VHS capture codec in VirtualDub?
 

I am capturing old VHS-tape video with VirtualDub 1.9.11 (Windows 7, JVC VHS machine w TBC, Hauppauge USB-Live 2 device.) After editing, my videos will be burned to DVD, maybe MP4s as well.

As I’ve read, I’ll want to capture and keep things interlaced (until and unless I later convert to MP4). My editing software, Adobe Premier Elements, will not work with the HuffYUV codec (confirmed); However, I can use either Lagarith or UT Video.

Here is a screen-shot of my VirtualDub (1.9.11) Capture Mode>Video>Compression dialog, from which, for my purposes and from what I’ve read online, I assume that “UT Video, YUV422, BT.601 VCM” is the appropriate codec selection. (Some discussion would seem to indicate YUV420 as the appropriate choice, but the majority say YUV 422.) (I do not know what “VCM” means, if it matters.)

Attachment 13158


Also in Capture Mode, I then go to: Video>Select Custom Format. Based on my reading, I chose “YUY2, YUV 4.2.2 interleaved”. Here is a screen-shot of that dialog:

Attachment 13159


I do not know what “interleaved” means, but I assumed it means interlaced.

Notice the option for “YV12, YUV 4.2.0 planar”. In this context, I do not know what “planar" means.

In light of the above, one would think that I should simply select “YUY2, YUV 4.2.2 interleaved” and be done with it. But wait; something else, but related, turned up.

I captured my VHS video using ----
Compression: UT Video, YUV422, BT.601 VCM
Custom Video Format: YUY2, YUV 4.2.2 interleaved
I loaded the video into VLC Media Player, which has the following dialog: Tools>Codec Information. Here is a screen-shot of that screen:

Attachment 13160


Notice that for “Decoded Codec Information” it reads “PLANAR 4.2.2 YUV”.

You can anticipate my questions:
--- Does “interleaved” mean interlaced?
--- If interleaved means interlaced, and clearly I selected “Custom Video Format: YUY2, YUV 4.2.2 interleaved”, why would VLC Media Player interpret/report my file as “Planar”?
--- In this context, what is the meaning of “Planar”? Could it mean that my video is no longer interlaced? (If helpful, know that in VLC Media Player, I turned off the deinterlace function.)

Thank you for any help.

Wrong Thread Location
 

I now see that my starting post should have been placed under the Video Help thread. Sorry about that.
Perhaps the moderator would want to move this thread to the better location. Thanks.

No, YUV video is made up of Y (brightness) and U/V (color) data, and interleaved and planar has to do with the ordering of the data in the file/memory. The data may come out as interleaved from the capture device, but is converted and stored in a planar format when encoding to utvideo.

As long as the subsampling (4:2:2) is the same, it's not something you have to worry about. You seem to be using the correct codec and settings (BT.601 is correct for SD video. BT.709 is used for HD material). Just be vary that you have to manually tell the application you are editing with that the material is interlaced, with the top field first. You don't want to be using 4:2:0 as that means halving vertical color resolution, which can cause issues since the material is interlaced.

Thank you member hodgey for explaining that interleave does not mean interlaced, that my choice of subsampling 4.2.2 (instead of 4.2.0) is good, that BT.610 is right for SD video, that the word "planar" as reported in the VLC Media Player analysis of my test-capture video file is ok (which really confused me), and that my intended work flow seems to be correct.

And yes, you are spot on: I found it quite tricky, but I found it, that my editing program, Adobe Premier Elements, does not automatically recognize the parameters of my project [AVI, SD 720x480, Interlaced, Upper Field First] (though the user guide says it should). I had to go into "Project Settings" manually and find and select the settings I needed.

Thanks again.