Canopus ADVC 100 Converter ? [Archive]

Malow

21st March 2003, 08:35

i have one advc100 on my old pc, and are really amazing.

about quality, a like more the advc100 than a matrox rt2500,
the image are sharp, good look, and i belive it has a better dv codec, because analog capture in advc100 looks better than a rt2500
(2500 make some blocks in some colors, and in advc100 a dont see)

the resolution will be allways 720x480, i donth now if some app can lower the resolution on capture or etc (i belive ho some mpeg2 capture programs can reduce the size) but, i allways capture in dv, so, nobody will want to change resolution.

the datarate of video will be allways the same, all codecs compress in the same ratio, except dvpro50.

the ratio are 8.6 : 1, 3.515Mb/s (i belive any 30-40g 5400 rpm can capture) 120000 bites the frame size.

is veeery compatible whith capture apps, are good capture programs and are simple to use... and have demacrovision too

a love it, more than any other capture board or equipment.
works, y may see the vcdhelp site, all people talk good things about it.

some pics using analog capture from a ag-dvc15 camera and a trailler from a dvd player. (jpg at higest quality)

www.malow.kit.net

Swan

22nd March 2003, 22:40

I've had my Canopus ADVC-100 since January and I am more than pleased with it. I have previously used BT878-cards.

The quality on the captured files from the ADVC is great, the locked audio feature is a dream. Capturing has never been easier, editing has never been easier. If you get one you will not have any audio/video desync issues!

I am a meticulous person and I didn't think I'd ever find a capturing device that fit my demands to 100%, but the ADVC-100 is nearly there.
I'd say I'm 95% happy with it. :)
The only two negatives I can say about it is that:
A. There is no way to regulate the audio levels when "capturing" (tranferring data from the ADVC to the HD) and for me, capturing from satellite (DVB), the levels are always too low for my taste.
B. It has problems with some old VHS tapes. It can skip frames sometimes if the sync pulses on the tape is messed up.

The resolution is always 720 x 576 for PAL and 720 x 480 for NTSC.
This is because the Canopus is a DV25 (consumer DV) device and the consumer DV specification only contains those two resolutions.

But! Using for example Ulead DVD Workshop, DVD Moviefactory or VideoStudio enables you to capture to Mpeg-1 and Mpeg-2 on the fly.
These softwares can also downsize to 352 x 280 (PAL) or 352 x 240 (NTSC) so you can capture directly to VCD, if you like. The SVCD resolution presets does not work, though.
But it's always better to capture to Mpeg-2 using the DVD presets in Ulead's software and burn this directly to DVD (if you are short on HD space or just in a hurry) or as full resolution Avi DV and then convert this to whatever end format you desire, than to resize during capturing.

I whole-heartedly recommend any of the devices in the ADVC series.
Both for quality of the captured files, the locked audio feature and for the ease with which the captured Avi DV-files can be edited and converted to lossier formats (Mpeg-2, etc).

I have a short test image transmission you can look at if you like (about 3.2MB):
http://w1.837.telia.com/~u83704103/1_frame/canopus_longer_testimage.avi
Plus one frame from a test image:
http://w1.837.telia.com/~u83704103/1_frame/canopus_1_frame.avi

The source is satellite DVB.
I can upload another short avi-file with different type of image content, you like. Personally, I think a test image is the best thing for judging quality.

/Maria

808state

23rd March 2003, 01:26

Malow

Thanks for the reply; your URL is not loading though…I would love a look at the clip!

Thanks

Swan

Wow…the test pattern clips look gorgeous!!! You have any actual footage from Pay-Per View or Premium Movie Channel? I would also love to see some VHS content!

I am seriously considering buying the ADVC-500 in the near future. You know if this unit uses the same converter as the ADVC-100? To my understanding they have the same internal goods with the addition of Component in, Balanced Audio and a few other controls.

I recently did some testing with a Sonic Blue ReplayTV that turned out very well but felt that I was to limited as far as tweaking video colors and such during the cap.

If you have a FTP and broadband I would love to see some longer raw clips capped from the ADVC-100!

Thanks so much for the help!

My E-Mail 808State@beer.com

ScrollLock

23rd March 2003, 08:59

Hi!

Count me in as someone who is very happy with the Canopus ADVC100.

I have tried many capture solutions (various BT878 cards, MSI TV@nywhere, Lifeview Flyvideo 3000) but have returned using the ADVC100.
It is so much easier on the long-run than the PCI capture cards: No software/driver troubles; no dropped frames; very low CPU power for recording. Only drawback is the required disk-space: with 13GB per hour even a 80GB HDD gets filled quickly.

I have modified the DVApp sample application from Microsoft to allow capturing via the task scheduler, and some Perl-script to compress the 25Mbps down to some reasonable size with XviD.

I have a 2 sample captures on-line, as part of the thread "DV decoder differences" in the DV forum.
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=33526
The source is [crappy, noisy] analogue cable TV (composite video from set-top-box), PAL, Singapore.

just 2 worthless cents, ScrollLock

Swan

23rd March 2003, 18:39

@808state
Wow…the test pattern clips look gorgeous!!! You have any actual footage from Pay-Per View or Premium Movie Channel? I would also love to see some VHS content!
I can only upload max 10 MB on my web space and I don't have an FTP.
But I've got ADSL, so I don't mind uploading larger files, if you have an FTP. Send me a PM if that is the case. I can upload 2 files of 3.5 MB or similar from a Movie Channel and VHS to my web space, if you like.

I am seriously considering buying the ADVC-500 in the near future. You know if this unit uses the same converter as the ADVC-100? To my understanding they have the same internal goods with the addition of Component in, Balanced Audio and a few other controls.

