Preparing digital video for VHS mastering?

[SFtheGreat]

Hello.

I'm back with another "just for the sake of it" project.

I'd like to hear some of your advice (except "wtf, why?" and "don't") regarding transfering digital video to PAL VHS. Sources would be PAL, NTSC and IVTC, DVDs, BDs, maybe even 4K videos. The desired result can be both letterboxed widescreen and anamorphic widescreen, though I might require 4:3 standard as well.

The plan is to transfer some recent films/concerts to VHS as well as my own concert recordings. (You know, I'm one of those who need new Star Wars films on VHS next to 5 tapes of new trilogy and several box-sets of original trilogy ni every released variant [I only have widescreen and standard Special Edition and rerelease of widescreen special edition, I'm still hnting for 1995 edition and Executor])

I require tips regarding preparation of master file and how to transfer it from PC to VHS. I operate on Vegas, DVcam deck and VHS deck, I don't have D or S-VHS as of now.

Oh, and I'm not interested in "put the BD into PS3 and plug RCA cabes to VCR" solution.

[metaleonid]

I don't know what kind of PC you have. If your PC has HDMI out, a simple search would yield these devices:
https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...l_12all5szwh_e

If you have an older computer, other options are older graphics cards with Composite, S-Video video out. Or PCI cards with same. Take the sound from sound card.

Even though I tempted to ask why, I won't.

[SFtheGreat]

Actually this might work, I could connect my laptop via HDMI-out to HDMI-in on Ninja, put the prepared video master into vegas, use Ninja as monitor so that nothing else but the video would be shown, no bars, play signs etc and use the HDMI-out of this little marvel to connect to inputs on VCR. This way I could eliminate the DVcam deck and use of interlaced video.

Now the master I should prepare and if the Ninja can output 4:3 video without sidebars.
As well as preparing the master in proper format and how to properly convert IVTC to PAL and whether or not to use PsF, as well as resolution, because of limited VHS resolution, doing 1440x1080 might result in some form of distortion compared to 720x576.

Why? I've written it, I want to have new Star Wars on VHS next to my official ones.

[lordsmurf]

WTF, why?

Just invert a workflow, use a good recording VCR. And know that good players aren't always good recorders.
digital > TBC > VCR

Remember factors like overscan.

Converting 16x9 to 4x3 isn't just simple cropping. It's "pan and scan", and requires manual work. A rough crop job was almost never what got done when converting film to VHS.

eBay has those HDMI>analog (maybe s-video, usually composite) for about $15.

[SFtheGreat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

WTF, why?

Just invert a workflow, use a good recording VCR. And know that good players aren't always good recorders.
digital > TBC > VCR

Remember factors like overscan.

Converting 16x9 to 4x3 isn't just simple cropping. It's "pan and scan", and requires manual work. A rough crop job was almost never what got done when converting film to VHS.

eBay has those HDMI>analog (maybe s-video, usually composite) for about $15.

I'm more concerned about right mastered format, I'll check out the recoding capabilities of my player then.

Overscan, well, I'll run samples either way.

I will convert 16:9 to 4:3 with either letterbox, or anamorphic, so no panning.

So HDMI to analog it is.

[lordsmurf]

I'd still do the TBC. Digital output signals aren't always clean either.

[metaleonid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

I'd still do the TBC. Digital output signals aren't always clean either.

Inverse TBC.