VHS to DVD flickering video

KiwiJock · Post by **KiwiJock** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 12:31 am

I am a newbie, converting Pal VHS tapes to DVD using VS9. So far I have tried to do 20 tapes and have succesfully done 17 but have problems with 3, where the video looks very flickery. It is a little difficult to describe but whenever there is any movement, particularly noticeable with people, they do not have to be moving fast, the movement is not smooth and the screen seems to be flicking.
As I have done most of them ok, i do not think it is the settings I am using, I have carefully followed the instructions from the top post but here is what i am doing.

Capturing through composite port on pci card straight to MPEG2, 720x576, 100% quality, 4000kbps variable, 25fps, mpeg audio. Create video file after capture, usually takes about 10-15 mins, clear timeline, create disc by adding video, use the auto chapter every 10 mins, create iso file and burn disc, takes 20-30 mins.

Initially I had been using my Sharp DV camera and doing an analogue to digital conversion but having read a post about wearing it out, I tried the tv card, not sure whether it would work but it did so have been using that for the last 10 videos but the problem is apparent from both methods.

I have now burned Top Gun about 6 times (might be a great movie but would be nice to see it properly one of these times), trying different things, generally capture properties(MPEG, DVD, AVI) but am not getting anywhere so would appreciate any feedback or bright ideas. The only other thing i can think of any relevance is that the mpg file on my pc does not show the flicker but it does when i play on my dvd player and also on my friends, in case it was just mine that was causing the problem.

Any help greatly appreciated,

cheers
KiwiJock(Scotsman in NZ)

Post by **Ken Berry** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 12:55 am

The sort of 'flicker' or shearing effect you describe is normally associated with using a wrong Field Order. You give all the other properties of your video but not the Field Order you are capturing in. Normally, capturing from an analogue source will give you Upper Field First (or Field Order B), and from a digital source would be Lower Field First (Field Order A). When you captured via your digital camera, that would have given you the latter. But if you are now using your tv card, that may have changed things. As I say, most will use Upper Field/Field Order B, but some, mine included (WinFast DV2000) seems to use Lower Field/Field Order A even from an analogue source.

So all I can suggest is that you try an experiment, and change the Field Order when you capture via the TV card. Burn to a RW disc to save creating another coaster.

KiwiJock · Post by **KiwiJock** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 1:46 am

Thanks Ken,
will give it a go, have been capturing lower field first. Wasn't sure which to use as i thought it was an analogue source but it is being converted to mpeg, so does that make it digital?? see first comment, newbie!
I did use the detect option and it chose lower, so thought I would stick to that and as I said, it works for most of the videos but will certainly give it a try.
cheers

KiwiJock · Post by **KiwiJock** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 5:00 am

Great advice Ken, first time i have had Top Gun without flicker, now for the other 2.
Question now is, would upper first have been the correct order for the 17 that I manged ok.
thanks again

Post by **Ken Berry** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 5:35 am

Not if the 17 were captured via the digital video camera. They may have started off analogue in the VHS form, but as they passed through the _digital_ camera, it sent them on to the computer as a digital signal, and that would have been Lower Field First/Field Order A. But fairly obviously, your tv card captures Upper Field First or Field Order B. You say, though, that you only captured 10 via the digital camera, yet the other 7 also worked. Don't know what to say about those apart, perhaps, that you were lucky or else the shearing effect was just not noticeable...

As to your other question, 'mpeg' is only the format of the video, and does not carry any implication as to the Field Order in which it was captured. That depends totally on the source of the capture: as I said, if the source is digital, it will be Lower Field First/Field Order A, and if analogue, then mostly it will be Upper Field First/Field Order B (though there may be exceptions depending on the capture device). A video DVD can be burned only using mpeg video (mpeg 1, 2 or 4), but it can be either Field Order. However, as I understand it, Video Studio can only burn a DVD from sources which are all one Field Order or the other. I may be wrong about that in regard to VS9, but think it is true of previous versions. Ulead's more sophisticated authoring/production program DVD Workshop will, however, burn a DVD with mixed Field Order video.

KiwiJock · Post by **KiwiJock** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 8:23 am

Thanks Ken, have just finished the 2nd one successfully, so think you've cracked it for me.
Will be getting another load of tapes soon, so will see how i get on doing upper field first on them.
cheers