Gack! It's not really bad quality, but it's just enough to piss you off real good. Maybe slap around whoever made it for not using better equipment.
We need to extract the video/audio using IFO mode in
DVD Decrypter. Sadly, not all episodes have the same errors. But close.
The biggest issue that can be fixed is the audio. Hissy and low. Running it through
SoundForge will fix it up alright. Just experiment with filters. Maybe even a series of filters. I'd try the SF6 filter "Hiss and Whine Removal 3" from the expanded filter pack (para EQ settings) you can download off digitalFAQ.com. If that doesn't do enough, start to look at running others next.
The other is grain translated from the original source, which can clean up decent, and macroblocks on the disc, which we can lessen. This mostly needs to be dropped into TMPGEnc or into
VirtualDub and have a fairly strong de-noise filter run. In TMPGEnc, the easiest and fastest option, you'd do the noise reduction, with a setting of about 60-2-60 or so. It may get a little "plastic" looking, but it'll be effective. Not to mention the VHS loss already gives it plastic look anyway.
The other video noise removal option is to open it in the MPEG-2/MOD version of
VirtualDub and run a careful set of NR filters.
- Static Noise Reduction: set @ 6, interlace on
- Dynamic Noise Reduction (MMX): set @ 10
- Denoise: use sparingly
Are you with me?
