Digitizing Hi8 Video Tapes-Best Settings

[goddi]

Greetings,

I am digitizing Hi8 tapes (NTSC). If I use the H.264 Compression setting, what is the appropriate Resolution setting and what is the best Frame Rate to select. The H.264 seems less fuzzy then when using the MPEG2 compression.

 

What should be the best settings when digitizing Hi8 tapes?

Thanks,

Gary

[bimicher]

============================

Walt,

Have you used the Roxio's EVD3? After you run tape through the Roio's capture process, you have to Export it to the hard drive. The question is, before you start the Roxio Export process, you have to make choices as to which format you want the Exported video to be. That is what the question is all about. Why is this question not making sense? Not only are there format choices (Compression, Resolution and Frame Rate) to make, you can also choose PAL vs NTSC, for the Export process.

Gary

 

Yes, I have used EVD3 (as well as EVD and several other programs) to capture dozens of videos from analog camcorders. You don't seem to understand that after you have captured the video to your hard drive you have a video file in the mpg format. Any Export of the mpg video to another format will not improve the video very much if at all, there really is no reason to do another rendering of the video

[Jim_Hardin]

You are mistaken about 'streching'... Two of the clips you show are stretched whereas 2 are not... (the width of the bush is the clue)

 

Walt is correct, you only have to Export IF you do edits to the clip. Otherwise you have a saved file in the location you have designated:

 

 

If you right click one of your captured files you will find it is mpeg - 720 X 480 @ 8 mpbs.

 

That is as good as it is going to get and what you want to stick to

 

The only time you would change that, is if your Destination could not utilize the mpeg format

[goddi]

Yes, I have used EVD3 (as well as EVD and several other programs) to capture dozens of videos from analog camcorders. You don't seem to understand that after you have captured the video to your hard drive you have a video file in the mpg format. Any Export of the mpg video to another format will not improve the video very much if at all, there really is no reason to do another rendering of the video

==================================

Walt and Jim....

Many apologies to you. I now see the light. I now understand what has been going on.

I would change the Preference's capture location from the default "C:\User\username\Videos\Easy VHS to DVD\Captured Videos" to be my Desktop. But it seems that while I am fiddling with trying to get the video signal to show up on the monitor, my 'Desktop' capture location changed back to the default. This is why I did not see it on the Desktop and assumed that the next step was to Export it.

 

One of the problems with EVD is that it will not retain the changes I make in the default capture location. I constantly have to go back and reset it to the Desktop. I looked for the default capture location that Roxio has "C:\User\username\Videos\Easy VHS to DVD\Captured Videos" but I don't have that exact path. However, my path is C:\User\username\My Videos\Easy VHS to DVD\Captured Videos". I looked there and found all of the mpg videos that I had been digitizing.

 

I hope Roxio will fix this default capture output problem. It will not retain my Desktop capture setting in Preferences. I thought the destination was set for my Desktop, and since I did not see the final result there, I would then select the Export option.

 

All of this stems from the problem that Roxio does not seem to be able to detect the beginning of the video signal very well to start its ability to capture. So I have to constantly go back and try again. This action resets the Preferences default capture location to their setting, not to what I had set as the Desktop.

Thanks for sticking with me to shed light on my misunderstanding...

Gary

[Jim_Hardin]

First the Library Location is not that hard to get to:

 

 

I am not a fan of putting anything but the bare minimum on my desktop...

 

But if you do the defaults will stay set!

 

 

But back to your original issue ~ are we there yet

[goddi]

First the Library Location is not that hard to get to:

I am not a fan of putting anything but the bare minimum on my desktop...

But if you do the defaults will stay set!

But back to your original issue ~ are we there yet

===========================

Jim,

I did some testing. Sometimes my Desktop default would be retained. But most times, it gets reset back to the Roxio's default. I can set my capture location as the Desktop in the opening screen, then go to the Record screen and check what the default is and it gets reset to Roxio's default. There must be something going on with mine if yours is stable and retaining your setting.

Gary

[Jim_Hardin]

Well you didn't notice that all my examples were EVD and not EVD 3

 

My main PC is down and I will have to reboot to a different OS on this one to test it...

 

You could be right, sometimes when they upgrade a product, they break it

[bimicher]

===========================

Jim,

I did some testing. Sometimes my Desktop default would be retained. But most times, it gets reset back to the Roxio's default. I can set my capture location as the Desktop in the opening screen, then go to the Record screen and check what the default is and it gets reset to Roxio's default. There must be something going on with mine if yours is stable and retaining your setting.

