best VHS to dvd or video file method

[ShadowBlade]

my current method is to record them with my cheap TV tuner, but i need a better method for the original star wars trilogy cut (i am extremely disappointed with the new DVD release)

preferably cheap, but not 100% necessary

 

[Hurricane Andrew]

Disappointed with 5.1 sound and widescreen? You're smoking....what?

 

[tiap]

VHS quality is poor compared to dvd. You won't be able to improve it very much by encoding a vhs, by any method.

 

[ShadowBlade]

no...its the way they really fvcked up the cgi overlays and added the new anakin in at the end of return of the jedi
and thanks for a no-help post

 

[ShadowBlade]

Originally posted by: tiap
VHS quality is poor compared to dvd. You won't be able to improve it very much by encoding a vhs, by any method.

its more for back-up purposes than anything
im not trying to improve it, but i dont want to make it any worse (like using my current method would)

 

[tiap]

Originally posted by: ShadowBlade

Originally posted by: tiap
VHS quality is poor compared to dvd. You won't be able to improve it very much by encoding a vhs, by any method.

its more for back-up purposes than anything
im not trying to improve it, but i dont want to make it any worse (like using my current method would)

I use several different AIW cards and the resulting quality is just as good as the original vhs. It can even be filtered to make it slightly better.
Check here for specific help for your hardware/methods. A very knowledgeable site.

 

[Jeff7]

I like my Hauppauge PVR-350; the 250 is the same thing, only lacking the TV-output, which you probably won't need.

Record the file at a high bitrate, like 12Mbps+ so as to minimize quality loss.
You can work on it with Virtualdub-MPEG2 then, and use some of its filters to clean up the signal a bit. If you want, use a lossless codec like Huffyuv (takes up a LOT of drive space, like maybe 40GB/hr+) so that there isn't any further quality degredation. Then use some other program (I use Ulead Videostudio) to convert that Huffyuv AVI file into MPEG2 for a DVD.

 

[ShadowBlade]

i was looking at the TV tuner roundup at AT (Text) and then went to look at the best card reccommended at newegg (Text) and noticed the card only has coax. and s-video in, does it include an s-video to composite and/or component like some higher end video cards do? i think theres one in the pictures, but i cant tell if thats what it is

 

[50]

Originally posted by: ShadowBlade
i was looking at the TV tuner roundup at AT (Text) and then went to look at the best card reccommended at newegg (Text) and noticed the card only has coax. and s-video in, does it include an s-video to composite and/or component like some higher end video cards do? i think theres one in the pictures, but i cant tell if thats what it is

I am almost positive the purple box is a convertor for RCA jacks. However, I honestly wouldn't spend 143 for that when you can get the HDTV version for one dollar more text.

 

[Tostada]

Originally posted by: ShadowBlade
my current method is to record them with my cheap TV tuner, but i need a better method for the original star wars trilogy cut (i am extremely disappointed with the new DVD release)

preferably cheap, but not 100% necessary

Since you're talking about archival (you don't need real-time filtering or MPEG compression), your VCR is much more important than your capture card.

As far as the original Star Wars trilogy is concerned, you're not going to get better quality than the original Laser Disc version, which is floating around the net *cough* bit torrent *cough*.

Here's a pretty recent thread about capturing VHS:
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...hreadid=1570453&enterthread=y#18513857

 

[manko]

Here's an extensive thread on Star Wars DVD conversions:

<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=102812">Star Wars Conversions-Hit me with your best shot...
</a>

Your best bet is to pick up a laserdisc set up from ebay, do a lossless s-video capture, then process and encode. Read through that thread for capturing and processing tips.

 

[ShadowBlade]

know of a good site for s-vhs players
worst buy and circuit city have sh!t

 

[yukichigai]

I made a guide for doing part of it. It's not complete, but it tells you how to properly convert what you have with TMPGEnc once you capture it.

 

[bendixG15]

you could go over to the videohelp.com site for real info

on second thought, try the afterdawn.site also

 

[yukichigai]

I purchased my S-VHS player from CostCo of all places. A rather nice JVC model which I still use to this day. The SVHS ET option comes in handy sometimes. (lets you record SVHS stuff on normal VHS tapes) Not sure how good their selection is now, but it couldn't hurt.

Originally posted by: bendixG15
you could go over to the videohelp.com site for real info

You did not just say my info isn't "real", did you?

 

[bendixG15]

You did not just say my info isn't "real", did you?

Relax yukichigai..my post was not directed at you...but I can see that
you might take it wrong, so my apologies..

I meant that other site has tons of info on video stuff..

 

[yukichigai]

Originally posted by: bendixG15

You did not just say my info isn't "real", did you?

Relax yukichigai..my post was not directed at you...but I can see that
you might take it wrong, so my apologies..

I meant that other site has tons of info on video stuff..

Ait, just checkin'. Videohelp.com is a great place to get info, except when it comes to KDVD and other high-efficiency formats for some reason. The last thing I want people to think is that KDVD isn't a good format, 'cause it is. Really, really good. The only reason why you wouldn't want to use it is that it limits your possible chapter entry points. I call that a fair trade-off for being able to fit an extra 25% of video onto a disc at the same quality.

 

[Slow Eddie]

If this is only for a one time use, try and find someone you know with a minidv camcorder. Record from VHS onto minidv tape and then import the footage into your computer with Windows Movie Maker via firewire. At that point you'll have a standard microsoft DV file that you can convert to dvd from there.

If this is something you see yourself doing often, then pick up an analog to digital firewire converter.

