I have many hours of VHS (both SP and EP) that I want to make into DVDs. After fiddling with analog capture to AVI and MPEG, I ended up with a terrific option: Using my MiniDV camcorder as an analog to DV-digital converter.
Remove any tape from the camcorder, turn on its A/V input feature, connect the VHS to the A/V input of the camcorder, and use FireWire to the CPU. Start your VHS player, and verify the video and audio shows on the camcorder. Then switch UVS9 to Capture and verify that you can see and hear the playing video in UVS9.
Capture in DV mode(!). The results (DV-AVI) are smaller than uncompressed AVI and cannot be distinguished from the original VHS. It's about 200 megabytes per minute.
Capture
DV mode, options type 2 (I had no trouble with this)
Edit using the resulting AVI file(s). Then do the encoding to the final DVD-MPEG file. This must be DVD compliant, and you should turn on "Do not encode compliant MPEG files" to avoid needless recoding when making a DVD.
Actually when doing "Create Disc", I only turn on "Create DVD Folders" and leave Burn to disc and Create Disk Image File both off. Then I use the DVD files (in VIDEO_TS) and burn using Roxio Easy CD-DVD Creator Platinum. But I have burned from UVS9 with no problems, even with stuff in the timeline, etc. I have had none of the problems referred to in the sticky post at the top of this forum.
Output-General:
ULead MPEG Now Encoder
Audio and Video
29.97 fps
Lower field first (Yes, lower! It's coming from the DV cam!)
Frame size: 720x480
Aspect 4:3
Output-Compression:
NTSC-DVD
100% quality
2-Pass encode (very important!)
Variable Bit Rate
4000 kbps for SP VHS
3000 kbps for "good" EP VHS
2000 kbps for "bad" EP VHS (try this on a small chunk first)
Dolby Digital Audio, 128kbps
The key to a good result is 2-pass encoding!!!!! Thus you don't want to encode while capturing.
-- Bob
VHS to DVD using MiniDV camcorder & FireWire
Moderator: Ken Berry
Bob,
Welcome to our world! Just a few things to help you even more. 1) Use DV-Type 1 rather than Type 2. DV-Type 1 has locked streams whereas Type 2 does not. This is where audio can slowly drift out of sync. 2) You should enable the Advanced option within Ulead's MPEGNow Encoder by doing the following:
On a Windows 2000 or Windows XP computer, click MY COMPUTER>C: DRIVE>DOCUMENTS & SETTINGS>ALL USERS>APPLICATION DATA>ULEAD SYSTEMS FOLDER>ULEAD MEDIASTUDIO PRO FOLDER>7.0 FOLDER>MSP (INI FILE).
Then add ADVANCE=1 under the [VIODRIVER] heading.
Save the change.
Then reboot.
This is like having manual control on your camcorder. By changing values one can optimize the encoder for producing the best quality.
3) Your data rates are low. Commercial DVD's use rates of 6000-8000 kbps. That's it. Have fun.
-Robert
Welcome to our world! Just a few things to help you even more. 1) Use DV-Type 1 rather than Type 2. DV-Type 1 has locked streams whereas Type 2 does not. This is where audio can slowly drift out of sync. 2) You should enable the Advanced option within Ulead's MPEGNow Encoder by doing the following:
On a Windows 2000 or Windows XP computer, click MY COMPUTER>C: DRIVE>DOCUMENTS & SETTINGS>ALL USERS>APPLICATION DATA>ULEAD SYSTEMS FOLDER>ULEAD MEDIASTUDIO PRO FOLDER>7.0 FOLDER>MSP (INI FILE).
Then add ADVANCE=1 under the [VIODRIVER] heading.
Save the change.
Then reboot.
This is like having manual control on your camcorder. By changing values one can optimize the encoder for producing the best quality.
3) Your data rates are low. Commercial DVD's use rates of 6000-8000 kbps. That's it. Have fun.
-Robert
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rdenny
Robert --
Thanks for the info. I'll use DV-type 1 from now on.
I have installed only UVS9 and under Application Data\Ulead Systems I don't have Ulead Media Studio Pro folder. However there is a Ulead VideoStudio\9.0 folder, and in there is uvs.ini. It has a [VIODRIVER] section and I added the Advance=1 there. When I select MPEG-2 for the compression type, the Advanced button lights and I can get to the myriad of options (what are they???). But when I select NTSC DVD, the Advanced button is dimmed. Since I know nothing about most of those advanced settings, what things must I pay attention to in order to make a DVD-compliant MPEG? Or... what must I not select?