Gary

 

I seem to get the same results you do. I set the location on the opening screen and exit the program. When I launch the program again and check the location, it is still what I have set. Then as soon as I select Record,Edit and Save, the location is set back to the Roxio default. This bug makes the setting option totally useless.

[goddi]

I seem to get the same results you do. I set the location on the opening screen and exit the program. When I launch the program again and check the location, it is still what I have set. Then as soon as I select Record,Edit and Save, the location is set back to the Roxio default. This bug makes the setting option totally useless.

========================

Walt,

Thanks much for checking it out. I felt pretty dumb for not seeing that it makes the mpg file (without the need to Export), but it looks like I had a good reason for getting confused....

Now I understand how to use the EVD3. I've got many VCR and Hi8 tapes to convert. One thing that still bugs me is that the EVD3 does not pick up the beginning of the video signal right away. It is playing in the camera but it takes a while before it gets shown in the EVD3 window.

Thanks... Gary

[goddi]

Walt and Jim,

I have discovered another 'bug' with this EVD3. I just got through trying to capture over an hour of an Hi8 tape. I saw that the signal from the camera ended (and there was a lot of blank tape remaining on the cassette) so the capture window went to black. Before I could click on the Stop Recording button, the button disappeared so there was no way to actually stop the recording. So the hour of capture disappeared. The file was not saved! I even left the capture destination to be the Roxio default. So now I have to redo the hour of capture and be sure to stop the recording before the tape signal ends.

Gary

[bimicher]

========================

Walt,

Thanks much for checking it out. I felt pretty dumb for not seeing that it makes the mpg file (without the need to Export), but it looks like I had a good reason for getting confused....

Now I understand how to use the EVD3. I've got many VCR and Hi8 tapes to convert. One thing that still bugs me is that the EVD3 does not pick up the beginning of the video signal right away. It is playing in the camera but it takes a while before it gets shown in the EVD3 window.

Thanks... Gary

 

What I usually do is to start the tape playing and put it on pause. Then start the recording and when the program has detected the video signal then I continue the play on the camcorder. Of course this means that there will be a bit of garbage video at the start of the recording but that can be easily trimmed away. The slight delay in picking up the signal is common with all capture devices/programs as far as I know. After all there is a lot of overhead program that has to run before the actual recording can start.

 

Also if there are gaps or blank spots on the tape the program may also stop recording since it thinks it has reached the end of the tape. This seems to be camcorder dependent since it does not happen with all camcorders.

 

Also, I prefer to capture in short 15 minute segments instead of one long capture. It makes editing a lot easier.

 

 

PS. If the stop botton disappeared then that means that the recording has stopped.

[Jim_Hardin]

Never had it NOT record... After it hits an 'end of tape' it normally stops but finishes the file it has been recording.

 

No bug or we would all have it

[Jim_Hardin]

One thing we have not done up to this point and that is a proper repair...

 

Follow these instruction - Add Nothing - Skip Nothing!

 

First thing to do is to turn off your Anti Virus, Firewalls, Registry Cleaners, etc.

 

Unplug your Roxio Capture Device and put it aside until you are completely finished.

 

Now insert your Roxio Disc.

 

When you reach the screen where

Repair

is offered, choose that!

 

When the Repair competes, turn your AV & Firewall back on and reboot.

[goddi]

What I usually do is to start the tape playing and put it on pause. Then start the recording and when the program has detected the video signal then I continue the play on the camcorder. Of course this means that there will be a bit of garbage video at the start of the recording but that can be easily trimmed away. The slight delay in picking up the signal is common with all capture devices/programs as far as I know. After all there is a lot of overhead program that has to run before the actual recording can start.

Also if there are gaps or blank spots on the tape the program may also stop recording since it thinks it has reached the end of the tape. This seems to be camcorder dependent since it does not happen with all camcorders.

Also, I prefer to capture in short 15 minute segments instead of one long capture. It makes editing a lot easier.

PS. If the stop botton disappeared then that means that the recording has stopped.

=====================

Walt and Jim,

Thanks for the 'pause' tip. I'll give it a try. The first capture session captured about a hour of the tape, all the way to the end. This time it stopped 5 different times. Sort of a pain to have to babysit the process.

Jim...I will try the 'Restore' process when I get a chance, soon. It was really strange that it was doing the capture but, at the end, the captured file was not created and the Stop Record button went grey only at the end, but it was too late to click on it.

I'll have more questions later.

