https://imgur.com/a/QNZm5fx

When viewing on the camcorder's screen, it looks fine, but in Virtualdub it's terrible. The pic is a screencap from Virtualdub.

My System:
* athlon 2 x4 quad core processor
* 16 GB DDR3
* 500GB harddisk
* AMD Radeon HD 6670 1GB graphics (not great, but shouldn't matter for this right?)
* Soundblaster Audigy 2 zs
* Sony Minidv camcorder

I've connected via Firewire. I left most settings on virtualdub alone other than no commpression. I'm guessing this is an interlacing issue, but my questions are: am I set up correctly and how do I deinterlace (or otherwise fix this?)

-- merged --

I saw in another conversation that you should deinterlace in VLC when playing? Does that mean you're supposed to just record the file interlaced as is? Or I can just remove the interlacting when I convert it to a smaller format right? It's not expected you'll just keep the raws around forever is it?

I don't know what VirtualDub does to the video. Just use WinDV to capture losslessly.

I like to deinterlace 60i video to 60p using QTGMC.

That combing is standard for DV and VCR-captured video.

I second Traal: you shouldn't be capturing MiniDv with Virtual Dub. Use WinDV or Scenalyzer to "transfer" the video from your camera to your PC so you get a lossless transfer.

Then go ahead and edit it. You can then deinterlace it if you want to. There are various methods to deinterlace ranging from the easy (VDub Filters>Deinterlacer use Interpolate Using Yadif and Double Frame Rate; DV is normally bottom field first) to difficult (QTGMC, as Traal mentioned; difficult to set up).

TVs will deinterlace any video that is played on them. VLC player has an automatic deinterlacer which, in my experience, works better when you switch it ON verses leaving it in Auto (Video>Deinterlace).

Re your raws, that's up to you; if you think you're going to have another go later at editing/restoring them, then yes, keep the raw captures. If you're happy with your edited/reduced files, then no need.

Attach the image to the forum, not Imgur, I see nothing there.

Thank you all. I will look at WinDv and do as you recommended.

My WinDV guide:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nAV...ew?usp=sharing

Thank you! By the way, I thought Virtualdub was the thing but is WinDv better? Or just for digital video devices? For example if I use it with my Digital 8, that's better? What if I'm playing regular 8mm on my digital 8? Same thing? Would I use it when capturing from VCR and Beta?

Thanks LordSmurf :) It was just an interalced vid frame and everyone else already covered it :)

Whenever you're using your Firewire connection, that is, transferring/capturing from your MiniDV or Digital 8 camera, use WinDV. So yes, even when you're playing your Video8 8mm tape in your D8 camera, use WinDV.

Virtual Dub is used/recommended when you are capturing direct from the analogue output from a VCR (or VCR via a DVD Recorder passthrough). In this case, you'd be capturing using a USB capture stick or internal analogue capture card.

There is another option for VCR/Beta captures. If your video camera allows it, you can connect your VCR to it, then connect the camera via Firewire and use WinDV. The video camera is doing the conversion from analogue video to digital. This isn't the very "best" way of doing a VCR transfer, the best being a good analogue capture device (USB capture stick or internal capture card) and possibly a DVD Recorder for stabilisation. It's all in the eye of the beholder, though. A DV transfer via your video camera is easy and the results can be acceptable.

Thanks again Hushpower. As for capture cards, they don't seem to sell those anymore so would I be looking for some old ATI capture device with SVideo?

For analog capture, the ATI AIW are the best, though not the only options. There are some select cards, specific versions, that can be quite nice.

Where are you? While many cards "can do both", quite a few cards tend to really suck at either NTSC or PAL. So you want to choose carefully.

OS matters. XP/7 best, 10/11 worst.

If you're referring to Firewire capture cards, there are current, in-production cards available. I have one of these in it's box waiting to go into my (future) new computer:

https://zotim.com.au/shop-startech-c...apter-99x39063

If you want to go down the path of analogue path using USB 2 and Win 10 (and I assume 11), I can recommend the IO Data GV-USB2. It works flawlessy with Virtual Dub 1.9.11 for capturing. I don't use any of the included video capturing and editing software but the basic drivers/capture works without issue with Win 10.