVD was very hi end and the DVD looks just like the original tape if not better.

So any advice on converting/shortening vob files would be appreciated!

Thanks!

[thetoof]

YOu can use DGIndex to cut out a segment of a VOB and save (demux) it as M2V file, which you can upload.
Everything else is just waste of time, cause it alters the source footage.

Doing this is exactly what you want. Copy-paste the files on your DVD to some folder in your computer and then drag and drop the .vob (or vobs if you have many) in DGIndex. Then select about 5 secs of video and do "file-save project and demux video". Make sure you use IEEE-1180 in "Video-iDCT algorithm and that "Video-field operation" is set to Honor Pulldown Flags. This will create a .m2v file, which is a direct stream copy of your DVD. This is what we've been looking for since the very beginning of this thread ;)

[scharfis_brain]

please read my previous post.

[thetoof]

Also the "dropped frames" are due to me making it a smaller clip to upload.

With "dropped frames", he doesn't mean that you are missing some frames before and after the clip (which is normal when you cut a clip for upload), he means that there are frames missing inside the clip you uploaded. it seems the DVD recorder is dropping frames.
This means the DVD recorder is not recording some of the frames (i.e. dropping them)

[tomhopkins]

Sorry to be stupid but I really am a begginner. What's a DGINDEX?:confused:

[Southstorm]

Download it from here: http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=129510

And read the attached manual...

[tomhopkins]

Thanks alot! I'm saving the video now!

[tomhopkins]

here's the link! Yes finally...!

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=QAVPOTGB

(38mb)

[Spuds]

Well ..... Having this source does help, still a pretty messed up video... soft, blurry and that hideous ghosting.

Here is a very quick attempt at making some improvements. The script is below, tweaking it will likely help some more but don't expect any miracles .... also note it will be SLOW.

http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/5294/comparewy0.th.jpg (http://img166.imageshack.us/my.php?image=comparewy0.jpg)

#import needed scripts
Import(scripts + "mc_spuds.avs")
Import(scripts + "deblock_qed_mt2.avs")
# Load the video, need to add audio somewhere
mpeg2source("zmk.d2v",cpu2="xxxxxx",info=3)
# some color correction
ColorMatrix(interlaced=false ,hints=true)
(isyv12(last)) ? last : ConvertToYV12(interlaced=true)
Assumetff
# de-interlace, apply your de interlace program of choice
TDeint(type=1,mode=1,hints=false,slow=0)
vinverse()
# hide the bottom vhs head noise
Letterbox(0, 16)
clp_width=width
clp_height=height
# remove the scratches, tune this for better results
turnleft
descratch(mindif=12, maxgap=170, minlen=25, blurlen=5, keep=100, border=0, maxangle=1, modey=2)
turnright
# remove the noise
mc_spuds(strength=4,frames=3,aggressive=true,focus=true,addnoise=true)
# fix some of the color bleeding
MergeChroma( aWarpSharp(depth = 8.5, thresh=0.5, cm=1, blurlevel=2))
# remove the head noise and resize to original
crop(0,0,0,-16)
bicubicresize(clp_width,clp_height)

[2Bdecided]

Those black outlines (also some white peaks) are where the sharpening filter(s) of multiple VHS players down the generations have added sharpening. The information is 100% lost (the video clips at black), but I wonder if in-painting the clipped areas could improve it a bit? Or make it even worse?!

Cheers,
David.