How to capture interlaced video in VirtualDub?

Gotanno · #1 06-10-2018, 08:59 PM

Hi all,

I'm a little confused. I keep reading that it is best to capture Interlaced, but it seems that VD is automatically capturing my videos as Progressive?

I'm working with Video 8 tapes (PAL), which according to Wikipedia is Interlaced, but Media Info the resulting files are Progressive...

Is there a setting I am missing?

Thanks

sanlyn · #2 06-10-2018, 10:29 PM

Due to he nature of lossless avi video, Mediainfo isn't always correct in every respect. And you are capturing to 720x480 YUY2 lossless media, aren't you?

There is no interlace setting in Virtualdub capture. VDub captures whatever goes into it. What capture device are you using?

How do you know it's not really interlaced? Did you view the video frame by frame in VirtualDub? Do you know what interlaced frame look like in an editor? Do you see combing effects in frames that include motion? Neuron2_How To Analyze Video Frame Structure.zip.

Gotanno · #3 06-10-2018, 11:06 PM

Well, the video does look interlaced (it has those "combs") , so it's safe to assume that it's just a reporting glitch then?

I'm using an Avid Pro /Pinnacle capture card via (usb) and capturing to 720x540 yuy2 4:2:2 ffv1 mkv

sanlyn · #4 06-10-2018, 11:28 PM

Definitely a reporting glitch, not common but sometimes happens with lossless AVI.

Pinnacle USB usually requires extra care in cleanup and post processing, but nothing that can't be managed.

lordsmurf · #5 06-10-2018, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sanlyn

Pinnacle USB usually requires extra care in cleanup and post processing

Depends on the model.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gotanno

I'm using an Avid Pro /Pinnacle capture card via (usb)

Which model? There are a few really nice Pinnacle cards, but you'll pay for it.

Gotanno · #6 06-11-2018, 06:38 AM

Ok, good to know! Thanks.

Im using an ancient Avid Liquid Pro 7 😁

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...akout_Box.html

I got it off eBay as it also has a FireWire port (I've a laptop), but ended up only using the s-video port as most of my video is pre Digital 8 and I read that analogue tape is best captured that way....

Is this model ok in terms of quality?

lordsmurf · #7 06-15-2018, 08:37 AM

This is very similar to the Matrox RT.X100 cards from what I can see -- but external. I was always leery of anything requiring NLE capture, as NLEs are lousy at capture. For example, no dropped frames reporting.

I didn't pay much attention to Avid in the 90s or early 2000s, aside from FreeDV. Saying "Avid" is honestly like saying "Sony", as they long ago cashed in on their name brand status, and not everything they had was quality.

What I don't know offhand is if this is a DV capture box. That would concern me. And I think it is.

The MPEG conversion is pure software work, and quality is suspect. I never read much about it for that reason.

Gotanno · #8 06-18-2018, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

...What I don't know offhand is if this is a DV capture box. That would concern me. And I think it is...

Hi Lord Smurf. I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you mean?

It does have a Firewire port if that's what you are referring to?

Thanks

hodgey · #9 06-18-2018, 10:13 AM

The question is whether it's a box that captures an analog video signal and turns it into a DV stream, which is then input to the computer. or whether that's just another input. An example of the first would be one of the canopus ADVC devices. The problem with the DV capture boxes are that you lose some image quality due to the lossy nature of the DV format (which is basically like a stream of jpeg images), especially for NTSC video. From what I can see, this box seems to use USB2 for data transfer though, the DV connection seems to be a DV input.

Gotanno · #10 06-18-2018, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hodgey

The question is whether it's a box that captures an analog video signal and turns it into a DV stream, which is then input to the computer. or whether that's just another input. An example of the first would be one of the canopus ADVC devices. The problem with the DV capture boxes are that you lose some image quality due to the lossy nature of the DV format (which is basically like a stream of jpeg images), especially for NTSC video. From what I can see, this box seems to use USB2 for data transfer though, the DV connection seems to be a DV input.

I see! Well, I've found this information... does it help at all? (see end of page 2)