Recording Video: big files after the capture?!
 

Hi!

I have a Tr940 Hi8 HnadyCam with an S-Video output and I would like to know if its normal to have a 16gigs file (320X240 29FPS NTSC) for 1 hour video (not compressed). The quality is good.

My question is ...

With a better capture card would I have as big files after the capture or smaller files with better quality?

What card do you recommend me? I don't want Nvidia based card. Now I have a cheap card that I bought on Ebay for about 40$. Its only write Digital PC TV Capture on the box.

Thank you!

Steeve

Re: Capture question
 

Yes it is. In non compressed (raw) mode, the size needed by a frame is width x height x 3 bytes. Here you have 29.970 frames / second, 3600 second in an hour...

Better card will capture in an higher resolution. As you can see above, in raw mode, the size increase with the resolution.
With good card you can probably also capture in DV format, that is a little bet compressed, but still need 30GB for one hour (in 720x480 pixels).

Ok! Thank you!

With DivX 5.0.5 (1 pass) I can lower the 16 gigs files to 1 gigs. Any way to reduce it more?

Do you think with a better card I would have the same quality as the 16gigs file but compressed?

With my card when I capture in 640 X 480...my computer lag. P3 800 896 sdram.

Merci DialHot! ;)

steeve

Of course but the more you reduce, the worst is your source !
There is no efficient compression codec that is also lossless.
1Gig for a 1hour long video it's okay, but do not go under that.


De rien :)

If the image quality on my Hi8 tape is optimal...will the quality is suposed to be like a minidv camera when I transfert it to my PC?

Possible to encode the 16 gigs avi source file directly in KDVD? Will this worth the time?

The capture program that we take can have effect on the final result?

What computer I would need to capture in 640 X 480 and more? I own a PIII 800Mhz 896 SD-Ram and it can't capture 640 X 480 without lagging.

thank you!

steeve

No, it won't. DV is 720*480 and digital natively. A capture (means analog -> digital convertion) can't reach the same quality.

Of course you can. You even should to...

It has effect of the frame loss.
But it's better to let people doing capture tu answer, because I never do :)

If I capture in 720 X 480 the quality will far away from MiniDV or just a bit less good?

I will...! :) I'm better to convert it in mpeg2 and from there convert it in KDVD? With some of my DivX 6.0 encoded video I have better success to convert them in mpeg2 and after I convert them in WMV. Its better then convert the DivX 6.0 encoded video directly in WMV. Same with KDVD?

Steeve

If your capture card supports external codec do capture with huffyuv lossless codec (big files). Then convert straight to KDVD.

Prophecy604: KDVD is MPEG2. MPEG2 is the codec, KDVD specs contain the specific variables for MPEG2 codec. Basically it's using the notch matrix.

Capture with HuffYUV or some MJPEG codec (ffdshow includes one you can use). Whatever you do, capture in YUY2 colorspace. Then convert the captured avi file to your final format. Never do any intermediate encodes unless you use a lossless codec.

As noone answer to this part, I do : this depend on the quality of the capture card. It can be anything between the two.

Thank you guys!

I will prolly change my computer to allow me to capture in more then 320 X 240. I don't think my capture card supports external codec. The quality is good when I listen (live) what is on my Hi8 tape via the capture card but as soon that I encode it in DivX 320 X 240 the quality drop.

steeve

I have a PIII 800Mhz / 896 Sd-Ram 333 mhz / Geforce MX 400 video card

What I need to capture in 720X480 (kdvd)?

A) A new CPU
B) More memory
C) A new video card
D) A new PC :P

A Pentium IV 3 Ghz / 512 DDR 400 Mhz / Geforce MX 400 would capture in 720X480 resolution?

Thank you guys!

Steeve

In this point i would ask also at one of our experts friends, that, please, explain what broadcasting or any other capture source is worth enough to capture at 720*480.
I seem to remember that analog tv broadcasting can be captured without any loss at 352 (288, 576?, i don't remember this well).

You only need a new CPU but you probably must upgrade the whole PC. Although you should be able to use MJPEG for capturing at full resolution on your current system, use VirtualDub and turn off preview while capturing.

Any analog TV broadcast should be captured at the highest possible resolution. The exact resolution you should use depends on your capture card (the chip actually). PAL broadcasts are something over 700x576 and NTSC 640x480 I think.

Many capture cards sample at very high resolution and then scale down to the desired resolution, which is not good at all.

When I capture with virtualdub I can't create avi source more then 2048 megs.

Also, in the capture setting its write 15 FPS do I up it to 29.97 FPS?

I go in Video / Set customs format and I choose MJPG 720 X 480 and I got an error message ... "Error 418 - Format video non reconnu". ???

How the hell a 16 gigs / hours files can be compressed to be burned on a normal CD or DVD. I calculated that I can only enter 1h30 hours on a DVD...!! I would really need a KDVD tutorial like the KVCD one.

Thank you!

Steeve

You have to use segmented capturing, that is, VDub will split the capture into <2GB parts that you can combine in the Avisynth script.

