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

Can anybody help? I want to transfer VHS tapes to DVD using a PC.

But capturing in AVI file format, a 4hr VHS tape will use about
60Gbytes of space! MPEG I understand will use a lot less.

But I've read that if I capture in MPEG, edit the footage, and then
re-encode back to MPEG again (before then creating the DVD structures)
I will lose quality.

Is this true?

And just what is rendering? Is this the process of simply encoding the
file in the correct format??

Finally, can anybody suggest a good piece of software to use for this
[free or otherwise]?

I've found that Pinnacle Studio 8 doesn't allow for capture straight to
MPEG, only AVI. I can however, capture in MPEG using another program
and then edit the footage with Pinnacle but this is very messy and I
would like just one program that could preferably do everything -
capture in MPEG or AVI, create MPEG/AVI/DVD files.

[I'm assuming that MPEG 1 is what VCDs use...]

Any help very much appreciated for stressed newbie

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

<coldcase14@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1107618654.693447.173300@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> Can anybody help? I want to transfer VHS tapes to DVD using a PC.
>
> But capturing in AVI file format, a 4hr VHS tape will use about
> 60Gbytes of space! MPEG I understand will use a lot less.
>
> But I've read that if I capture in MPEG, edit the footage, and then
> re-encode back to MPEG again (before then creating the DVD structures)
> I will lose quality.
>
> Is this true?
>
> And just what is rendering? Is this the process of simply encoding the
> file in the correct format??
>
> Finally, can anybody suggest a good piece of software to use for this
> [free or otherwise]?
>
> I've found that Pinnacle Studio 8 doesn't allow for capture straight to
> MPEG, only AVI. I can however, capture in MPEG using another program
> and then edit the footage with Pinnacle but this is very messy and I
> would like just one program that could preferably do everything -
> capture in MPEG or AVI, create MPEG/AVI/DVD files.
>
> [I'm assuming that MPEG 1 is what VCDs use...]
>
> Any help very much appreciated for stressed newbie
>

What hardware and software are you using to make these
captures?

Luck;
Ken

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

coldcase14@yahoo.co.uk wrote:

>Can anybody help? I want to transfer VHS tapes to DVD using a PC.
>
>But capturing in AVI file format, a 4hr VHS tape will use about
>60Gbytes of space! MPEG I understand will use a lot less.
>
>But I've read that if I capture in MPEG, edit the footage, and then
>re-encode back to MPEG again (before then creating the DVD structures)
>I will lose quality.
>
>Is this true?
>
>And just what is rendering? Is this the process of simply encoding the
>file in the correct format??
>
>Finally, can anybody suggest a good piece of software to use for this
>[free or otherwise]?
>
>I've found that Pinnacle Studio 8 doesn't allow for capture straight to
>MPEG, only AVI. I can however, capture in MPEG using another program
>and then edit the footage with Pinnacle but this is very messy and I
>would like just one program that could preferably do everything -
>capture in MPEG or AVI, create MPEG/AVI/DVD files.
>
>[I'm assuming that MPEG 1 is what VCDs use...]
>
>Any help very much appreciated for stressed newbie

Hi Coldcase,

You really need to give much more information about what you are
trying to do and your setup, in particular what hardware your are
using to play and digitize your analog VHS video.

As far as Studio is concerned, if you have a fast enough computer
Studio will convert a digital signal to MPEG "on the fly." Just go to
the capture window and click on the MPEG button, then use the
"settings" dialog to chose what you want your file to look like.
HOWEVER, if you intend to use Studio it is highly recommended that you
upgrade to Studio 9 of any version above 9.1.

Studio 8 was by far the worst edition of Studio ever released by
Pinnacle and the first version of 9 was no better. But, beginning
with version 9.09 Pinnacle sent Studio software development to Elbonia
and it has been re-written and greatly improved.

You have completely lost me with your question about MPEG1 and VCDs
since you start out by saying you intend to burn to DVDs.

I have found that the most important step in transferring VHS to the
PC and on to DVDs or back to tape is using the very best SVHS deck
with a build-in time base corrector you can afford. This will give
you a reasonably stable S-Video signal to digitize. The digitized
signal will never be any better than the analog signal you put into
the system. If you start with a lousy VHS signal from a lousy VHS
deck you will never be able to have anything but a digital version of
a lousy signal. Oh, if you spend enough time and effort you can make
it "appear" a little better, but it will always be a bad signal.

Hope this helps.

Susan

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

Thank you all for your help so far.

> You really need to give much more information about what you are
> trying to do and your setup, in particular what hardware your are
> using to play and digitize your analog VHS video.

AMD Athlon 64 Bit 3Ghz
1024 Mbytes RAM [400FSB]
320 Gbytes H/Drive [RAID array - striped]
WinTV card [with composite input]
Soundblaster Audigy LS
Playback via a standard Panasonic VHS recorder, through RCA (phono)
plugs into the WinTV card for Video and 3.5mm stereo jack of the
Soundblaster for audio

- so sound and video are captured separately. This [as would be
expected] causes problems with Pinnacle as soundtracks do not align
correctly with video. However, other software - such as Ulead Video
Studio 7 locks the sound/video and will encode straight to MPEG.