The ADVC-500 must be brand new, I don't think it was not available when I bought the ADVC-100 in December last year. It looks *great*, even has the feature I lack on the ADVC-100, with audio peak level meters. WOW!:D
I'll download the pdf and see if the levels can be adjusted too.
If that is the case, I have to start saving up...
It looks so nice I want one.. Right now! ;)
But... $1499.00.. That is juicy price!:)

The ADVC-100 at $299.00 doesn't offer many knobs to turn and twist. In fact, if you want to adjust anything before or during capture, like hue and sharpness, you have to get the ADVC-500.

The ADVC (consumer) series is made up of three devices and they are exactly the same, uses the same compression and resolution, and they all give you the locked audio feature. The only differences between them are that the ADVC-100 is an external box which you in addition to capture from, also can export video through, out to a VHS VCR or a video camera.
The ADVC-50 is a PCI card and does not have firewire (1394 Open Host Controller Interface), so you need a firewire port in your computer to use it, whereas the ADVC-1394, also PCI, has firewire built-in. The 500 is clearly for pro usage. If it uses the same compression as the other ones, I'm not sure. The ADVC forum can answer that, they have very knowledgeable moderatorns there and many skilled users too.

@ScrollLock
Thank you for the rundown of DV codecs. I read it when I got the ADVC and it helped me select a codec. It's a very good sticky.
I am using the Panasonic codec, btw.
Have you been able to have both MainConcept's and Panasonic's installed at the same time, and switching between them?

Another oddity I'd like to know if you understand.. Because I don't. :)
I wanted to test Procoder (which came with the ADVC).
I created an avs-script with a few things in it, (fade in and out). Procoder did not want to open av avs. So I fed the avs to VFApi and created a fake avi. Procoder opened this and encoded it.
But the finished Mpeg-2 file was much, much darker than the original avi. In the avs, I did not use "Directshowsource", so the Panasonic codec should have been what decoded the file, right?

Panasonic's DV codec operates in RGB and VFAPi too, so why did the file become so dark?
When I give Procoder an avi, it uses Microsofts decoder and I don't want that, because of the chroma upsampling bug you mention in the sticky. But the final file has correct brightness when Procoder uses the default DV codec, which is MS's.

/Maria

808state

23rd March 2003, 22:51

Swan

Yep the 500 looks awesome as far as features are concerned. Here is an online vendor I found on www.pricewatch.com that has it for $1350 http://www.shopharmony.com/secure/products.asp?ItemID=CNPADVC500 I also found a few of them on E-Bay for around the same price!

You have ICQ or AIM maybe you can up me some clips through one of them. I also don¡¦t have a FTP :(
Thanks for the help

ScrollLock

Thanks for the good info, I will have to re-read it a few times to fully grasp what's going on...I am new to the DV codec :)

Swan

24th March 2003, 00:40

@808state
The main question I have is if the ADVC-500 isn't overkill for my (and as it sounds, your) purposes: capturing from DVB and VHS. It is after all, pro equipment and has a price tag that shows this clearly. :)
I'm going to buy an external audio mixer with good LED indicators on, so I can adjust the audio levels to my liking before capturing.
I am getting about -12 DB as it is now from the satellite DVB receiver.
The ADVC-500 has many pro features which I probably don't need, and maybe you don't either. I will read up on the 500 before thinking about replacing the ADVC-100, that's for sure. :)

I don't wish to use ICQ or AIM, but I can upload short clips on my web space, if you like.

/Maria

808state

24th March 2003, 02:27

Swan

In regards to your statement about whether or not I need a professional solution, I am planning on charging money for my video editing. In fact I have a local amateur dance studio that is willing to pay big money *Up front* for authored DVD’S and cassettes on a regular basis all year round. I’m not afraid to spend a little more money on entry level professional gear; because I will have it for years and hopefully it will pay for itself many times over.

A Mixing board sounds like a groovy idea for the audio peaks…I had an old *Radio Shack* one I paid $70 new that would work perfectly!

If you could post some clips on your web site I would be grateful!

Swan

25th March 2003, 11:38

808state,
If the device would pay for itself, then I would not hesitate to buy the ADVC-500 either. At least it's a good excuse to get one. :)
The thing that scared me a bit is that it looked to me as if it comes with Windows software to control settings on the device. One of the best things with the 100 (and the 50 and 384) is that no special proprietary software is needed, no special drivers, so it just worked, virtually right out of the box. I really like that, after having struggled with various drivers and "TV-card"-capturing solutions until my hair turned grey. :)

I have uploaded two short clips for you, one from a store-bought VHS tape (transferred via s-video), and one from a satellite DVB movie channel (also s-video).
Here they are:
http://w1.837.telia.com/~u83704167/canopus/

Sorry that they're so short, but it's the best I could do with the limited space from my ISP. Hope you have some use of them anyway.
If you want longer clips, PM me and we can work out how to send you avi DV samples from the ADVC-100 on CD-R via snail mail.

/Maria

majerle

25th March 2003, 13:28

Hi all

i am considering buy an advc-100 (or a vidac card, or a hauppauge vpr 350 :confused:) , after reading all comments here and on dvdrhelp.com.

But i have a doubt.

I primary will use advc100 for tv analog capture (PAL format).

Can i capture and at the same time, with other capture software, converting in mpeg1/2 ? ( on a p-iv 2.6ghz) or avi codec (with virtual dub) ? The cpu stressing is too much ?

The dv1 format is interlaced ? ( i think yes ...)

thanks all
BTW : what pvr's card ( hardware mpeg or not) you will buy with 350€ (or 350 $) ?

andres

Swan

25th March 2003, 14:30

@majerle
Can i capture and at the same time, with other capture software, converting in mpeg1/2 ? ( on a p-iv 2.6ghz) or avi codec (with virtual dub) ? The cpu stressing is too much ?
There is a difference between "capturing" as one does with a "TV-card", the often BT878 based cards, and the ADVC's.
With a BT878 card, it's the capturing software that compresses the video, for example in VirtualDub, you select to capture in avi-format with Mjpeg compression. This means that your computer (cpu, etc) is busy, as it has to take care of the transfer of the incoming video to your hard drive and compress the video with Mjpeg, HuffYuv or whatever you use. If you capture to Mpeg-2 (real-time Mpeg-2 encoding), the cpu has to work really hard. Real time Mpeg-2 capturing takes a lot of power, you need a fast computer for it.

