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-   -   VCR and VirtualDub VHS capture settings and advice (https://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/video-capture/5669-vcr-virtualdub-vhs.html)

sanCapture 01-26-2014 01:34 PM

VCR and VirtualDub VHS capture settings and advice
 
I've done a bit of research but still don't know what settings for optimal VHS tape capturing I should use. Currently I am using a Sony SLV-N81 VCR and a WinTV-HVR-1250 PCIE capture card.

The VCR has 3 different options:
Adaptive Picture Control, Reality Regenerator, and Sharpness control

I know turning down the sharpness control should be done, but what about the other two settings? On one thread on another site someone said:
"... it's great for capturing and the APC (Adaptive PICture COntrol, SOny's trademarked TBC) and RR (Reality Regenrator) are amazing"

I plan to first capture to lossless huffYUY2 with VirtualDub and then clean up and compress them. The default card levels have picture data in red areas of the capture histogram. Everyone seems to say that you should adjust the levels so there is no data in the red areas. Is that really the best idea? Aren't you losing about 12% (32/255) of capture information? There seems to be 4 ways that the extend level data can be dealt with.

- Adjust capture card levels to be in the blue
- VirtualDub Extend luma capture settings
- Towards the end of a filter chain before compressing
- Keep the full range to the final compressed file

Why would you want to squash the video signal into the the 16-235 range during capture? Wouldn't it be better to squash it after some clean-up and processing or keep the full range in the final file if possible. It can always be squashed later if needed.

volksjager 01-26-2014 02:33 PM

you need a better VCR
it does not have TBC or even an S-Video output
honestly nothing made my Sony is any good for VHS capture
(however Sony stuff is great for 8mm/Hi8)
you need a TBC equipped JVC or Panasonic for VHS

msgohan 01-26-2014 05:28 PM

As volksjager said, the APC feature is not TBC.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sanCapture (Post 29980)
Everyone seems to say that you should adjust the levels so there is no data in the red areas. Is that really the best idea?

Yes. (With the blacker-than-black borders cropped off while you take the readings.)

Quote:

Why would you want to squash the video signal into the the 16-235 range during capture? Wouldn't it be better to squash it after some clean-up and processing or keep the full range in the final file if possible. It can always be squashed later if needed.
Black needs to be 16 and 235 needs to be white, period. Otherwise you're into nonstandard video that will only display correctly on a PC where you configure every single application individually to disobey the standards.

If you "squash" it after capture you have no headroom, which is the entire point of superblack and superwhite in the first place.


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