VHS video capture workflow?

[chazcon]

My questions are:

• What filters should I enable in VirtualDub before I capture video from (40) VHS tapes?
• Should I be using VirtualDub 1.10.4 32-bit (latest version)?
• Should I even be using VirtualDub in my workflow? Why not capture directly from Resolve?

My hardware:

• JVC HR-S9500U VCR
• AV Toolbox AVT-8710 TBC
• Hauppauge USB-Live2
• Windows 10 64-bit

My software:

• VirtualDub 1.9.11 + filters from this forum
• HuffyUV 64-bit codec
• DaVinci Resolve

[sanlyn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chazcon

What filters should I enable in VirtualDub before I capture video from (40) VHS tapes?

Never use VDub filters when capturing. The only filtering needed is the proc amp brightness and contrast controls, which are hooked into your capture drivers. Use those controls plus the VDub capture histogram to set your signal strength to the safe level of y=16-235 for digital video. Capture to YUY2 720x480 (or 720x576 for PAL) using Huffyuv lossless compression. Filters are for post-processing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chazcon

Should I be using VirtualDub 1.10.4 32-bit (latest version)?

No, it has bugs. Use 1.9.11.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chazcon

Should I even be using VirtualDub in my workflow? Why not capture directly from Resolve?

Davinci is for color correction, not for lossless capture.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chazcon

JVC HR-S9500U VCR

Good choice. Not optimal for slow-speed recordings, but good for SP and retail tapes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chazcon

AV Toolbox AVT-8710 TBC

Good.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chazcon

Hauppauge USB-Live2

Good. It clips zero-region blacks at YUV y=16, so check levels carefully during capture to prevent crushed shadow detail.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chazcon

Windows 10 64-bit

My condolences. Let us know if you have any problems.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chazcon

VirtualDub 1.9.11 + filters from this forum

Good. Some of its filters won't work with Windows 10, but you'll seldom use the filters in that filter pack. It doesn't include a few life savers that you can download later, as needed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chazcon

HuffyUV 64-bit codec

Nope. Use 32-bit codecs and filters with 32-bit VirtualDub and other 32-bit apps such as Avisynth. You can't mix 64-bit and 32-bit components in the same app.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chazcon

DaVinci Resolve

Good. Can't be used for VHS cleanup and denoising, but excellent for color correction and effects using lossless media. I suggest Lagarith for intermediate working files, which works with YUY2, YV12, and RGB. Huffyuv can't be used for YV12, which you'll need for many Avisynth filters. https://lags.leetcode.net/codec.html

What is your ultimate goal for final delivery formats?

[chazcon]

Thank you, very helpful. Final goal is burn to DVD and distribute to family.

[sanlyn]

DVD is universally playable everywhere in the world on DVD players, BluRay players, smart tv's, PC's, etc., so it's a good choice for final output. In post-capture processing, encoding is the last step after filtering, cleanup, color work, edits, etc. If working with lossless media, those files can be processed and encoded for any purpose, including web posting.

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chazcon

What filters should I enable in VirtualDub before I capture video from (40) VHS tapes?

None. Never engage filters on capture. At most, use proc amp adjustments, using histograms as sanlyn states.

Quote:

Should I be using VirtualDub 1.10.4 32-bit (latest version)?

No. There are bugs. 1.9.x is more stable for capturing. Newer isn't always better, it's just newer.

Quote:

Should I even be using VirtualDub in my workflow? Why not capture directly from Resolve?

NLEs are made for editing, not capturing. The capturing interface is weak or incomplete, and then the software overhead often causes dropped frames.

Quote:

JVC HR-S9500U VCR
AV Toolbox AVT-8710 TBC
Hauppauge USB-Live2

- 9500 is fine; if EP gives trouble, you can always adjust alignment
- Hopefully that AVT-8710 is not black, otherwise it has flawed chips that will give you all sorts of issues.
- that capture card is almost an ATI 600 clone, similar chips ... though the clipping blacks issue seems to vary, as I don't get that on mine

Quote:

Windows 10 64-bit

Yuck.

Quote:

HuffyUV 64-bit codec

No. Use the 32-bit for capturing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sanlyn

It doesn't include a few life savers that you can download later, as needed.

Post in that VirtualDub download thread, and lt's make it better.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sanlyn

DVD is universally playable everywhere in the world .

Streaming H.264 is there, too. But the workflow to get there is more complex, and things like deinterlace guarantee a quality hit.

[chazcon]

"- Hopefully that AVT-8710 is not black, otherwise it has flawed chips that will give you all sorts of issues."

It is indeed black...

And your reticence towards Windows 10 is well founded - the April update to W10 changed the way video and audio devices are accessed - my Hauppauge device is now no longer recognized... oh bother.

[lordsmurf]

You need another system for capture, and another TBC.

[chazcon]

BAH this project has already cost me the price of the hardware, getting the VCR repaired, countless hours on the learning curve... frustrating...

I see why folks in business to capture, edit and produce finished DVD's charge what they do.

EDIT: Ok Windows 10 problem fixed - onward. This is a quest - I feel like Chevy Chase in Christmas Vacation.

[sanlyn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chazcon

BAH this project has already cost me the price of the hardware, getting the VCR repaired, countless hours on the learning curve... frustrating...

I see why folks in business to capture, edit and produce finished DVD's charge what they do.

Don't be fooled. Most of these so-called business "pro's" are pro only in that they charge cold cash for dreadfully godawful bad ugly amateur work. So far you have better equipment than many of them have. Believe it: their work is mostly garbage and this forum has seen plenty of posts to prove it. You can do better yourself.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chazcon

EDIT: Ok Windows 10 problem fixed - onward. This is a quest - I feel like Chevy Chase in Christmas Vacation.

Good work. Most of us have covered the same ground multiple times.

[chazcon]

Alright soldiering forward - Windows 10 is complete crap for VHS capture - just as you all have told me. It simply runs too many background processes that interfere with VHS capture, and you cannot turn them off.

Pulling an old box off the shelf and I will build an XP machine this weekend, but I'm sure it's a PCI and the video card I have is am ATi X1300, which I don't think is what I want for this.

I've gone this deep, I may as well keep going and try to find an ATI All In Wonder card. Do I truly want an 8x AGP version of this card (and I will need to find a motherboard to go with it) or will a PCI version do just as well?

Would love to find & buy a complete machine with this hardware all set up.

[sanlyn]

I thought the ATI X1300 Radeon was PCIe. It's a bit dated but is still very good. It will more than suffice for VHS capture and post-processing.

All In Wonders came in AGP and later "X" PCIe versions that capture just as well, but they all require Windows XP for drivers. Brief history of All In Wonder product line here: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/vide...html#post13441. The same thread has drivers and workarounds that work with most models.

Just finding a working AIW is one thing, but finding one with all the accessory dongles and connections is something else. They are full-service graphics accelerators, not just capture cards, and they're useless without the cables. Your Hauppauge will do a pretty good job of capture thru USB and has drivers for Windows 7 if you can swing it, which will save you the angst of Vista/8/10. W7 is a good close alternative for XP in operation.

Most experienced members here and elsewhere have covered many miles of bad road to get their XP and W7 machines. I built 2 XP's and it was a hassle all the way, so we know where you're coming from.