Hi8 to DVD conversion

[Sameer]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Hi,

I am trying to convert my Hi-8 tapes to DVD. My configuration is

AMD Athalon 900MHz
384MB RAM
120GB Western Digital 7200rpm HD
ATI All-in-Wonder capture card.
ATI Multimedia Center as capture software (Version 7.x)

If I use 720x480 at 9 Mbps capture setting (DVD setting), then frames are
getting dropped.

Is my system too slow for this?

What should be the optimal capture settings for Hi8 input?

I have read that 640x480 is too much for Hi8/VHS quality, but my question
is, will it not affect the quality when it gets stretched to 720x480 when
getting copied to DVD?

After some trial and error, I have found that 720x480 at 1 Mbps is possible
without any frame drop on my setting.

I am also curious about capturing to AVI format. What are pros and cons of
that? I have observed that the ATI capture program has the maximum size of
AVI capture of 720x240. Why does it not go above 240? The captured image
looks stretched and Nero does not re-size it while burning to DVD.

Can anyone share their setup/settings for Hi-8mm capture?

Thanks,
Sameer.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

On 31 Aug 2004 17:05:48 -0700, sameergn@gmail.com (Sameer) wrote:

>Hi,
>
> I am trying to convert my Hi-8 tapes to DVD. My configuration is
>
> AMD Athalon 900MHz
> 384MB RAM
> 120GB Western Digital 7200rpm HD
> ATI All-in-Wonder capture card.
> ATI Multimedia Center as capture software (Version 7.x)
>
> If I use 720x480 at 9 Mbps capture setting (DVD setting), then frames are
> getting dropped.
>
> Is my system too slow for this?
>
> What should be the optimal capture settings for Hi8 input?
>
> I have read that 640x480 is too much for Hi8/VHS quality, but my question
> is, will it not affect the quality when it gets stretched to 720x480 when
> getting copied to DVD?
>
> After some trial and error, I have found that 720x480 at 1 Mbps is possible
> without any frame drop on my setting.
>
> I am also curious about capturing to AVI format. What are pros and cons of
> that? I have observed that the ATI capture program has the maximum size of
> AVI capture of 720x240. Why does it not go above 240? The captured image
> looks stretched and Nero does not re-size it while burning to DVD.
>
> Can anyone share their setup/settings for Hi-8mm capture?
>

If encoding in mpeg-2 is done entirely powered by your Athlon 900 MHz
then this is probably to much to ask of such a cpu. Please check cpu
usage when encoding, it should stay well below 100% to have some
headroom.

As Hi8 is quite good quality, using full dvd resolution is appropiate.
However using half dvd-resolution would be a good compromise between
quality and available processing power if the latter really is of
different proportion when switching from full to half.

Using 720x480 doesn't stretch; using a higher format in capturing
doesn't affect the original quality.

720x480 at 1 Mbps is probably to low for good mpeg-2, but if it is
fine keep it that way.

Capturing in .avi gives the choice of using different encoding
techniques, like DivX, XviD, MJPEG, WMV, DV etc. Try using a different
program as '240' is to low a resolution, however maybe it is a
restriction, given by the ATI hardware, you can't avoid.

Personally I use full dvd-resolution (720x576, Pal) with a bitstream
of, mostly, 6 Mbps for video and 224 kbps for audio (Mpeg-1 layer 2)
using a Pinnacle tv-card with video in connector.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

On 31 Aug 2004 17:05:48 -0700, sameergn@gmail.com (Sameer) wrote:

> I have read that 640x480 is too much for Hi8/VHS quality, but my question
> is, will it not affect the quality when it gets stretched to 720x480 when
> getting copied to DVD?

Do not "stretch" to 720x480. Capture at 352x480, and make your DVD
with that resolution -which is as much a standard DVD resolution as
720x480, and certainly much closer to your tapes quality.

> I am also curious about capturing to AVI format. What are pros and cons of
> that?