I know those data rates are low... but I tested starting with the VHS-> DV-AVI file and encoding a couple of minutes at 8000, 6000, 4000, 3000, and 2000. It's clear that SP VHS is impacted below 4000, etc. But at 4000, the SP VHS comes out almost indistinguishable from the original. So I'm happy and you can fit 2+ hrs comfortably on a 4.7-DVD with it.
Thanks for the info. I'll use DV-type 1 from now on.
I have installed only UVS9 and under Application Data\Ulead Systems I don't have Ulead Media Studio Pro folder. However there is a Ulead VideoStudio\9.0 folder, and in there is uvs.ini. It has a [VIODRIVER] section and I added the Advance=1 there. When I select MPEG-2 for the compression type, the Advanced button lights and I can get to the myriad of options (what are they???). But when I select NTSC DVD, the Advanced button is dimmed. Since I know nothing about most of those advanced settings, what things must I pay attention to in order to make a DVD-compliant MPEG? Or... what must I not select?
I know those data rates are low... but I tested starting with the VHS-> DV-AVI file and encoding a couple of minutes at 8000, 6000, 4000, 3000, and 2000. It's clear that SP VHS is impacted below 4000, etc. But at 4000, the SP VHS comes out almost indistinguishable from the original. So I'm happy and you can fit 2+ hrs comfortably on a 4.7-DVD with it.
Bob,
Sorry about the Media Studio Pro/Video Studio confusion. I am a Media Studio Pro user and that was the way for enabling the Advanced options but I'm glad you were able to do so in VS.
As for compliant DVD settings within the Advanced MPEGNow Encoder, these are what I use:
DVD NTSC 720x480, VBR 6000-8000, 2-pass, Quality 90-100, Advance
Motion search set at V & H of at least 8, sometimes 16 if lots of
motion. Dolby Digital AC3 128-384 L/R 2.0 CH.
As for NTSC-DVD template, select Edit in Project Settings and you should be able to access the Advanced button. That is the way of doing it in MSP or use Create Video File option.
Hope this helps.
Sorry about the Media Studio Pro/Video Studio confusion. I am a Media Studio Pro user and that was the way for enabling the Advanced options but I'm glad you were able to do so in VS.
As for compliant DVD settings within the Advanced MPEGNow Encoder, these are what I use:
DVD NTSC 720x480, VBR 6000-8000, 2-pass, Quality 90-100, Advance
Motion search set at V & H of at least 8, sometimes 16 if lots of
motion. Dolby Digital AC3 128-384 L/R 2.0 CH.
As for NTSC-DVD template, select Edit in Project Settings and you should be able to access the Advanced button. That is the way of doing it in MSP or use Create Video File option.
Hope this helps.
-
rwindeyer
I can endorse rdenny's comments re bitrates.
When I am producing a holiday video, from "good" source material (my digital mini-DV camcorder) I try to keep the quality as high as possible - bitrate averages out at around 7000 or so.
When capturing from VHS the signal is already pretty ordinary - a bitrate of 4000 is quite adequate to do it justice.
When I am producing a holiday video, from "good" source material (my digital mini-DV camcorder) I try to keep the quality as high as possible - bitrate averages out at around 7000 or so.
When capturing from VHS the signal is already pretty ordinary - a bitrate of 4000 is quite adequate to do it justice.
-
jchunter
Bob,
You might want to rethink using your digital camcorder as an analog capture device. We already had one report of a user whose camcorder failed while doing this. See http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... hlight=ccd. If you are planning to convert a whole tape library, IMHO, it would be prudent to get an A/D converter.
As for burning DVDs directly from the timeline, if it doesn't fail, it will still waste lots of your time (hours) while unnecessarily converting videos that are already fully compliant. On a positive note, its a good way to obtain a matched set of DVD beer coasters
John
You might want to rethink using your digital camcorder as an analog capture device. We already had one report of a user whose camcorder failed while doing this. See http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... hlight=ccd. If you are planning to convert a whole tape library, IMHO, it would be prudent to get an A/D converter.
As for burning DVDs directly from the timeline, if it doesn't fail, it will still waste lots of your time (hours) while unnecessarily converting videos that are already fully compliant. On a positive note, its a good way to obtain a matched set of DVD beer coasters
John
I bought a Sony TRV120 on eBay for $45. It was just the camcorder -- no manual, no battery or plug, or anything -- just the camcorder. Since I already had a TRV120, I didn't need any accessories, so I took a chance that the analog-to-dv converter still worked (the seller said the recording was "jumpy" -- but I didn't need it to record to tape).
It worked out great, as the camcorder just needed to switch between LP and SP mode (but that's a different story). Bottom line, the camcorder is hooked up to one of my computers, and I can convert or send video from PC to TV using the camcorder as a pass-thru...
