How to apply VirtualDub and Huffyuv filters?

[Ikemeister]

I attempted to get an answer to my question by searching but tons of topics come up that assume that's already known. Could someone point me to a how to topic perhaps?

Thanks in advance.
Ike

[lordsmurf]

Open VirtualDub, load/open video file/

Video menu > Filters
Add filters, adjust settings.

Video menu > Compression
Select Huffyuv

Video menu > Full Processing Mode (default)

File > Save As the new video

Need more?

[Ikemeister]

Thanks. Pretty simple it seems. I take it Quicktime is required for VirtualDub though? When I attempt to open an MP4 file, I get an "Unable to initialize Quicktime: ...." error message.

[Gary34]

Are you wanting to apply filters to a video compressed with Huffy or one compressed with H.264 in an MP4 container?

[Aya_Rei]

Virtualdub doesn't support mp4 files, VirtualDub2 does. Though I agree with Gary, what are you wanting to accomplish? Just simple trimming or something else?

If you are wanting to apply restoration filters to an mp4 file, not sure how well that'll work due to them being compressed.

[Ikemeister]

Thanks for the pointers. I've really a neophite at dubbing videos so can use all the help offered. I'm looking to convert some old VCR tapes to digital form that can be played from a USB port on my blueray player.

I input the outputs of a VCR player I picked up through a USB dongle and setup Potplayer to capture the input to MKV files then use Avidemux to trim the MKV files and save to MP4 files (using the Mpeg4 AVC (x264) video encoding library and aac (lav) audio encoding converter) since the MP4 protocol is supported by my Blueray player.

As an aside, some tapes have inconsistent timing spots so I save into segments and then use Avidemux to splice them back together. That takes a while so I am looking to experiment by saving segments into MKV files and splicing those together before conversion to MP4 in the hopes that the splicing might be quicker but that may not help.

Now why I came here for help is that some of the tapes have the VCR thumping sounds others have described. Good to know I would need VirtualDub2 to filter MP4 files. Not sure where to find that, but google is me friend eh! I am curious whether filtering the audio with the MKV encoded files might be a possible route.

In any case, I don't want to make a career out of this but I have about 40 tapes to convert so any suggestions are most welcome!

Cheers!
Ike

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ikemeister

I input the outputs of a VCR player I picked up through a USB dongle and setup Potplayer to capture the input to MKV files then use Avidemux to trim the MKV files and save to MP4 files (using the Mpeg4 AVC (x264) video encoding library and aac (lav) audio encoding converter) since the MP4 protocol is supported by my Blueray player.

What is the "USB dongle"?
Brand/model matters, these items are not all the same at all.

Honestly, that ingest/capture method is so bad/messy, that no amount of VirtualDub filtering will fix anything. You're essentially starting with a very damaged files. The original tape was surely not as bad as the file you created.

Quote:

As an aside, some tapes have inconsistent timing spots so I save into segments and then use Avidemux to splice them back together.

This is caused by lack of TBCs. That's not normal, not part of the VHS tape source.

Quote:

Now why I came here for help is that some of the tapes have the VCR thumping sounds others have described.
I am curious whether filtering the audio with the MKV encoded files might be a possible route.

This is likely due to:
- bad "USB dongle" (capture card)
- and/or your VCR (or computer) was too close to other electrically noise-emitting items, like a phone or microwave

This needs to be re-done, filtering it out is probably not going to happen.

Quote:

In any case, I don't want to make a career out of this but I have about 40 tapes to convert so any suggestions are most welcome!

Good equipment does need to be a career.

At bare minimum, you
- decent low-end VCR (but also not malfunctioning junk)
- ES10/15 as TBC(ish)
- decent capture card -- not Elgato, Easycap, ClearClick. Certain ATI/Pinnacle cards are suggested.

[Ikemeister]

Quote:

This is caused by lack of TBCs. That's not normal, not part of the VHS tape source.

The tapes that have the inconsistent timing marks are home movies with segments recorded at different times. Those are the ones where I splice the recording segments together so I figured that must explain the timing errors. So you say it's the VCR when recording (or playing?) that should correct such errors?

Quote:

Quote:

This is likely due to:
- bad "USB dongle" (capture card)
- and/or your VCR (or computer) was too close to other electrically noise-emitting items, like a phone or microwave

This needs to be re-done, filtering it out is probably not going to happen.

Please note that only some tapes have the problems I describe. Other tapes play perfectly, or good enough for my purposes i.e. no thumping, no timing glitches. So I take it the tapes that do have the poor sound with the low frequency thumping are unrepairable?