vhs tapes to computer / digitizing - Page 9

Art McBride · February 13th, 2013, 01:39 PM

I too have used TMPGENC MPEG Editor to copy tapes. I also used a "Video Stabilizer" which was really a Macrovision scrubber. I also built a scrubber from a circuit diagram in Popular electronics way, way back. Both seemed to behave about the same. When I had edited the .mpg file to where I wanted it, I then converted it to AVI using AutoGordianKnot- I think it was. Nowadays there are video converters that work very well. Free video converter, Hamster etc, etc. I also got a WD external drive and saved everything with encryption. I have never had a problem with it. I used a PC with two DVD players and wrote a batch file to send to the WD drive.

shompa · February 19th, 2013, 10:06 AM

I have transfered video to digital form since 1997. Back then trying to use a PC to do that didn't work, so I bought my first mac. Back in 2001 Apple was the first computer manufacture so release DVD burners and had a monopoly market for many years DVD video editing. Almost all commercial DVDs back then was done with DVD studio pro.

To maintain the best video quality I have alway digitised the video in a lossless format: DV and then compressed in MP4/MPEG2.

The biggest problem for me when grabbing video tapes was when the source was bad. Dropped frames. With dropped frames the sound would often be out of sync.

Hardware:
I use different kind of EyeTVs. The older ones have processors in them offloading the work for the computer. I grab in the highest bitstream and transfer in in DV. Then fire up final cut pro and check if the film is ok. Fix sound/colour.

The MPEG2/MPEG4 codec in Compressor is by far the best codec I have worked with. The problem is that it takes enormous amount of time. If I just want a quick and dirty encoding I use Handbrake.

The last year more and more video is on the web in MP4 format thanks to iPad. I wish that more used it especially 7 years ago

. AVI/MKV is not hardware accelerated. MP4 have always been it. Even modern computers have sometimes problem playing high definition MKV/AVI stuff. You need a really fast computer to play HD stuff without acceleration. (3ghz+). With MP4 acceleration a 1ghz computer can play the files.

EyeTV
+
Finalcut Pro
+
Compressor
is by far the best setup I have used to grab stuff.

February 13th, 2013, 01:39 PM	#81
Art McBride Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 35 Thanks: 8,444 Thanked 240 Times in 29 Posts	Transfers I too have used TMPGENC MPEG Editor to copy tapes. I also used a "Video Stabilizer" which was really a Macrovision scrubber. I also built a scrubber from a circuit diagram in Popular electronics way, way back. Both seemed to behave about the same. When I had edited the .mpg file to where I wanted it, I then converted it to AVI using AutoGordianKnot- I think it was. Nowadays there are video converters that work very well. Free video converter, Hamster etc, etc. I also got a WD external drive and saved everything with encryption. I have never had a problem with it. I used a PC with two DVD players and wrote a batch file to send to the WD drive.

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February 19th, 2013, 10:06 AM	#82
shompa Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 33 Thanks: 34,290 Thanked 1,463 Times in 32 Posts	I have transfered video to digital form since 1997. Back then trying to use a PC to do that didn't work, so I bought my first mac. Back in 2001 Apple was the first computer manufacture so release DVD burners and had a monopoly market for many years DVD video editing. Almost all commercial DVDs back then was done with DVD studio pro. To maintain the best video quality I have alway digitised the video in a lossless format: DV and then compressed in MP4/MPEG2. The biggest problem for me when grabbing video tapes was when the source was bad. Dropped frames. With dropped frames the sound would often be out of sync. Hardware: I use different kind of EyeTVs. The older ones have processors in them offloading the work for the computer. I grab in the highest bitstream and transfer in in DV. Then fire up final cut pro and check if the film is ok. Fix sound/colour. The MPEG2/MPEG4 codec in Compressor is by far the best codec I have worked with. The problem is that it takes enormous amount of time. If I just want a quick and dirty encoding I use Handbrake. The last year more and more video is on the web in MP4 format thanks to iPad. I wish that more used it especially 7 years ago . AVI/MKV is not hardware accelerated. MP4 have always been it. Even modern computers have sometimes problem playing high definition MKV/AVI stuff. You need a really fast computer to play HD stuff without acceleration. (3ghz+). With MP4 acceleration a 1ghz computer can play the files. EyeTV + Finalcut Pro + Compressor is by far the best setup I have used to grab stuff.