So, there are plenty of cheap digital camcorders that have the A/D Conversion feature (make sure it has pass-thru). The added bonus is you get an additional camcorder (so if your son has the need to record himself doing skateboarding or biking tricks, you can give him the cheap camcorder).
It worked out great, as the camcorder just needed to switch between LP and SP mode (but that's a different story). Bottom line, the camcorder is hooked up to one of my computers, and I can convert or send video from PC to TV using the camcorder as a pass-thru...
So, there are plenty of cheap digital camcorders that have the A/D Conversion feature (make sure it has pass-thru). The added bonus is you get an additional camcorder (so if your son has the need to record himself doing skateboarding or biking tricks, you can give him the cheap camcorder).
George
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rdenny
Thanks to all who chimed in and helped with the Advanced settings. I appreciate the info.
My wife got it as a prize for accumulating "brownie points" at her work.
That other post just has to be an old wives' tale. In playback mode, the CCD is inactive, plus I keep the lens cap on. The tape mechanism in the camcorder is inactive as well. Electrons don't wear out electronics. My only concern is the time I'm putting on the camcorder's LCD. I have reduced the brightness of it to almost minimum, but I'm not sure that changes the expected lifetime of an LCD (maybe the backlight, but??). The camcorder is a piece of **** JVC that has no support for an external mike, so it' s pretty useless except for "baby and pet" home videosjchunter wrote:You might want to rethink using your digital camcorder as an analog capture device. We already had one report of a user whose camcorder failed while doing this.
My wife got it as a prize for accumulating "brownie points" at her work.-
jchunter
The camcorder failure that I provided a link to is not an old wives tale.
Regarding camcorder failures, one has to look at the complexity of the entire system. A camcorder is, in fact, a complete computer system. Inside, it has a CPU, a memory, several I/O devices (e.g., the imaging CCD, the preview LCD, the tape drive/playback motors, a firewire port, the USB port, an auto focus mechanism, etc.) , and a ROM/PROM to hold its rudimentary operating system and a lot of software. Thus the Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) is the sum total of failures of all system components – from multiple sources – not just charge carriers bumping into transistor junctions.
The predominate failure mechanisms are mechanical (e.g., tape transport/drive) and internal and external electrical connectors, electrical (e.g., static electricity when you plug or unplug a connection between camcorder and PC), internal software bugs (the world has yet to experience perfect software), and, yes, even wear out mechanisms on the electrical components. The latter may happen because the manufacturing process is never perfect and sometimes things are not manufactured to design spec. For example, conductors may have narrow sections where the current density becomes high enough to cause electromigration over time, which can further narrow the conductor, ultimately causing failure. Likewise, oxides can be too thin, leading to a possibility of punch through, etc. etc. etc.
Moreover, AFAIK, there is no assurance that all camcorders turn off all unnecessary components when used in pass-through mode. Therefore, some camcorders may have components powered up that have a higher probability of failure.
Having said all this, the odds are definitely in your favor that nothing will happen to your camcorder if you use it to capture analog. But if you have a failure, it will cost lots of bucks to get it fixed. On the other hand, analog capture devices are inexpensive, do all the work of converting directly to mpeg, and if they fail, it is not going to put a huge hole in your wallet.
John
Regarding camcorder failures, one has to look at the complexity of the entire system. A camcorder is, in fact, a complete computer system. Inside, it has a CPU, a memory, several I/O devices (e.g., the imaging CCD, the preview LCD, the tape drive/playback motors, a firewire port, the USB port, an auto focus mechanism, etc.) , and a ROM/PROM to hold its rudimentary operating system and a lot of software. Thus the Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) is the sum total of failures of all system components – from multiple sources – not just charge carriers bumping into transistor junctions.
The predominate failure mechanisms are mechanical (e.g., tape transport/drive) and internal and external electrical connectors, electrical (e.g., static electricity when you plug or unplug a connection between camcorder and PC), internal software bugs (the world has yet to experience perfect software), and, yes, even wear out mechanisms on the electrical components. The latter may happen because the manufacturing process is never perfect and sometimes things are not manufactured to design spec. For example, conductors may have narrow sections where the current density becomes high enough to cause electromigration over time, which can further narrow the conductor, ultimately causing failure. Likewise, oxides can be too thin, leading to a possibility of punch through, etc. etc. etc.
Moreover, AFAIK, there is no assurance that all camcorders turn off all unnecessary components when used in pass-through mode. Therefore, some camcorders may have components powered up that have a higher probability of failure.
Having said all this, the odds are definitely in your favor that nothing will happen to your camcorder if you use it to capture analog. But if you have a failure, it will cost lots of bucks to get it fixed. On the other hand, analog capture devices are inexpensive, do all the work of converting directly to mpeg, and if they fail, it is not going to put a huge hole in your wallet.
John