Eddie

 

[Tostada]

Originally posted by: ShadowBlade
know of a good site for s-vhs players
worst buy and circuit city have sh!t

This was linked twice in the thread I posted:

http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=4244971/search=SR-V101

That's the best deal you'll find on a SVHS deck with TBC.

Again, you're not going to get better quality off the VHS than you would from the laserdisc, and the laserdisc to DVD conversions are pretty easy to find on the net.

 

[Tostada]

Originally posted by: Slow Eddie
If this is only for a one time use, try and find someone you know with a minidv camcorder. Record from VHS onto minidv tape and then import the footage into your computer with Windows Movie Maker via firewire. At that point you'll have a standard microsoft DV file that you can convert to dvd from there.

If this is something you see yourself doing often, then pick up an analog to digital firewire converter.

Eddie

He already said he has a capture card. How do you suggest he get video from the VHS onto a MiniDV tape, and why do you think that would be better quality than capturing it directly to his hard drive? Capturing directly, he could save as Huffy or some other lossless formate whereby the only weak link is the quality of the tape and the quality of the VHS deck. DV is not lossless. You're just adding an extra step that doesn't help.

 

[Slow Eddie]

Originally posted by: Tostada

Originally posted by: Slow Eddie
If this is only for a one time use, try and find someone you know with a minidv camcorder. Record from VHS onto minidv tape and then import the footage into your computer with Windows Movie Maker via firewire. At that point you'll have a standard microsoft DV file that you can convert to dvd from there.

If this is something you see yourself doing often, then pick up an analog to digital firewire converter.

Eddie

He already said he has a capture card. How do you suggest he get video from the VHS onto a MiniDV tape, and why do you think that would be better quality than capturing it directly to his hard drive? Capturing directly, he could save as Huffy or some other lossless formate whereby the only weak link is the quality of the tape and the quality of the VHS deck. DV is not lossless. You're just adding an extra step that doesn't help.

You're right, he does have a capture card. In his own words a "cheap tv tuner". Which do you think has cleaner inputs, a $50 tv tuner card or a $1000 minidv cam?

Second, getting from VHS onto MiniDV is as easy as hitting play on your VCR and record on your miniDV camera. Its better quality because the inputs on the camera as well as the compression codec is more than likely cleaner than what comes with a $50tv tuner card. Also, if the camera has "pass through" you don't even need to record to tape first. You can use the camera simply for the conversion to firewire.

Saving as "huffy" or uncompressed is overkill for his needs. MiniDV is on par with betacam SP which has been the standard for video production for years. Not to mention hes capturing off a VHS tape, which to use your own words, is the "weakest link". If the quality of minidv is higher than the quality of a VHS, whats the point of capturing uncompressed?

And yes, miniDV is not lossless. But I would put my own money on the line and bet that you couldn't tell the difference between a VHS tape captured uncompressed and a vhs tape dubbed to miniDV and captured via firewire.

Eddie

 

[yukichigai]

Originally posted by: Slow Eddie
You're right, he does have a capture card. In his own words a "cheap tv tuner". Which do you think has cleaner inputs, a $50 tv tuner card or a $1000 minidv cam?

Second, getting from VHS onto MiniDV is as easy as hitting play on your VCR and record on your miniDV camera. Its better quality because the inputs on the camera as well as the compression codec is more than likely cleaner than what comes with a $50tv tuner card. Also, if the camera has "pass through" you don't even need to record to tape first. You can use the camera simply for the conversion to firewire.

Saving as "huffy" or uncompressed is overkill for his needs. MiniDV is on par with betacam SP which has been the standard for video production for years. Not to mention hes capturing off a VHS tape, which to use your own words, is the "weakest link". If the quality of minidv is higher than the quality of a VHS, whats the point of capturing uncompressed?

And yes, miniDV is not lossless. But I would put my own money on the line and bet that you couldn't tell the difference between a VHS tape captured uncompressed and a vhs tape dubbed to miniDV and captured via firewire.

Eddie

HuffyUV is lossless, and takes up relatively little space. VHS->DV is an analog to analog transfer, and inherantly will make any noise and other distortions worse. It doesn't matter if DV is higher quality, analog to analog transfer will always add distortion. Capturing to disk via the "cheap tuner card" will wind up with better results.

And incidentally, you can also capture to single-pass XviD set to maximum quality if your computer is fast enough. Saves a lot of space.

 

[Slow Eddie]

Originally posted by: yukichigai

HuffyUV is lossless, and takes up relatively little space. VHS->DV is an analog to analog transfer, and inherantly will make any noise and other distortions worse. It doesn't matter if DV is higher quality, analog to analog transfer will always add distortion. Capturing to disk via the "cheap tuner card" will wind up with better results.

And incidentally, you can also capture to single-pass XviD set to maximum quality if your computer is fast enough. Saves a lot of space.[/quote]

What? Since when is VHS to DV an analog to analog transfer? It goes from an analog source (vhs tape) to a digital source (a sequence of 0's and 1's recorded onto miniDV tape). When video is transfered from miniDV tape to a hard drive via firewire it is a true digital transfer. There is no quality loss since all that is being transfered is digital data. Its like copying a video file from one hard drive to another.

I've been a professional in the video industry for 5 years and I have never heard of huffy, except for the bike I bought for my sister for her tenth birthday. That says it all right there regarding your miracle codec.

And now I have even worse news. If it takes up very little space, then its NOT true lossless. It has to be compressed somewhere along the way, hence the smaller file size than true uncompressed.

Eddie

 

[ShadowBlade]

TV tuner can capture up to 9Mbps, 720x480 MPEG2, it can also capture DV, DivX and various others from composite video or s-video

 

[ShadowBlade]

well i need a new TV tuner card anyway, it seems that my current died