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Old 10th September 2020, 17:03   #39  |  Link
benwaggoner
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 4,750
Quote:
Originally Posted by tugatomsk9 View Post
So, I ended up buying the Avermedia Game Capture HD II which generates mp4 video files.

The recorded video quality of the Avermedia device in "576i optimal" (for VHS content) is good, but not great. The 8bit AVC average bitrate of only 7500 kbps is merely serviceable. VLC player plays it fine, though. The aspect ratio is 1:1, apparently, resulting in 720x576 video files. I guess it makes resizing easier?
No, it's just a bug. It is almost certainly 720x576 4:3 if it is from VHS, so anamorphic. I'd keep the resolution the same. But if you want square pixel, stretch it horizontally to 768x576. Although you probably want to crop to 704x576 first due to horizontal blanking.

Quote:
The VCR being used is primarily a 2003 Panasonic NV-FJ623, with an older mono Sony SLV-135 whenever tracking becomes an issue.

The recording process is somewhat convoluted because I lack a composite to HDMi converter (I've ordered one, it just hasn't arrived yet). The signal from the VCR passes through a Sony DVD recorder (Sony RDR HX-710) via SCART. Then, the signal from the component output of the Sony recorder enters the Avermedia through the component input via a composite cable. It may seem terrible, but guess what, it works great, all things considered!
I am besotted with a heady mix of nostalgia and PTSD reading the above.

Can't you just get a capture card that can go composite to lossless or perceptually lossless 4:2:2? Or at least real-time to something better than an ASIC H.264? That'd be fewer steps and better quality. Doing 4:2:0 capture with interlaced is just buying yourself pain.

Quote:
Another issue is light aliasing present in the original VHS playback, like this, albeit not as strong:
https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/...nt-v-s-S-video
What field order are you capturing with? It should be Top Field First for PAL, and you should consistantly use that throughout the pipeline. Bottom Field First got used for NTSC by default sometimes, so if you are reusing any NTSC workflows, things could get off.
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