> As far as Studio is concerned, if you have a fast enough computer
> Studio will convert a digital signal to MPEG "on the fly." Just go
to
> the capture window and click on the MPEG button, then use the
> "settings" dialog to chose what you want your file to look like.
> HOWEVER, if you intend to use Studio it is highly recommended that
you
> upgrade to Studio 9 of any version above 9.1.

Only have version 8 and spent all my money on building the computer!!!!
Also, I cannot capture straight to MPEG when using composite from the
WinTV card. I think I know which setting your suggesting, but this is
only available when my camcorder is plugged in via firewire.

> Studio 8 was by far the worst edition of Studio ever released by
> Pinnacle and the first version of 9 was no better. But, beginning
> with version 9.09 Pinnacle sent Studio software development to
Elbonia
> and it has been re-written and greatly improved.
>
> You have completely lost me with your question about MPEG1 and VCDs
> since you start out by saying you intend to burn to DVDs.

I do intend to burn to DVD's but upon selecting MPEG1 compression,
found a setting called VCD in Ulead Video Studio which appears to have
roughly the same spec. as the MPEG1 setting. Are they the same???

> I have found that the most important step in transferring VHS to the
> PC and on to DVDs or back to tape is using the very best SVHS deck
> with a build-in time base corrector you can afford.

Don't have a built in timebase corrector, but do have an external
add-on device that I used to use to break macrovision during
back-to-back copying of films [ahem!]

> This will give
> you a reasonably stable S-Video signal to digitize. The digitized
> signal will never be any better than the analog signal you put into
> the system. If you start with a lousy VHS signal from a lousy VHS
> deck you will never be able to have anything but a digital version of
> a lousy signal. Oh, if you spend enough time and effort you can make
> it "appear" a little better, but it will always be a bad signal.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> Susan

Thanks Susan

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

Susan wrote:

>coldcase14@yahoo.co.uk wrote:
>
>
>
>>Can anybody help? I want to transfer VHS tapes to DVD using a PC.
>>
>>But capturing in AVI file format, a 4hr VHS tape will use about
>>60Gbytes of space! MPEG I understand will use a lot less.
>>
>>But I've read that if I capture in MPEG, edit the footage, and then
>>re-encode back to MPEG again (before then creating the DVD structures)
>>I will lose quality.
>>
>>Is this true?
>>
>>And just what is rendering? Is this the process of simply encoding the
>>file in the correct format??
>>
>>Finally, can anybody suggest a good piece of software to use for this
>>[free or otherwise]?
>>
>>I've found that Pinnacle Studio 8 doesn't allow for capture straight to
>>MPEG, only AVI. I can however, capture in MPEG using another program
>>and then edit the footage with Pinnacle but this is very messy and I
>>would like just one program that could preferably do everything -
>>capture in MPEG or AVI, create MPEG/AVI/DVD files.
>>
>>[I'm assuming that MPEG 1 is what VCDs use...]
>>
>>Any help very much appreciated for stressed newbie
>>
>>
>
>Hi Coldcase,
>
>You really need to give much more information about what you are
>trying to do and your setup, in particular what hardware your are
>using to play and digitize your analog VHS video.
>
>As far as Studio is concerned, if you have a fast enough computer
>Studio will convert a digital signal to MPEG "on the fly." Just go to
>the capture window and click on the MPEG button, then use the
>"settings" dialog to chose what you want your file to look like.
>HOWEVER, if you intend to use Studio it is highly recommended that you
>upgrade to Studio 9 of any version above 9.1.
>
>Studio 8 was by far the worst edition of Studio ever released by
>Pinnacle and the first version of 9 was no better. But, beginning
>with version 9.09 Pinnacle sent Studio software development to Elbonia
>and it has been re-written and greatly improved.
>
>You have completely lost me with your question about MPEG1 and VCDs
>since you start out by saying you intend to burn to DVDs.
>
>I have found that the most important step in transferring VHS to the
>PC and on to DVDs or back to tape is using the very best SVHS deck
>with a build-in time base corrector you can afford. This will give
>you a reasonably stable S-Video signal to digitize. The digitized
>signal will never be any better than the analog signal you put into
>the system. If you start with a lousy VHS signal from a lousy VHS
>deck you will never be able to have anything but a digital version of
>a lousy signal. Oh, if you spend enough time and effort you can make
>it "appear" a little better, but it will always be a bad signal.
>
>Hope this helps.
>
>Susan
>
>
Susan just a question on this does SVHS really make that much of a
difference ovcer a regular VHS player? WHat if the tapes you're going
to be capturing aren't recorded using s-vhs format ? Will it still be
better to use ? Just trying to get some input into putting together
equipment for capturing my tapes.

thanks,

jason

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and he reached his hand up for it.

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