You must capture at 29.97fps if you are an NTSC user.

Use YUY2 as the colorspace (it's in the Format menu option).

I strongly suggest that you read the Doom9 capture guide, it contains a lot of useful information about processing the capture. I'm also sure there's KDVD guides available as well on this site.

Humm...where? ;)

Uh, Mr. Google should be able to tell you, that's what he is for :?

Good.

http://www.doom9.org/?/capture/start.html (For those how read this post and need the link)

A question came to me during the time I was reading this great tutorial...

HuffYuv Codec = UYVY ? YUY2 ? YVU9 ?

Since my capture card is WDM I will use Virtual VCR.

Thank you!

YUY2

I strongly recommend the latest VirtualDub. VirtualVCR is outdated and not supported anymore.

Oh yes? In the doom9 guide they say that the Virtual VCR is for WDM based card and virtualdubmod is for the another kind of card that I forgot the name (wfd or somehting like that...)

steeve

The guide is slightly out-of-date. By the time of writing, VirtualDub was for VfW captures only. The 1.6 branch supports WDM as well, and it works very well at least for me (and many other as well).

Oh ok! Good! :) VirtualDub and VirtualDubMod are the same?

Not there are not.
VDM supports audio that VD not.
Also there is a VDM mpeg2 special version.
But I don't know about the last releases.

Thank you Prodater! :)

It is possible to compress video & sound simultanous during encoding in KDVD?

If you do mean with the same encoder, it will be first audio or video but at end you will have both ready. For example with tmpgenc, mainconcept encoder, QuEnc and tools as DVDRebuilder, DIKO, etc.
I don't know enough CCE but i saw some function related to audio also.
If you do mean with different tools at same time, it is possible but the task running in background will encode slower than that in the active window.

VDM is not updated since 1.5.10 (VD is now 1.6.9, that's a lot of versions !)

Unfortunally the project is dead (at least for the moment).

Ok if I understand well I need to encode the video and after encode the sound and after I need to join the to file with DVD rebuilder or DIKO? Oh man...I'm not near to burn a KDVD! heheahehaheahe :)

Any guide like Capture Doom9 guide for KDVD? Me like guide/tutorial! :)

steeve

No. Once you have your audio and video streams (not muxed) you should load them in this way in DVDLab. There are another authoring tools that ask for your muxed mpg but i don't recommend you that. If possible do use DVDLabPro, even the trial version.

For captures forget DVD Rebuilder as it only works with authored DVDs.

Don't use CCE to encode audio. Use BeSweet (+BeSweet GUI) to create an mp2 file that you can then use on the DVD. Remember to capture the audio at 48000Hz and as non-compressed WAV.

Phil, VDub's already at 1.6.11 :D

VDubMod was updated just a while ago but they didn't merge the code to the 1.6-branch, and I think they are not planning on doing that.

But i remember and can't find out now, an advise from Incredible about my quoted test, talking about to not capture at full resolution with i don't remember what conditions.

SO MANY THANK!! :)

What affordable capture card DON'T sample at very high resolution and then scale down to the desired resolution? How to know if my card do this?

This is my capture card...

http://cgi.ebay.ca/PCI-PC-TV-Tuner-V...QQcmdZViewItem

That's why I say in the quote that the resolution that should be used depends on the capture chip :wink:

EDIT: (Prophecy64: if you don't know the card brand and model, you need to try to see if the chip is visible on the card and determine which it is. What does Device Manager say?)

I don't know what the sampling rate is with the chip your card has. I'm sure Incredible will be able to help you if he happens to bump into this thread.

TV Card 7130 its what I see in the Device Manager...nothing really helpfull. I will look on the chip directly. What I want to see on it?

The chip probably is a Philips SAA7130 but I don't know what the sampling rate is. You could try capturing at 720x480 (you're an NTSC user?) and 704x480 and post one screenshot from both of them. In VDub you can take a screenshot by loading the file, seeking to the frame you wish to grab and pressing CTRL+1. Then paste the clipboard contents in some image processing program (IrfanView is a free one if you don't have any) and save as jpg for example. ImageShack will host the pics if you don't have any space of your own.

Yes it is this chipset.

For now I can't capture in 720 X 480 because of my weak computer. I will do this as soon that I have my new computer. If the 704 X 480 resolution if worst then than the 720 X 480 its because my card sample at very high resolution and then scale down to the desired resolution?

Yes I'm NTSC. About that...I can choose NTSC_M and two others in Vdub when I'm in the capture option. Which one is the best?

I have an FTP to post my video! :)

Steeve

It doesn't matter if the capture has dropped frames as I need only one frame as a screenshot to do some analysis. Without the two screenshots it's impossible to know whether the card has a scaler or doesn't, unless someone knows the sampling rate.

EDIT: Incredible already answered you in the "KDVD Quality" thread. If you have ~9 pixel borders on the left and right side with 720x480, use that for capturing. Otherwise use 704x480.