Capture from VCR

[djovanovic]

Hi everybody!
I have TV Tuner ATI PCI.I was using all capture software(Virtual Dub,
Power VCR, ATI MUltimedia Centre 7.1.When I capture movie from VCR
I can not get good video quality.Maybe I am wrong in setting or I have to change capture card.Can somebody help me or give me advice
what capture card is the best to capture from VCR.Actualy I want to make DVD from VCR.
Thanks

[srsstvs]

Try their ADVC family cards (ADVC-50, ADVC-100 & ADVC1394). The following link will take you to their forum, which explains the differences among these three. http://206.111.152.219/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=GenADVC&Number=5008&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1

The best learning tool is read forums, you'll get first hand information. I just ordered the ADVC-50 (the cheapest among the three, which does exact same thing) and can't wait to try out. Also try http://www.vcdhelp.com/capture and their forum.

[djovanovic]

Thanks for your help,

[BruceL]

You say you do not get good quality captures from your VCR. You do not mention from the tuner itself. Have you tried capturing video from the tuner? Is the problem your ATI card? If you get good captures from the tuner, maybe the problem is the quality of the VCR signal or possibly the cables. Do you connect your VCR with the S-Video or Composite connectors? You did not mention many details. The more info you provide, the easier it may be for others to help you.

[djovanovic]

Hi!
When I capture video from tuner.I don't get good video quality.I
use compsite video.My cables are OK.Video Signal olso OK.Probably
ATI Card.

[BruceL]

I use ATI hardware also and was not getting great captures. I still use my ATI hardware but with HUFFYUV 2.1.1 lossless codec in Virtual Dub and then convert with DIVX 5.0.2 Pro. The final outcome is much better than with the ATI software. The down side is until you get the files converted to DIVX, the HUFFYUV files are quite large.

[^^-+I4004+-^^]

here are few thoughts from once-ati-card-owner
(and never again i promise!!!)
even with best capture cards/ad converters available(i
guess one could mention canopus advc series in conjuction with some
TBC card...not best,but pretty much pro stuff.....)
i think you won't preserve VHS image quality on DVD.....
there are number of things included that make thathard task,but
you can get pretty decent results with some nice hardware...

in my mind ati capturing is NOT nice hardware.....
(unless they got 200% better recently......)
let me guess->your capturings are all blurred and too soft and no
image sharpness whatsoever?
if that's your problem that's ati all right.....

also DON'T capture lo-res with lousy cards
(by this i mean Bt8x8 and ati....)cauce image qouality is (to say least) horrible!
so far i know only one card that does decent lo-res capture but lo-res is not important anyhow.......
etc.

[Navellint]

Dragan:
What is the speed of your cpu? Is your storage hdd defragmented and fast enough for capturing? I'm used to losing 5% of the total amount of frames when i don't defrag my hdd.
Also:
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?threadid=37337

also DON'T capture lo-res with lousy cards
(by this i mean Bt8x8 and ati....)cauce image qouality is (to say least) horrible!
so far i know only one card that does decent lo-res capture but lo-res is not important anyhow.......
etc. [/B]

Thanks for mentioning that (Bt8x8). I was wondering why my captures were crap at any res/fps at all. Actually, i gave up on capturing analog video. Use miniDV as intermediary.

[^^-+I4004+-^^]

Originally posted by Navellint
Dragan:
What is the speed of your cpu? Is your storage hdd defragmented and fast enough for capturing? I'm used to losing 5% of the total amount of frames when i don't defrag my hdd.
Also:
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?threadid=37337



Thanks for mentioning that (Bt8x8). I was wondering why my captures were crap at any res/fps at all. Actually, i gave up on capturing analog video. Use miniDV as intermediary.

yes,but find me cheaper device that will do it better than it....
camera solutions are rediculuously expensive if you ask me.......

[Navellint]

yeah, sorry, i guess i wasn't thinking clearly. I meant: if you have access to a digital camera, use that. But then, if you have such a device, you probably got that idea already hehe...

I remember seeing a vcr once that could also play miniDV-tapes. Does anyone know what brand it is? Or was it VHS + hi-8 ? That must also be an expensive solution. But no way i'm going to capture analog video again.

[^^-+I4004+-^^]

Originally posted by Navellint


I remember seeing a vcr once that could also play miniDV-tapes. Does anyone know what brand it is? Or was it VHS + hi-8 ? That must also be an expensive solution. But no way i'm going to capture analog video again.

so now u only capture what you record with your miniDV camera?
LOL!
hehe
i can agree that those cameras have better converters and fine
codec (DV) etc.,
but i don't have it,no.....
VCR's with miniDV....i guess there are (like sony or panasonic models)
but i think that is also pretty expensive too!
(but it would be GREAT fun to test one of those!)

so how do you do it now?
you capture DVB from satv or cable or???

[wotef]

never mind a canopus, how is the quality of your VCR? and of your source tapes?

"garbage in, garbage out", "silk purse, sow's ear", etc...

http://www.panasonic.com/PBDS/subcat/Products/vtrs_vcrs/f_ag-7350.html

[Navellint]

wotef:
what's a canopus? I use Akai VS-F600 (Hi-Fi =4head) and good quality. The source tapes are excellent. Tnx for the link!

i4004:
I want to capture some VHS-tapes (cartoons) and make a dvd out of it. Of course the quality will not be very good, but at least it won't be worse. And keep in mind i have a p3-450 MHZ, so i'm glad i'm capturing at all. W/o loss of frames too.

[^^-+I4004+-^^]

Originally posted by wotef


http://www.panasonic.com/PBDS/subcat/Products/vtrs_vcrs/f_ag-7350.html

LOL!
i would prefer betacamsp used machine!
heheh
(no i'm not providing any links.......im currently on win98 and it'll crash any time now!heheheh
perhaps when i'm on my win2k partition....perhaps not...)

[wotef]

eh, sorry to confuse with the link to the expensive pro vcr; if we all had access to pro decks with zero jitter and noise then there'd be no posts in this forum!

the first point is that you must reconcile yourself to ultimately ass quality with all these domestic home decks and be prepared for tedious post-processing and filtering to get a good end result from your vcr capture

the second point is it's a waste of money to buy an expensive capture card when you're stymied by the source components anyway

[^^-+I4004+-^^]

so,what else is new?
hehehe

[sebus]

Just discovered a combination that works for me.
Have few VHS (relatively poor quality tapes) that I wanted to get rid off, but keep the conetest. I have tried:
DV bridge & compression to avi (works OK, but the time it takes just does NOT justify the end result)
DVC II (works OK, but costs £170+, one I tried was at work)
ATI MMC 7.7.1 (with my ATI AIW 128 Pro, never could agree on quality)

I last desparate effort I tried InterVideo WinDVR 2
The result was amazing (at least to me) The quality was that of a tape. And the capture to PAL SVCD (that can then be burned to DVD) was in real time.

I am simply impressed with the $39 software

sebus

[srsstvs]

Originally posted by wotef
never mind a canopus, how is the quality of your VCR? and of your source tapes?

"garbage in, garbage out", "silk purse, sow's ear", etc...

http://www.panasonic.com/PBDS/subcat/Products/vtrs_vcrs/f_ag-7350.html

I agree. If your source is garbage then it'll come out as gargage. But if your sources are good, like original VHS movies, then with Canopus you'll get EXACT quality as the VHS movies. There is no point of buying a Canopus unless you want to backup your VHS tapes and save some storage space. That's why I bought my Canopus ADVC-50 to backup my 700 plus VHS tapes to DVD so I don't have to spend money and buy them on DVDs or rent them again. But, Canopus IS GOOD!!!