Capturing to AVI: All the pros. Capturing to mpeg: All the cons.
Except it takes a further step to go from AVI to mpeg.

>I have observed that the ATI capture program has the maximum size of
> AVI capture of 720x240.

720x240 is certainly a weird resolution. While 352x480 is not, because
it is played with the same aspect ratio as 352x240, or 704x480.

> Can anyone share their setup/settings for Hi-8mm capture?

I capture from VHS, not Hi8, which has somewhat higher quality, but
anyway my advise is you drop ATI (and Pinnacle) software as much as
possible, and use a decent capture program like iuVCR to get Huffyuv
encoded AVI captures at 352x480, which your system should be capable
of without losing frames; then edit that, and encode it as mpeg-2
(which shall be also 352x480) with some good encoding software
(Tmpgenc here, but it can be Cinemacraft Encoder, Canopus
Procoder...). Follow this path, and you'll see how easy and satisfying
everything becomes.

 

[Snoopy]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

To this I have one answer: Virtualdub. You have described my computer to a
'T' and when I finally gave up using ATI's MMC for capturing video 99% of
all my problems went away. (Well, problems with capturing video anyway) When
I started using virtualdub I was still in Win98SE, used PIC mjpg codec at
either 18 or 19 setting and got relatively perfect video captures to 720x480
avi with no drops. I went to avi so I could edit it in either Premiere 6 or
Video Factory with very smooth scrubs and such. (That, I find is more of an
issue with my editors than with the video format.) The first few times I
used it I followed the doom9 Guides, and everything worked out great.

Just my experience - but I wont use MMC for anything but watching TV.

Jeff

"Sameer" <sameergn@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:7b608d2b.0408311605.3337a709@posting.google.com...
> Hi,
>
> I am trying to convert my Hi-8 tapes to DVD. My configuration is
>
> AMD Athalon 900MHz
> 384MB RAM
> 120GB Western Digital 7200rpm HD
> ATI All-in-Wonder capture card.
> ATI Multimedia Center as capture software (Version 7.x)
>
> If I use 720x480 at 9 Mbps capture setting (DVD setting), then frames are
> getting dropped.
>
> Is my system too slow for this?
>
> What should be the optimal capture settings for Hi8 input?
>
> I have read that 640x480 is too much for Hi8/VHS quality, but my question
> is, will it not affect the quality when it gets stretched to 720x480 when
> getting copied to DVD?
>
> After some trial and error, I have found that 720x480 at 1 Mbps is
possible
> without any frame drop on my setting.
>
> I am also curious about capturing to AVI format. What are pros and cons
of
> that? I have observed that the ATI capture program has the maximum size
of
> AVI capture of 720x240. Why does it not go above 240? The captured image
> looks stretched and Nero does not re-size it while burning to DVD.
>
> Can anyone share their setup/settings for Hi-8mm capture?
>
> Thanks,
> Sameer.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Jeff,

My virtual dub does not allow me to capture AVI above 240 lines. My
ATI card is lised as BT829 capture device. Also, the color look weird.
Can you tell me how did you capture at 720x480 AVI in windows XP?
Thanks,
Sameer.

 

[jeff]

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Sameer,
I will check tonight to confirm, but the capture resolution is not set
in the 'normal' place. under the video menu, select 'custom format' and
there you can select the different resolutions. I have since moved down to
352x480 resolution when capturing from Hi8, Burned 1 hour to DVD (approx
8Mbps) and the picture was perfect. when compared to the original Hi8 tape
on same TV. Its the limiting factor of analog.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

Jeff


<sameergn@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1104633648.350426.173430@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> Jeff,
>
> My virtual dub does not allow me to capture AVI above 240 lines. My
> ATI card is lised as BT829 capture device. Also, the color look weird.
> Can you tell me how did you capture at 720x480 AVI in windows XP?
> Thanks,
> Sameer.
>