Gary

[Jim_Hardin]

The best setting is the one that works

 

Have you used any files on a TV? Often what looks nice on your monitor will not on a full size TV...

[goddi]

ooppss... wrong topic.

[goddi]

Greetings Jim,

The problem is that most any combination of the variables will 'work'. The difficult part is what is the best combination of variables. Different Frame Rates or Resolutions will make a difference. I could go through and make samples of each combination, but, I am sure, there are techical combinations that should work better than others.

 

Yes, I have used these Roxio outputs on my TV. In fact, they look better on TV than on my monitor. I put the video file in a slideshow program, PicturesToExe, and reduce the size of the video somewhat so that it is not full screen. It looks OK on my monitor but better when played on the TV. I was hoping you, as the Guru, could demistify this.

 

I just want to know is someone can tell me what techically the better combination of variables should produce the better result when digitizing Hi8 video.

Gary

[Jim_Hardin]

Just so you know, the title 'Guru' is bestowed by the site software automatically upon reaching a certain number of posts... I was NOT by choice!

 

You can't make it better than it was to start with. Best bet has always been to keep as close as you can to the format and quality of the Capture and to always capture at highest quality...

 

EVD 3 captures in mpeg which is an international standard and will likely remain as such for a decade or 2 to come

 

If there were a direct answer to your question, I would have posted it and not beat around the bush about it

[goddi]

Bill,

You may know EVD3 more than I do, but your comment that it 'captures in mpeg' does not solve any of my questions. When I capture some video from my Hi8 tape, the only choices you have, if you want to output it to the Computer, is to Export it. That is when I have the questions as to what parameters are the best. You have only the choices of these two screenshots to choose the outputs:

 

Gary

[bimicher]

Bill,

You may know EVD3 more than I do, but your comment that it 'captures in mpeg' does not solve any of my questions. When I capture some video from my Hi8 tape, the only choices you have, if you want to output it to the Computer, is to Export it. That is when I have the questions as to what parameters are the best. You have only the choices of these two screenshots to choose the outputs:

 

Gary

 

What do you want to do with your captured video? Keep as a video file or burn to a DVD?

 

Since EVD3 captures to mpeg2 you can't improve on it.

[goddi]

Greetings,

First, apology to Jim...I called him Bill.

 

Walt... I do not want to burn the video files to a DVD. I only want to create a video file. As I mentioned above, I insert these video clips into a slideshow program. I did a test exporting a short test video into 4 possible formats that Roxio offers. The best result in my eyes are clip #4, not stretched and seems sharper. The question that I have is that Hi8 is supposed to be 4:3 (1.33) aspect ratio. Roxio does not offer this aspect ratio. Clip #4 is 480x270 (1.77).

Gary

[goddi]

What do you want to do with your captured video? Keep as a video file or burn to a DVD?

Since EVD3 captures to mpeg2 you can't improve on it.

====================================

I think I didn't label the images correctly in the previous posting. I re-did the samples and here is what I see.

 

Now, Clip #1 looks best. But Clip #1 and Clip #3 are both 720x480, but do not show up as the same size. Clip #3 is wider than Clip #1. Very strange.

Gary

[bimicher]

Do you have an image of the original, captured clip?

[goddi]

Walt,

I'm not sure what you are asking. I have the Hi8 cassette and playing it through the Hi8 camera. I am just trying to digitize it using the Roxio device.

Gary

[Jim_Hardin]

They are 4:3 but your slideshow program is stretching it and it is obviously stretched in 1. and 2. of Post #7.

 

Hi8 has a quality around 560 X 480. Closest to that mpeg @ 720 X 480 or essentially your raw captured files.

 

Walt is asking, and I am curious as well, what the raw caps look like?

[goddi]

They are 4:3 but your slideshow program is stretching it and it is obviously stretched in 1. and 2. of Post #7.

Hi8 has a quality around 560 X 480. Closest to that mpeg @ 720 X 480 or essentially your raw captured files.

Walt is asking, and I am curious as well, what the raw caps look like?

====================

Jim,

For the correct labeling of the video clips, look at Post #8, not #7.

The slideshow program is not stretching the images. The video clips are added to the slideshow program as they were exported by Roxio, depending on the chosen format.

The correct aspect ratio for Hi8 would be the 640x480 (1.33) to match the Hi8 4:3 (1.33) aspect ratio.

After all my testing, I think the best Export format for Hi8 using Roxio seems to be MPEG2-640x480.mp4, as shown in Clip#2 in Post #8.

Gary