To "capture" with the ADVC takes much less power (needs a less powerful computer). Because it's not a "capture" in the sense we often use the word here in the forum. It's a "transfer of video to the harddrive". With the ADVC, the compression is done *inside the ADVC* and the video is then simply transferred to the hard drive via Firewire. The capturing software is what decides what format the final video will be in (type-1 or type-2 avi).
One can also compress the already DV-compressed video from the ADVC to Mpeg-1 or Mpeg-2 in real time, with software like VideoStudio, Moviefactory, etc, from Ulead. But what comes out, straight from the ADVC is DV-compressed video.

The cpu-heavy process of compressing the video is not done by software, it's done in hardware, inside the ADVC.
Your computer sounds powerful enough to be able to "capture" video from the ADVC with real-time Mpeg-compression, if that's what you want.

You can't use VirtualDub, because it doesn't work with Firewire devices. I have not seen any capturing software for DV devices that write down any other files but avi (type-1 or type-2) or Mpeg-1 and Mpeg-2 to the HD. And I wouldn't want one either. The best thing is to transfer the video from the ADVC as Type-2 OpenDML avi, then editing can be done in VirtualDub (provided one has a a VFW DV codec installed) and exported to your preferred end format. Second best is capturing with Ulead's software with the DVD quality presets.

Yes, if the video you are capturing is interlaced, then the file you get from the ADVC is interlaced too.

majerle

25th March 2003, 15:13

Thanks a lot Swan ! :) :) :)

I have understud but a have few questions unanswered:

may be a stupid question : how is comparable the dv quality with mpeg 2 (say a near dvd quality (4 Mbit/s)) ?
and is dv format good for tv capture in your opinion ?
another one : how much space require dv format for 1 hour of movie ?

fell free to put links your answer.

Thanks again

Andres

Swan

25th March 2003, 21:50

how is comparable the dv quality with mpeg 2 (say a near dvd quality (4 Mbit/s)) ?
The quality of a DV file from the ADVC is much, much, much better than anything else I have seen on "home captures" from broadcasts. It's hard to answer this, majerle, because in my view it is not fair to compare the DV material from the ADVC with a Hollywood DVD.
A professional DVD is made from the finest raw material (film), edited, processed and encoded with professional equipment and is something a "regular" person as myself can not have access to.
The source I have is DVB, which is already Mpeg-2 compressed, so there's blocking it the material I get even before the video is DV-compressed in the Canopus. I don't have the best raw material, which the DVD Studios have. But, in my view, the picture quality on the DV-files I get from the Canopus is the best I've ever seen and I can't (at this stage of my personal "video evolution") wish for anything more. When I output the TMPGEnc encoded Mpeg-2 files I have made from the DV material via TV-out, I can hardly tell the difference from the live broadcast. The picture quality on files captured with the ADVC is stunning. It has been compressed three times before I am through with it; first Mpeg-2 (DVB); then DV, then Mpeg-2 again. Even so, it looks great. So, in my view, you don't have to be concerned that the picture quality on the files from the ADVC-100 won't satisfy you.

and is dv format good for tv capture in your opinion ?
Yes. It's excellent. Picture quality is excellent, the audio is always in sync with the ADVC and the files are dead easy to edit and encode to another format, like DivX, Xvid, Mpeg, etc. If you are looking for an easy capturing solution that gives great results with little effort, the ADVC devices is for you.
The only downfall with capturing in avi DV format is the file size. I get about 13 Gigabytes per hour, so you need two hard drives if you want to record some marathon event from TV. Or, you can capture to high-quality Mpeg-2 with Ulead's software, if a minium of file sizes is a high priority for you.

I usually do this:
Capture in avi DV when I want to create an SVCD or DVD and image quality and audio quality is the most important factor.
I capture in Mpeg-2 with Ulead MovieFactory's DVD Preset (PAL DVD VBR 8000 kbps/s) when I want to watch the file via TV-out and then throw it away. I use the PC as a VCR and have been doing so for quite a while. The files from Moviefactory can also be burned directly on a DVD disc and in my view, after testing it on several occasions, it can also be encoded to SVCD with sufficient quality in the end. The combined quality from Ulead's Mpeg-2 encoding and the ADVC's DV compression is *that good*.

^^-+I4004+-^^

25th March 2003, 23:25

>But, in my view, the picture quality on the DV-files I get from the Canopus is the best I've ever

better than bt8x8+huffyuv?
(you naughty,naughty swan...heheh)

majerle

26th March 2003, 07:44

@Swan

A big thanks !

You are truly kind and exaustive.

Andres

Ookami

31st March 2003, 14:25

I didn't read all the comments, so bare with me if this has been already said.

I own the ADVC-100 so I'll add one very important thing that is not noticed or mentioned many times.

If you plan to capture VHS tapes (especially those with bad signals) you should either have a good VCR with a good TBC, or even better, buy a external TBC as the ADVC-100 has quite some problems with bad signals. But, with a normal GPU, you'll have also problems, but the ADVC stutters primarly in the audio, the capture programs that you use with the "normal" GPUs tend to drop frames...

@ScrollLock

Would you like to share your tweaked program with the other Canopus ADVC users? I don't even have time to convert all my capture stuff, so I, sadly, didn't even searched for the timed capture possibilities with this device :( .

