Best VHS to KVCD Guide?

joeven · #1 01-31-2003, 01:17 PM

Is there a guide around that will lead me through the steps of getting a VHS tape converted into a long playing (120 minutes) NTSC VCD using the KVCD templates.
What I'm looking for is:

What AVI capture program to use

What capture program settings and resolution settings to use

How to get the AVI capture into TMPGEnc for encoding - Do I frame serve or just open up the AVI with TMPGEnc?

Are there any settings in TMPGEnc that have to be made that the KVCD template does not make?

The guides that I've seen deal with ripping DVDs and I'm not interested in that.

Thanks,

Joe

kwag · #2 01-31-2003, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joeven

Is there a guide around that will lead me through the steps of getting a VHS tape converted into a long playing (120 minutes) NTSC VCD using the KVCD templates.
What I'm looking for is:

What AVI capture program to use

Hi Joe

Use VirtualDub, and capture to AVI with the Huffy CODEC.

Quote:

What capture program settings and resolution settings to use

Capture at least 352x480

Quote:

How to get the AVI capture into TMPGEnc for encoding - Do I frame serve or just open up the AVI with TMPGEnc?

Use an AviSynth script to process your captured file. Here's a sample script, which I have included Inverse Telecine, assuming your VHS tapes are movies:

Code:

LoadPlugin("C:\encoding\mpeg2dec.dll")
LoadPlugin("C:\encoding\GripFit_preview.dll") 
LoadPlugin("C:\encoding\legalclip.dll") 
LoadPlugin("C:\encoding\sampler.dll") 
LoadPlugin("C:\encoding\dustv5.dll") 
LoadPlugin("C:\encoding\decomb.dll")
LoadPlugin("C:\encoding\temporalcleanerold.dll")

AviSource("My_Capture.avi")
Telecide()
Decimate()
LegalClip() 
GripCrop( width=352, height=240, overscan=0 ) 
GripSize() 
PixieDust()
TemporalCleaner()
GripBorders() 
LegalClip() 
#Sampler(length=24) 
## MPEG size = ((Total frames/MovieTimeInMinutes)/24) * MPEG sample file size ##

Links to the filters are here: http://www.kvcd.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2553

Quote:

Are there any settings in TMPGEnc that have to be made that the KVCD template does not make?

With the settings above, you can use the KVCD 352x240 or KVCD LBR and fit your 120 minute movie on one CD-R. Make sure you use file size prediction: http://www.kvcd.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2102

-kwag

joeven · #3 01-31-2003, 02:02 PM

Thanks for that very quick reply!

Question: Is the file size prediction step absolutely necessary to the process? What if my movie is well under the 120 minute length spec?

Thanks again,

Joe

kwag · #4 01-31-2003, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joeven

Thanks for that very quick reply!

Question: Is the file size prediction step absolutely necessary to the process? What if my movie is well under the 120 minute length spec?

Thanks again,

Joe

You should use file prediction, specially if it is a VHS capture, because the source is much noisier than a DVD. If you don't use prediction, you won't know what the final output file size will be

-kwag

joeven · #5 01-31-2003, 03:59 PM

Thanks again.

In the Avisynth script that you kindly supplied there are references to a number of "dll" files. Do you know of a place where these files are listed by their file names? I followed the link that you recommended but they seem to be shown by function (which I am not familiar with). For instance, under what function would I find "dustv.dll" ?

Thanks,

Joe

kwag · #6 01-31-2003, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joeven

Thanks again.

In the Avisynth script that you kindly supplied there are references to a number of "dll" files. Do you know of a place where these files are listed by their file names? I followed the link that you recommended but they seem to be shown by function (which I am not familiar with). For instance, under what function would I find "dustv.dll" ?

Thanks,

Joe

Hi Joe,

GripFit_preview.dll Houses GripCrop(), GripSize(), and GripBorders()
Dustv5.dll houses PixelDust(), SpaceDust(), FaeryDust(), and GoldDust().
Decomb.dll houses Telecide() and Decimate().
TemporalCleanerOLD.dll houses TemporalCleaner()

-kwag

joeven · #7 02-02-2003, 03:00 PM

Thanks again!

I've tracked down all of the DLLs except:
temporalcleanerold.dll

Can you please point me toward it?

Thanks,

Joe

KingTuk · #8 02-02-2003, 03:10 PM

for all the stuff you need...

http://www.kvcd.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2553

joeven · #9 02-02-2003, 05:28 PM

Thanks,
The name of the zip file that the link leads to had me fooled.

Joe

joeven · #10 02-03-2003, 01:04 PM

What are the consequences of simply loading the AVI file into TMPGEnc with the KVCD template loaded? Will the MPEG file be bad in some way?
The VHS tapes that I am converting contain old black & white films, if that make a difference.

Thanks,
Joe

hudsonhawk · #11 02-03-2003, 01:27 PM

Hi,

Is it possible to fit 120 minutes on one CD using the KVCD template when your VHS captures are not movies but rather TV show episodes?

Thanks!

HH

kwag · #12 02-03-2003, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joeven

What are the consequences of simply loading the AVI file into TMPGEnc with the KVCD template loaded? Will the MPEG file be bad in some way?
The VHS tapes that I am converting contain old black & white films, if that make a difference.

Thanks,
Joe

You should process your movies with an .avs script, specially if they are VHS, and use some filtering. Maybe FluxSmooth, SpaceDust, etc.
If they are old b&w tapes, 99.9% they were shot FILM, and you should also "Inverse Telecine". Read about IVTC and the decomb.dll which houses these functions.

-kwag

kwag · #13 02-03-2003, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hudsonhawk

Hi,

Is it possible to fit 120 minutes on one CD using the KVCD template when your VHS captures are not movies but rather TV show episodes?

Thanks!

HH

Yes, but probably only at 352x240(28

with KVCD LBR template. And you also need to "IVTC" just like I posted above for VHS captures

-kwag

hudsonhawk · #14 02-03-2003, 01:37 PM

They are TV shows from the 90's, so I am pretty sure they are not film. What are my options as far as non-film goes?

Thanks!

kwag · #15 02-03-2003, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hudsonhawk

They are TV shows from the 90's, so I am pretty sure they are not film. What are my options as far as non-film goes?

Thanks!

What episodes are they? I do IVTC on my "Stargate SG-1", and those are from the 90's

-kwag

hudsonhawk · #16 02-03-2003, 01:40 PM

It was a short-lived sitcom called "Stark Raving Mad".

joeven · #17 02-03-2003, 04:03 PM

Since I am capturing films shot at 24 fps that are on a tape that plays at 30 fps (I think?), at what fps should I set my capture software? 24 or 30?

Joe

kwag · #18 02-03-2003, 07:47 PM

Hi Joe,

You capture at 29.97. Then you inverse telecine, and encode at 23.976.
Use decomb.dll in a .avs script with the functions Telecide() and Decimate()

-kwag

GFR · #19 02-04-2003, 05:41 AM

Why do IVTC instead of capturing at 23.976:

http://www.geocities.com/ksong1222/rmtelecine.htm

Some nice guides:

http://www.animemusicvideos.org/guides/avtech/

hudsonhawk · #20 02-04-2003, 09:14 AM

Hi again,

That sounds great, but (and I am still rather new to such advanced video topics) I have been under the impression that if your source is video and not film it has to remain at 29.97, as it was never 23.976 to begin with. Won't that produce questionable results?

Thanks for your assistance!