Digitizing 8mm, VHS and DV?

[BlueSky114]

Over the last few years I've digitized most of my old media, but I'm not confident I'm doing it in such a way as to preserve the quality. I'm using OBS this time around, but certainly not tied to it.
Can an "expert" please give me some guidance?
TIA

[lordsmurf]

OBS is digital streaming recording software. It's not made for analog videotapes. This matters because of how the data is recorded (from display layers, not direct card connection), and thus drop/insert frame handling. There can also be issues with other settings, such as Rec colorspace profiles.

It's like hitting a nail with a screwdriver. Wrong tool.

- Quality starts at the VCR,
- Then how it gets processed (ie, TBCs, proc amps, etc) or does NOT get process (no TBCs, etc),
- Then the capture card used (+ capture software)

So ... what are you using?

Video isn't really that hard. It's mostly about the tools, and how you wield them (ie, tap-tap-tap a nail, or hit your thumb, or properly drive it in).

- Crappy tools = crappy job. Good tools = hopefully good job.
- User error = video errors. Attentive = hopefully quality.

The #1 problem with video conversion is being cheap, and #2 is being lazy and/or having excuses. Get past those, and you can quickly get quality results.

[BlueSky114]

Wow, fast reply, thanks.
I am using a Sony Handycam CCD-TR86, which was one of my original cameras. The capture card is one I purchased from Amazon, VHS to Digital Converter, USB 2.0 Video Capture Card Video (specifications attached to this reply).

[lordsmurf]

You bought a cheap junk Easycap card (aka Easycrap, and earned nickname). Your quality is destroyed, not at all as good as the tape. Over/underexposed is a constant, soft/blurry, color/brightness/etc values are all off. It's never "fine", the person is unaware of how good the tapes actually look.

Does that TR86 have a TBC? (I don't recall every TBC-equipped Hi8 camera off-hand.)
No TBC = no good.

I can assure you what you've done is low quality. I don't even need to see samples anymore, for this sort of workflow. It's always awful to mediocre (at best).

[BlueSky114]

I'm sure the TR86 doesn't have a TBC, I see no mention of it in the literature.
I appreciate the information and now realize I have limited knowledge in processing these tapes.
It appears it would be quite costly to implement a system for better quality.
I'm afraid I'm going to have to live with what I have.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[timtape]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueSky114

I'm sure the TR86 doesn't have a TBC, I see no mention of it in the literature.
I appreciate the information and now realize I have limited knowledge in processing these tapes.
It appears it would be quite costly to implement a system for better quality.
I'm afraid I'm going to have to live with what I have.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

Bluesky, we have seen no photos or movie clips of your captures. Why not upload a representative example or two to the forum for member comments? I think the maximum file size is 100 Mb.

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueSky114

I'm sure the TR86 doesn't have a TBC, I see no mention of it in the literature.
I appreciate the information and now realize I have limited knowledge in processing these tapes.
It appears it would be quite costly to implement a system for better quality.
I'm afraid I'm going to have to live with what I have.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

No, it's not that dire.

Consider if video capture/conversion were motorcycles:

-- Your no-TBC camera > Easycap is a kid's bicycle with a baseball card clothespinned to the spokes to "sound real".
-- The suggested ideal setup is a Harley Davidson, a hog.
-- But there are budgets between those extremes. In motorcycle land, the Hondas and Suzukis, and whatnot

So, getting back to the video here...

A quality workflow requires 3 basic elements:
- quality VCR/camera
- some form of TBC aor TBC(ish)
- quality capture card

The capture card is cheap, generally $100-200 range, no compromises allowed here. If not spending that, you drop down to sub-$50 immediately, often as cheap as $2 from Wish/Aliexpress/Temu/etc for Chinese USB garbage (such as Easycaps).

The TBC is where price can vary, but so does the quality. You can scrape by a minimalist Panasonic ES10/15 for passthrough, for under $150, but with side effects that hamper quality. Of you can spend $2-3k for the best TBCs, and get the best experience (not just best quality).

The VCR/camera needs to be quality. At this current moment, early 2024, Hi8 cameras with line TBCs are under $200 on eBay, and there's really no excuse not to get one.

So you can cobble together something "that doesn't suck" for under $500. In terms of DIY project budgets, that's a pittance. Not just referring to video here, but almost anything, be it cars, or plumbing, or sewing, or what-have-you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by timtape

Bluesky, we have seen no photos or movie clips of your captures. Why not upload a representative example or two to the forum for member comments? I think the maximum file size is 100 Mb.

Yes, do this too. 99mb limit, plenty of space for mere samples.

But again, Easycap + non-TBC camera results are generally really obvious.

[BlueSky114]

Thanks for the additional knowledge. I am mulling over what you said and seeing how I can accomplish it.
I will upload some video samples.
Another area of my ignorance is in the actual settings to use to capture and the terminology, such as "lossless AVI uploads", wrappers, codecs, etc, etc.
I'm on a learning curve so please forgive my ignorance.
Thanks.

[hofmand]

Regarding all that terminology, just install the HuffYUV codec and capture using that. Be sure to follow the VirtualDub Settings Guide to get a good capture.