Cheers,

Mijo.

yg1968

31st March 2003, 16:07

This is a bit off the topic. But if you are willing to spend a little more, you can get a digital camcorder with a passthrough feature (many Sony or Canon digital camcorders have this feature). The passthrough feature is essentially equivalent to having the Canopus ADVC-100.

Entropy512

31st March 2003, 16:28

Originally posted by Ookami

If you plan to capture VHS tapes (especially those with bad signals) you should either have a good VCR with a good TBC, or even better, buy a external TBC as the ADVC-100 has quite some problems with bad signals. But, with a normal GPU, you'll have also problems, but the ADVC stutters primarly in the audio, the capture programs that you use with the "normal" GPUs tend to drop frames...

THANK YOU. I was going to ask if anyone knew how well the ADVC-100 performed on "old" VHS tapes. (i.e. if it appeared to have a TBC). Now I have the answer. Looks like I might have to get an ADVC-100 AND a TBC for backing up old home videos.

^^-+I4004+-^^

1st April 2003, 01:11

would you like some screenshots to see how much noise
bt8x8 can capture with btwncap drivers.....

i tell ya.......

btw. would this be your first capture device?

>This is a bit off the topic. But if you are willing to spend a little more, you can get a digital camcorder with a passthrough feature (many Sony or Canon digital camcorders have this feature). The passthrough feature is essentially equivalent to having the Canopus ADVC-100.

this is true....
you pay as for advc100 + tbc and you get video camera as an
extra.....heheh
i would take dv+tbc+camera in one device,how bout you?

Swan

1st April 2003, 01:23

*Cough*, *cough*.. I did mention the VHS problems. ;)
I have captured from perhaps 20 VHS tapes and have encountered it only two times so far; once on a store-bought tape (not Macrovision protected) and one of my own tapes from 1988. Mind you, I could not tell these were "problem tapes", they played fine on the TV and were not worn and torn, especially not the store-bought tape, which is perhaps ten years old but had only been played a few times.

It has been suggested to me that this has to do, not only with bad or lost sync pulses on the video track of the tape, but that audio dropouts can be the cause of the problem as well.
So unlocking the audio (seeting the dip switch from locked to unlocked audio) may help.
I haven't had the time to test it yet. If anyone else can test it on a problem tape, I'd be interested to hear the result.

Also, can anyone confirm that a TBC has helped them capture a problematic tape?

/Maria

Entropy512

1st April 2003, 02:24

Originally posted by Swan
*Cough*, *cough*.. I did mention the VHS problems. ;)
I have captured from perhaps 20 VHS tapes and have encountered it only two times so far; once on a store-bought tape (not Macrovision protected) and one of my own tapes from 1988. Mind you, I could not tell these were "problem tapes", they played fine on the TV and were not worn and torn, especially not the store-bought tape, which is perhaps ten years old but had only been played a few times.

It has been suggested to me that this has to do, not only with bad or lost sync pulses on the video track of the tape, but that audio dropouts can be the cause of the problem as well.
So unlocking the audio (seeting the dip switch from locked to unlocked audio) may help.
I haven't had the time to test it yet. If anyone else can test it on a problem tape, I'd be interested to hear the result.

Also, can anyone confirm that a TBC has helped them capture a problematic tape?

/Maria
Hmm... So the ADVC-100 could have some sort of TBC in it and there was something else wrong with the tapes. Malow mentioned something about "demacrovision", which would imply that it DID have TBC functionality.

Malow

1st April 2003, 06:57

i have no problems even whith old tapes, but, some ooold tapes, are "uncapturable" ... jumps, jumps, jumps... film roll like crazy..

i have a JVC SVHS video, an it has TBC and Noise Reduction, but, using tbc in there, just make the image LITTLE less fliker, don´t remove anjy jump or other thing, and dont help me to capture that reeeeally bad tape... but, exist TBC stronger than others TBC´s?

everyone say who tbc help to capture bad tapes, but in my case, just help 20% on "medium" tapes, because the bad ones, i still can´t capture.

Malow

Swan

1st April 2003, 13:05

Originally posted by Entropy512
Hmm... So the ADVC-100 could have some sort of TBC in it and there was something else wrong with the tapes. Malow mentioned something about "demacrovision", which would imply that it DID have TBC functionality.
Yes, it is possible to disable Macrovision on the ADVC-100.

"1. Press and HOLD the Input Select switch.
2. When colour-bars appear at analogue output, KEEP THE BUTTON PRESSED.
3. Wait until the colour-bars DISAPPEAR before releasing the button.
Macrovision is now disabled until the unit is switched off. You do not have to be playing a Macrovision-protected signal into the box while doing this."

I don't think it has a built-in TBC, because if so, it would be mentioned in the threads about capturing problematic VHS tapes at Canopus's ADVC forums.
Check this out: http://forum.canopus.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=GenADVC&Number=39892&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1

@ Malow i have no problems even whith old tapes, but, some ooold tapes, are "uncapturable" ... jumps, jumps, jumps... film roll like crazy..
Also when you just watch the tape on the TV? Or only when you capture?
The tapes I had trouble with appeared fine on the TV for me. I could not have suspected they'd present a problem, that's the mysterious part.

i have a JVC SVHS video, an it has TBC and Noise Reduction
I also have a JVC SVHS VCR (HR-S6851).
It has a setting called "Video Stabilizer".
The manual states "when this function is enabled you can automatically correct vertical shaking during playback of unstable recordings created by another VCR. Is that the TBC?
What is the TBC function called on your VCR?
When I enable it, the picture occasionally shakes up and down (bounces slightly up and down), so I keep it disabled. It makes things worse for me.

This VCR also has something called "B.E.S.T." which the manual says stands for "BiConditional Equalized Signal Tracking" and which, again according to the manual, "checks the condition of the tape during playback and recording and compensates to give the best possible playback and recording quality".

