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Originally Posted by zackhammerle
HuffyUV is recommended for the best quality, but the file sizes just seem way too big for me, especially if I'm going to be converting dozens of tapes for people.
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Capture codec (lossless) vs. final/delivery codec (compressed). You can't capture compressed, as compressed requires non-realtime processing time. MPEG was an exception, using MPEG hardware/hybrid capturing (like ATI AIW cards). Trying to capture compressed will lead to dropped frames, due to resource exhaustion (out of CPU, RAM, I/O, etc), maybe even entirely crash.
- capture lossless
- filter/restore and/or restore (optional), then encode compressed/lossy
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Also, I've read that videos encoded with H.264 and are mp4 format are more widely accepted by devices. Is this true?
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No. It depends entirely on the device. A DVD player, for example, probably won't understand H.264 or MP4. (Note: MP4 is a wrapper, H.264 is a codec, and you can have non-H.264 MP4 files.)
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Originally Posted by ehbowen
You need to make a distinction between codecs for editing, color correction, and restoration and codecs for ultimate distribution.
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Not just that.
capture codec =
Huffyuv
intermediary for restore/edit = Lagarith or ProRes422, or stay Huffyuv
delivery = MPEG for discs, H.264 as MP4 or MKV for streaming
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I know the file sizes are big, but 2TB hard drives are almost unbelievably cheap...especially to those of us who remember the 90K 5-1/4" floppy disc drive!
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When I started capturing more seriously (2002), and needed more space, I remember a "massive" 100mb (MEGATBYTES!) drive was about $199 + tax + gas (drove 2 hours, 100 miles, to get it) at Fry's, crazy cheap sale. My most recent new drive is a 16tb Seagate Exos, and it was $385 taxed/shipped. So from 100mb to 16,777,216mb, for not even twice the price, almost 20 years later.
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Originally Posted by OmarGamyl3d
no matter how much I tried to configure everything myself, I failed((
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How so? Start new thread.
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Originally Posted by zackhammerle
I really don’t plan on doing any kind of editing after capturing other than interlacing.
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Deinterlacing is editing or restoring or pre-final encode prep
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Originally Posted by cdisimone
Besides de-interlacing, you should also probably look to mask any tape noise that appears at the bottom of the frame.
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Yes, mask noises on edges of image. Don't crop, mask (cover with black, re-center image in matte). This is "cropping" the overscan noise, guides in the forum, a sticky exists for it as well.
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But I would retain the original captures as well on your own external hard drive as well just in case.
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Retain tapes, retain capture archives (your choice on pre/post process, depends on some variables).
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If you want better results than you were getting with your Elgato, I would not try to take any shortcuts. It defeats the purpose. Conversions can be queued and work overnight while you're sleeping.
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All correct.
- Shortcuts can ding quality, or tank quality, but it's always negative.
- Leaving a computer on 24/7 is why heat+cooling was a concern when I built it. It often works when I sleep.
Quote:
Originally Posted by zackhammerle
Do you have any software recommendations for encoding the video into H.264 and in .mp4 container? It wouldn’t be too difficult if I were able to let them run overnight and be queued like you mentioned
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Hybrid lets you QTGMC deinterlace (Vapoursynth), encode x264 (manually settings best, defaults passably decent), and choice of container (MKV, MP4, others). Hybrid is freeware, but selur works hard on it, a small donation to him is encouraged.
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Originally Posted by cdisimone
It has been recommended to me to use Hybrid and QTGMC but I have yet to tackle that myself, and I believe there is a bit involved to get it going plus a learning curve.
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Most of the learning curve is trying to understand what all the options are, when (and when not) to use them. Start at the default, learn what to change. For example, 422 profile with 422 color, 15 CQ, and consider expanding GOP/frames to 5 from 3. There are lots of tabs and options, but for basic use isn't needed. Very powerful, looks intimidating, but most can just be ignored for casual non-power users.
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If you want simple and ability to queue, you can look at Handbrake. I've used it along with plenty of other people, but I've been told it's not a great choice.
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Don't. Shortcut. Problems. The worst aspect is the internal deinterlacers suck, not QTGMC. Learn Hybrid, it's not that hard. I need to make guides for it, and I'm really hoping I can do so soon, been trying to free up time for myself since last year.
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I'm also revamping my capture equipment and workflow. I was using Handbrake before. I'll be looking into Hybrid next. There's plenty of information about it in the forums.
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I recently been submitting bug reports and feature requests to selur, and he's done most of them. I've had to step away for a few weeks (he's probably wondering where I went), but plan to follow up with more again soon. I cannot suggest this software enough, and I'm trying to make it address every concern we'd have for VHS/analog source conversion.
Using Avisynth, Hybrid can also do all the masking, but you need to start in AvsPmod and Avisynth, then open the .avs file in Hybrid. This is more complex, a reason for my guide, and something I'm trying to sort out with selur (hoping that one day the external .avs isn't needed, AIO in Hybrid instead).
Software developers are usually a-holes more than not, so it's nice to meet a dev that is so workable. (Note that I can also speak his language, meaning advanced video jargon, so that may be part of it. Laymen/newbies may not get the same sort of interaction.)