VS9 -Analog Video -All In Wonder Card

[mauryw]

3 yrs ago, I was succesful capturing home video VHS input to VS6 & 7, thru my ATI All-In-Wonder 7500 video card. The video was still a bit jerky when played back on DVD. Now with VS9, I am thinking that the video conversion will be better and I want to back up on Hard drive before the VHS and DVDs deteriorate.

I get video and audio input into VS9 just fine. However when I play back a test capture, I find that the video seems to catch on the first reference frame and loop the reference frame as a still for the duration of the caputre.

I have printed out the "Avoid Problems" recommendations and will try the settings tonight to see if that fixes the problem. But, being proactive, I wondered if you had any additional advice. Thanks!!!

[TDK1044]

In all honesty, the ATI 7500 series is barely adequate for full resolution capture into video studio. Upgrading to the ATI AIW 9600 or 9800 with the latest catalyst drivers would be a smart move for you and can be achieved for under $100 if you get a 2005 version of the video card. The ATI cards handle MPEG2 and AVI very well, and in your case I would capture using the following settings:

MPEG2 720X480
Upper Field First
Variable Bit rate 6000 max (some DVDs stutter at a higher rate)
LPCM audio at 48,000

Make those your project properties and render settings within video studio. Also, make sure that these settings are also selected at your burn stage. It's also very important to disable any background programs such as virus scan, screensaver etc during capture. I used an ATI AIW 9600 using those settings for two years with no problems at all and my DVDs were perfect, but you must keep all the values the same from cature to render to burn.

[DVDDoug]

Before you run-out and buy another capture card....

Try using the capture software that came with your ATI card. Some software just doesn't play well with some capture hardware.

If the captured video plays-back OK before you make a DVD, you should be able to make a good DVD. Use a high bitrate for good quality. Use AC3 audio because it leaves more room for the video (than LPCM). This means you can use a higher video-bitrate or have a longer program. (Just as a starting-point, a bitrate of 6000kbps is typical for many commercial DVDs.)

If you get the field-order "wrong", that might cause "jerky video". So pay attention to that part when you're reading the "Avoid Problems" post.

I recommend that you avoid MPEG-2 capture*. Capture to AVI/DV. There are several potential problems with MPEG capture:

-MPEG encoding is CPU intensive. If the CPU can't keep-up with the real-time streaming video, or if it gets interrupted, you'll get dropped frames or corrupted MPEG files. It's better to encode to MPEG after you have a digital vodeo file on your hard drive. Then the CPU can take it's time, and if you wish, you can use 2-pass MPEG encoding for better quality.

-MPEGs are not meant to be edited. MPEG is lossy compression and any editing that requires a decode/re-code cycle will degrade the video. And, you might get some other problems, like the 'lip-sync" problem that inspired my "signature".

-If you choose the "wrong" bitrate, and the program needs to be re-coded to fit on a DVD, the quality will be worse than if you encoded once to the lower bitrate.


* Your ATI card may be an MPEG-only card. In that case, it probably has a hardware MPEG encoder, and you don't have to worry about your CPU keeping-up. But, the editing and re-coding issues still remain.

[GuyL]

Ulead products have always worked well for me and I am a long time user of AIW cards. My first was a AIW Rage Pro 128. I've since had a 9600, 9800 Pro, and now an X800 XT. I haven't had any experience with the card you are using, however.

If you are a fan of the AIW card and want to save some money, get the 9600 or 9800 series cards and you can capture in any format you like without issue either using ATI's MMC or Video Studio. My personal recommendation is to capture in AVI and then produce MPEG for best results. I use the huffyuv codec.