The VCR in addition has a setting for "editing mode", which one should set when copying from the JVC to another source. The setting that is recommended is "Edit", there are also "Auto", "Sharp", "Soft" and "Norm".

What is the noise reduction function called on your VCR?

^^-+I4004+-^^

1st April 2003, 13:43

Originally posted by Malow
i have no problems even whith old tapes, but, some ooold tapes, are "uncapturable" ... jumps, jumps, jumps... film roll like crazy..

i have a JVC SVHS video, an it has TBC and Noise Reduction, but, using tbc in there, just make the image LITTLE less fliker, don´t remove anjy jump or other thing, and dont help me to capture that reeeeally bad tape... but, exist TBC stronger than others TBC´s?

everyone say who tbc help to capture bad tapes, but in my case, just help 20% on "medium" tapes, because the bad ones, i still can´t capture.

Malow

somehow i doubt that's the "real" tbc....
they cost as much as that complete VCR......
and also seems like Swan nicely illustrated how "good"
it is.....
but i think some tapes can't be recovered by
any tbc device....
i think that goes into another direction;
if you have REALLY poor tapes,then the main problem (for me)
is the noise as a result of head gettin dirty....
(like 1 head is ok and other dirty....half of the image
is noise....but even like that i have decent results with bt8x8)

malow,can you make some screenshots available so we can
see how destroyed that vhs is,and i'll provide some of my
worse vhs samples....

Malow

2nd April 2003, 10:28

2 Swan-

some tapes look good on tv, very soft movements, normal... but, on capture (bt878, advc100, rtx100) the image vorks 1 second and looks like it back some frames, like this:

1-2-3-4-2-5-6-7-8-6

and othes looks bad on tv and capture too (almost always jumps for up and roll)

My JVC are S7600U, and i belive that Video Stabilizer are the "video calibration" that appeas wen u start the tape or when the tracking of the tape act diferent... and appears "video calibration" on screen when superimpose are on. Yeah, and some times appears bad when Video Stabilizer are on.

In my video has a green button , "TBC/NR" (TBC and noise reduction)

About the B.E.S.T , my VCR has nothing about is (may be it not the best... hehe..)

Noise reduction on my vcr, are only on that green button and in the menu, is works with TBC nothing more, and looks like temporal noise reduction, and have no setup for it... enable tbc and nr or disable both, nothing more.

im posting here 4 pics,

www.malow.kit.net/index.html

look in 1,2,3... (if site open for u)

are a sequence of a video, but in frame 2, looks like a iterlace artifact dont?, bur are not! the image are almost whit no movements,
and looks like a big shake! in fact, it combine the actual frame with a old frame.... like the frame 10 interlaced with the 2 frame... strange dont?

and the pic 4 , are a good *bad* tape.. .:)

Malow..

Malow

2nd April 2003, 10:29

o forgot, the pics part are a reply to ^^-+I4004+-^^

Malow again...

^^-+I4004+-^^

2nd April 2003, 16:39

>some tapes look good on tv, very soft movements, normal... but, on capture (bt878, advc100, rtx100) the image vorks 1 second and looks like it back some frames, like this:
1-2-3-4-2-5-6-7-8-6

my experience is that this happens on wdm system (bt8x8 wdm
driver) if the signal is very poor,lots of noise....
rather than introducing dropped frames,or blue screen (as vfw does)
btwincap driver is repeating the last good frame (or field,it
seems to depend on how much of signal is destroyed...)
that's better than dropping frames alltogether...

your samples are simillar to my very poor vhs caps...
with this kind of poor "field alignement",i had good results with deinterlacers....(although that means one original field will be lost)
i'll try to make some samples and put them on web
(as i said i will..) with the effects of telecide and smothdeinterlacer....

cheers
/ivo

ps. thanks for your effort......

[edit:here,some of my samples of poor vhs...some mild nudity here,so minors keep away!(lol)
as it happens the porn tapes are easier to deteriorate,i wonder why...
hehe.......
few notes on the samples;originally captured at 768x576,other processing done with avisynth (that is 1.telecide(post=false) and/or
smoothdeinterlace(),2."peachsmoother" with 90,30,110 settings (users know what am talking about),3.resized to 640x480, screenshots
with Vdub or Ndub (don't remember ,it's the same thing..))

seems like i'll be doing film source with "telecide(post=false)"
only (don't want to mess the image with applying the deinterlacer after it...even though that means more noise will be left...)
and video with smoothdeinterlace() only..(hehe,like i have some
choice...)
this way i hope to preserve the quality of original as much as possible (won't do any "heavy-duty" smoothing,as then i'll do more harm...)

http://i4004.0catch.com ]

Malow

3rd April 2003, 05:35

^^-+I4004+-^^

yeah, i belive u are right,
it occours on bt878.. but, in advc100 and rtx100 happens the same too, but, after every 1 minute, sometimes 2... and in bt878 every second...

that video was get in from a home hi-fi vhs, and, in my jvc svhs, the jumps do not coocur, but it generates A LOT of black lines that come from left to right, i think "is the TBC" , but are not, the tracking do this... adjusting the tracking of the home vhs, looks same as the jvc svhs....

te tape are really crap.. :)>

Malow

^^-+I4004+-^^

3rd April 2003, 16:31

>that video was get in from a home hi-fi vhs, and, in my jvc svhs, the jumps do not coocur, but it generates A LOT of black lines that come from left to right, i think "is the TBC" , but are not, the tracking do this... adjusting the tracking of the home vhs, looks same as the jvc svhs....

if the video is this noisy (like the images
we sent) i doubt tbc will help..
tbc can't reconstruct video signal from the noise,
nothing can.....
we are seeing tape deterioration in conjuction
with the heads getting dirty every few seconds
and this (in my view) cannot be captured properly
(no matter the device).....

tbc will help if one has NO NOISE,but the capture
device cannot find the sync signals,because VCR
is giving unstable sync signals (for this or that reason)..(this is
possible too....)

yes,it will look like tracking problems because when the tracking is off,noise is introduced to signal too.....
but this is no mere tracking problem......

kaitsuburi

8th April 2003, 05:21

Hi there!

Here in Japan and was able to get the ADVC-100 new for about $230. Over here, apart from the ADVC-500 which has recently come out, another flavour or Canopus ADVC came out around New Year's, the ADVC-200TV, which has a built-in NTSC TV tuner. The latter costs a little over $300 and I was tempted to get it, but finally decided to go with the very-highly praised ADVC-100. No regrets!

It was my first capture device ever, so I can't comment on quality vis-a-vis other devices, but I find it captures beautifully. I also own a MITSUBISHI S-VCR with 3D Y/C, DNR, and a TBC function, which I haven't had the need to use yet (no bad problematic tapes have come my way).

As far as the capture software goes, I do it through ScenalyzerLive, selecting Canopus-compatible-DV-codec in the codec options. Through google (IIRC, my ADVC didn't come with any software), I found and installed a codec named "canopus 2.7 multi-threaded codec" and it has provided much cleaner decoding than if I select type 2 DV in SC-Live (I guess in the latter case it ends up using the MS proprietory codec??). Encoding in VdubMod with XviD through AVS 2.51 gives awesome results. I've got 2 WD1200JBs dedicated to video capture, so I don't mind the hefty amount of space it takes to capture through DV...

In short, go for it! I am very suspicious that with the flexibility and quality offered by the Canopus DV Codec/AVS-2.51 filters/XviD combo, my captures can easily surpass captures through the hardware MPEG-encoder cards from Canopus widely available and popular in Japan (e.g. MTV3000W, MTV2000, MTV2200SX or MTV1200HX).

-kaitsuburi

JF Sebastian

12th April 2003, 18:42

Swan
Dragging you back a little (forgive me) but in your original reply to 808state you said that for burning to DVD you could use Ulead or similar.
I want the ADVC100 to "capture" episodes from digital satellite of my favourite shows at best quality, then I want to burn as many of them as poss. onto each blank DVD at best quality.
I have got Ulead Movie Factory 2, and I know that this can compile several clips with menus etc, but on the preliminary tests I have done with this app, it seems to take an age to "convert file" first.
Would the captured material from the ADVC be in suitable DVD file format (ie MPEG2)for Ulead, to avoid this delay, or would I need to run it through another app to create the standard DVD fileset (VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS)?

(Currently to do DVD movie projects I use TMPGEnc to create video and mux the audio and subtitles etc back together with Maestro).

Thanks for your time

JF

Swan

14th April 2003, 21:36

Originally posted by JF Sebastian
Swan
I have got Ulead Movie Factory 2, and I know that this can compile several clips with menus etc, but on the preliminary tests I have done with this app, it seems to take an age to "convert file" first.
JF
It should not re-encode your Mpeg-2 files (if you've captured with Moviefactory using one of the DVD-presets)
Here's a step-by-step method I have put together:

1. Start MovieFactory 2

2. In the "Start Project" window, under "New Project" select "DVD" as output format.
Then click the "next" button at the bottom right of the window.

3. The new window that appears is called "Add/Edit Media Clip".
Click the camera icon at the top left.

4. The "Capture Video" window appears. Make sure that "DVD" is selected under "Capture format".
If you like, you can check what settings MovieFactory has selected for this recording by clicking the "Capture Settings" icon, located right under the "Capture Video" icon (a camera with a red circle). When clicking on "Capture settings", a window appears below and if you choose "Mpeg Settings" there, you can change things like video bitrate, variable or constant bitrate, whether to use PCM or Mpeg Layer II audio, etc.
I use the DVD PAL VBR (720 x 576, 8000 kbps) setting. The settings here may vary depending on what capture device is used.
With the Canopus ADVC-100, SVCD is not selectable, for example. Only full D1 (720 x 576 for PAL and 720 x 480 for NTSC) and half size (352 x 288 for PAL and 352 x 240 for NTSC).

5. Click the "Capture Video" icon (a camera with a red circle) to start capture. Click it again or hit the Escape button to stop capturing. Then, click "OK" and you will be returned to the "Add/Edit Media Clip" window.

6. You see an indicator at the bottom, showing you whether the video will fit on a DVD. Click the "Next" button at the bottom right to burn your captured video to DVD.

7. The "Setup Menu" window appears. This is where you create your menu. When done, click the "Next" button at the bottom right.

8. The "Preview" window is next and shows how your disc navigation will work in a standalone player. Click "Next".

9. The "Finish" window appears and you just select the correct burner (your DVD writer). If you're having problems with MovieFactory re-encoding your clips, click the "Project Settings" icon at the bottom left of the window.
The icon has a check mark on it. Verify that "Do not convert compliant Mpeg files" is checked.
Also, click on the "Change Mpeg Settings" button, then "Customize" to double check that the settings you used for capturing, matches the settings in the "project (which it should do, if you're using any of the DVD presets for capturing).

JF Sebastian

14th April 2003, 23:21

Swan
Thanks for that guide, I really appreciate it. :D

Forgive my lack of knowledge here, but are you saying that the Begin and End capture stage from within Ulead is in real time to the source?

I previously thought that I would be using the ADVC to dump episodes to HD over a period of time and then compile when ready? Or have I missed the point hopelessly? :stupid:

As you can see, I haven't played around with Ulead much!

TIA for your patience.

JF

PS
I forgot to ask as well - I will be using a Scart to 3 Phono lead to run from the Digital box to the ADVC. Is this the best conenction for quality and is the cable length an issue? There is around 8 feet between my decoder and my PC, so I either have a short run to the ADVC and a long firewire to the PC or vice versa. What do you think?

Swan

15th April 2003, 10:46

Originally posted by JF Sebastian
Swan
Forgive my lack of knowledge here, but are you saying that the Begin and End capture stage from within Ulead is in real time to the source?

Maybe we are misunderstanding each other. What I am trying to say is that with Ulead's software you have the option to capture, in real time, to Mpeg-2 format. Using the guide I posted shows how to capture ("record") video in Mpeg-2 format and then burn this straight to DVD, using MovieFactory.
Yes, the compression of the video to Mpeg-2 is in real-time. I use the method above to capture TV programs in Mpeg-2 format while they air and watch later.
The advantage is that I get an Mpeg-2 file straight away (no need to use TMGEnc, etc for time-consuming encoding)and it saves HD space. I mainly use this for stuff I want to watch then throw away, but in my view, the quality is more than satisfying for everyday recordings (not much blocking can be seen, the compression is kind and good and the final files look good too). It is way, way better than VHS in terms of audio and video quality for recording programs.
So, capturing in Mpeg-2, on-the-fly-mepg-2 compression, is possible with Ulead's software and the ADVC-100. The file can be burned to DVD without re-compression or anything, so it's a fast solution for getting something on to DVD. For extra special stuff, it's always better to capture video in DV avi, then convert with TMPGEnc or similar.

I previously thought that I would be using the ADVC to dump episodes to HD over a period of time and then compile when ready? Or have I missed the point hopelessly? :stupid:

No, please don't say that.. You're not stupid. :)
You can capture to Mpeg-2 on-the-fly with Moviefactory and compile what you want on the DVD later, yes. Various clips, captured at various times and from different sources can be put on one DVD as a compilation. You don't have to capture and burn a DVD in one operation, if you don't want to. You can capture, edit and burn this to DVD whenever you want (although editing is easiest if you're not capturing in Mpeg-2 format, but in Avi Type-1 or Type 2 which MovieFactroy also can do) .
You can also capture in Avi-format and let MovieFactory encode this to Mpeg-2 later. But this is more time-consuming than on-the-fly Mpeg-2 encoding as you "record". Also, the file sizes for one hour's worth of DV Avi is 13 Gigabytes, versus about 3 Gigabytes for a Mpeg-2 file (that's what I get with the PAL VBR 8000 preset).

I forgot to ask as well - I will be using a Scart to 3 Phono lead to run from the Digital box to the ADVC. Is this the best conenction for quality and is the cable length an issue? There is around 8 feet between my decoder and my PC, so I either have a short run to the ADVC and a long firewire to the PC or vice versa. What do you think?
The best is always to use the S-video in on the ADVC, especially if the cables from the Digital Box are long. I have a very, very long S-video cable from my Digital Satellite Receiver to the ADVC and maybe one meter long FireWire cable (3.2 feet) and I have no problems with with that. 8 feet is about 2.4 meters and my S-video cable is 10 meters (!), that's 32 feet, according to a conversion software I have. Could that be a correct figure? It's in the other room, so it's far. :) So, although you have a fairly short distance compared to mine, I suggest you use good RCA-cables for the audio (not thin flimsy ones), and preferably S-video for the video and I'm sure it'll be alright. I am also using a SCART in/out adapter in the satellite receiver. It has composite, S-video and left and right audio connectors.

JF Sebastian

15th April 2003, 21:33

Swan
Once again you have provided valuable info and I thank you. :)

Looking at your examples of file sizes I think it only makes sense to go the MPEG2 route rather than the DV avi - I will only be able to get a single one hour episode of any one of my favourite shows on one DVD in MPEG2 mode if it occupies 3 gig! Perhaps TMPGEnc would be advisable to re-encode at a slightly lower bitrate in order to squeeze two episodes on each blank? As I understand it the ADVC can capture at either "full" or "half" PAL res, but not with variable rates in between.

DV using up 13 gig per hour would be somewhat uneconomic on DVD blanks! :D

Could you post a link to the particular Scart adaptor cable you use? (or similar brands you might recommend). What about quality RCA cables?
Edit: I was just looking at the QED AV16 Scart to S-Video & Stereo Audio at the QED site - what do you think?

Rest assured I'll shortly leave you in peace to help out other less knowledgeable souls!!

Thanks

JF

Swan

16th April 2003, 10:54

Originally posted by JF Sebastian
Swan
Once again you have provided valuable info and I thank you. :)

It's my pleasure, JF. :)

get a single one hour episode of any one of my favourite shows on one DVD in MPEG2 mode if it occupies 3 gig! Perhaps TMPGEnc would be advisable to re-encode at a slightly lower bitrate in order to squeeze two episodes on each blank? As I understand it the ADVC can capture at either "full" or "half" PAL res, but not with variable rates in between.
No, no. You should not need to re-encode the Mpeg-2 videos you've captured with MovieFactory with TMPGEnc. It will degrade the quality and half the purpose, the meaning, of capturing in Mpeg-2 is lost if you do that, as TMPGEnc is very slow. One of the strong reasons to capture to Mpeg-2 on-he-fly is the time it saves, compared to using TMPGEnc.

What I was saying was that you can not capture in *SVCD resolution* with the ADVC-100 and Moviefactory. The SVCD preset gets blanked out. SVCD is 480 x 576 for PAL and 480 x 480 for NTSC and is not of interest to you anyway, as it is not a legal resolution for DVD.
With the ADVC you can capture in full D1 resolution(720 x 576 PAL, 720 x 480 NTSC) or half D1 (352 x 288 for PAL and 352 x 240 for NTSC).

For DVD, you should go with full resolution and there are no problems using various settings for bitrate on both audio and video in Moviefactory. VBR or CBR, bitrate, etc, all that works with the ADVC. It's just SVCD resolution that does not.
Setting a lower video and audio bitrate than the one I use (PAL VBR 8000) will yield even smaller file sizes so you can squeeze more content on to a DVD for sure. You just have to test the various presets, perhaps a variable video bitrate setting of 6000 kbps will suit your needs? Just experiment and see what file sizes you end up with, what quality you want (how low in bitrate you can go before you think it no longer looks good), etc.

Could you post a link to the particular Scart adaptor cable you use? (or similar brands you might recommend). What about quality RCA cables?

Actually, I have a no-name SCART adapter, bought at an on-line store here in Sweden for under the equivalence of 8 dollars (7,43 EURO).
One thing I have noticed is that you should go for the "gold-plated" ones, they are better than the silvery ones.
It's not been hard to find a SCART adapter that works, the main problem usually is the fit, some SCART connectors and adapters just don't see eye to eye. I hate SCART, by the way. :)

Edit: I was just looking at the QED AV16 Scart to S-Video & Stereo Audio at the QED site - what do you think?

I'm on a lousy dial-up connection at the moment (takes eons to surf, as I am spoiled by having ADSL for two years), but if you give me the URL, I'll look at them. If the price seems reasonable (not suspiciosly cheap), the cables probably alright. I have a brand called "Prolink" (S-video and RCA cables), like the SCART adaptor, it is most likely not pro stuff, but good enough for me.:D

Rest assured I'll shortly leave you in peace to help out other less knowledgeable souls!!
Ha, ha. I write here because I like to share what I know and get tips and advice when I need it. If I helped you, I'm glad about it and don't hesitate to ask if you need more information.

/Maria

JF Sebastian

16th April 2003, 19:54

Swan
Here are the two cables I was looking at:

http://www.qed.co.uk/cables/sqart/av16.html

and there are Prolink cables here:

www.lektropacks.com

See what you think - no hurry, you've done more than enough :)

Best

JF

Swan

17th April 2003, 17:10

Originally posted by JF Sebastian
Swan
Here are the two cables I was looking at:
See what you think - no hurry, you've done more than enough :)

:)
I am impressed you found a web site where so many variations on Prolink cables are sold!
I have a 10 meter S-video Prolink cable and it cost approx. 13,24 pounds. I think it's the 4-PIN 'S' 4-PIN 'S'
Order Code:- PS2S on http://www.lektropacks.co.uk/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=201

I also have the 10 meter gold-plated shielded Prolink RCA audio cable and it cost approx. 13,98 pounds here.

I also have a 1.5 meter S-video Prolink cable between the VCR and the ADVC and it cost 6,58 pounds.
They work terrific for me, so I dare to recommend them.

I can't say anything about the AV16, but it may be good when one wants to bypass the need for a SCART adaptor (it prevents the cables one connects to the adaptor to come loose). But, since I know how difficult it can be to find a SCART adaptor that fits in the satellite box, VCR, etc, I'd go for a SCART adaptor instead of the AV16, because if the SCART connectior on the AV16 doesn't fit in the satellite box, one has to buy a whole new S-video and audio cable, not just getting an adaptor of a different brand. That's cheaper and easier than replacing the AV16.

Personally, I'd prefer a SCART adaptor, separate S-video cable, separate RCA audio cables, rather than an all-in-one thing like the AV16, as I sometimes want to connect S-video to S-video on some devices (that do not have S-video in the SCART, but a separate S-video out instead). Or use the RCA cables for sampling music from the old vinly I own. So that's why I'd buy the Prolinks instead. It's more versatile to have a regular S-video cable than one that has a fixed SCART connector at one end.
Just my ten cents, is that the correct expression?
Good luck, JF, please report back so I can hear how you get on with the ADVC.

/Maria

JF Sebastian

17th April 2003, 20:05

Swan
Explanation clear :)

I think the main difference with my satellite decoder to yours is that it does not have an S-Video Out, only EuroConnector (Scart), RF Out and Stereo L and R Outs.

Therefore I think I will need something such as the AV16 simply because I don't have a direct S-Video Out, and the conversion from Scart to S-Video with Stereo channels will enable me to connect to the ADVC (when I get it, that is :rolleyes: ).

No doubt we shall speak again once I'm hopelessly stuck getting at all working :D , but for the time being, thanks for all your input.

Regards

JF

Swan

18th April 2003, 00:01

Originally posted by JF Sebastian
I think the main difference with my satellite decoder to yours is that it does not have an S-Video Out, only EuroConnector (Scart), RF Out and Stereo L and R Outs.
[/B]
No, my satellite decoder has S-video out in one of the pins in the SCART. It does not have a separate S-video out. I have a SCART adaptor in the satellite box, and then an S-video cable from the adaptor into the ADVC-100.

Therefore I think I will need something such as the AV16 simply because I don't have a direct S-Video Out, and the conversion from Scart to S-Video with Stereo channels will enable me to connect to the ADVC (when I get it, that is :rolleyes: ).

Ha, ha. No, you don't need the AV16. You can use an adaptor with s-video, composite and audio left/right in the satellite box' SCART "socket", just like I do, if you want.

No doubt we shall speak again once I'm hopelessly stuck getting at all working :D , but for the time being, thanks for all your input.

Break a leg!

/Maria

dernt

20th July 2003, 13:56

Originally posted by ^^-+I4004+-^^

this is true....
you pay as for advc100 + tbc and you get video camera as an
extra.....heheh
i would take dv+tbc+camera in one device,how bout you?

I am trying to decide how to spend my money to capture some vhs to dvd. I am looking at a Canon ZR 60 camcorder with analog pass through that costs 500 usd, which is just about what an ADVC-100 plus a TBC would cost. Some here have suggested the camcorder with the pass through would work. Anyone know if it will work just as well? Or should work just as well? What about macrovision? What about audio sync?

I'd like to get all the extra stuff with a camcorder if it functions the same, but if this is theory and conjecture, I think I'll stick with the proven ADVC-100 and add on a TBC if necessary.