At what point was this transfer doomed?

[DiscCoasterPro]

Hello everyone. Why am I hopelessly confused? Well ... Prior to purchasing this Canopus converter. I used a USB2 converter that I purchaed for about $90bucks to capture a VHS tape. As suggested, I used the proprietary software that came bundled with the converter.

The software settings allowed for mpeg-2 compression with three quality ratings of Good-Better-Best. The software is very basic with few other options. There is no option for field order.

I transfered using the Best setting. 5gig file, no problem. It played back perfectly on the PC.

I opened VS9, I put the file on the timeline, I checked properties, Lower field first was how it was listed. I went into the VS9 program and made sure that matched.

I did NO EDITING AT ALL. I saved to file. and then burned a DVD.

This was a wedding reception, and it had a lot of horizontal camera scanning going on. The film was TERRIBLE when it panned. From what I read this was a field order problem.

I took the same original download file from my HD, this time I used DVD Workshop 2. I took the file in, I made sure the field order matched the original I chose to both save to disk and burn DVD. The results were the same.

This time I hooked up the Canopus device, captured the file as a DV-AVI again Lower field first. Burned this the same way, NO PROBLEM AT ALL! Beautiful playback on both PC and TV.

I wanna know, where in this process was the project doomed? I mean I changed nothing and I had no choice on field order. The only conclusions I can draw are ....

1. The device is N/G by design because it only captures analog LFF.
(but the canopus also was LFF although DV-AVI)

2. After I had a bad result with VS9 I should have reversed Field Order in DVD Workshop 2 to UFF
(would that mean ALL future captures with this USB2 device need reversing?)

3. It wasn't a field order issue to begin with. BUT .. the quality of playback and smoothness was PERFECT on the PC and horrible on the TV.

Well, the point is moot now, since the Canopus worked just fine, but in my quest to understand what the heck is going on here .... I just can't help but wonder how much more straight forward does the transfer have to be to get a relable result.

Your thoughts on this are greatly valued.

thanks,
dcp

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi DCP

Could you post the exact properties of your captured Mpeg file.
Right click the file in the timeline and select properties, What are they?

When you burned your Dvd did you.
Start a new project
Share Create Disc
ADD Video File

Or

Did you go to Share with the video file in the timeline.

If capturing to Avi gives good results use that method.

Trevor

[THoff]

What you described is as you already surmised a classic field order problem.

Playback on a PC is irrelevant since PC displays are not interlaced, and the MPEG decoder deinterlaces the output. What probably happened is that the old capture device actually captures UFF, not LFF.

[DiscCoasterPro]

Hi, ok the file properties are from the file that came in from the USB2 capture device .. before I did anything to it.

File format Mpeg-2

File size 4,375,844kb

duration 4281.048 seconds

Video type Mpeg=2 Video, Lower Field First

attributes 24bits, 720x480, 4:3

Frame rate 29.970 F/s

Data rate Variable bit rate (Max 12000 kbps)

Audio Mpeg audio layer 2 files

total samples 188,794,204 samples

attributes 44100 Hz, 16bit stereo

layer 2

Bit rate 192 kbps

With the file in the timeline .. I went to share and create video file. I chose NTSC DVD 4:3 It saved, then I went back and burned it without checking the menu box It turned out great to view on PC, terrible on TV

When it didn't work, I went into DVD Workshop (much more straight forward BTW) with file opened I went to FINISH, clicked on disc .. checked off both burn to disc --- and create dvd folder, turned out same as above

when that didn't work I recaptured with the new Canopus and then opened DVD Workshop and did exactly the above. Perfect this time on both PC and TV

[Ken Berry]

Can you also tell us what your original capture device was. Maybe someone will either know it or be able to find out its specifications. What software came with it? Are you quite sure the software gave no other choices but good-better-best? I also don't recall your very early posts in different threads, but did you say that VS would not recognise the original device?

As for your file, apart from the Field Order problem, the bitrate is high and as you probably know, VS cannot itself produce anything higher than around 8000 kbps. It should be able to handle it, though it would of course reduce it in the project settings...

Anyway, the problem may be moot as you say, since the Canopus has now proved itself. (Congratulations, BTW, for finally dipping your toe in the water!!!) But it is intriguing.

[THoff]

Videostudio has a feature to detect the field order, though I'm not sure it will work with your video device -- it's worth a shot.

[DiscCoasterPro]

My original capture device was called a VideoHome XTV 2.0 USB2. Although I purchased it new from a vendor on EBAY, I found the same one on these sites.

http://www.usbgear.com/USBG-XTV2.html

http://unitecsupplies.ebigchina.com/sdp ... 97165.html

Since I purchased the Canopus, I don't think I'll use this usb device again.

THoff... I couldn't get this to work right with VS. I can't quite remember, I believe there was no audio.

Ken .. Like ya say. Just when you think its safe to come out of the water My first dive in and I bumped my head on the diving board.
The advertisement says AVI also. but I couldn't find it, and there were not many places to look. Can I post screenshots in the message body?

I just opened up this program again and here are the options under Capture>Video Settings

VCD (MPEG1
DVD (MPEG2) <- which I chose
ASF (MPEG4)
Motion JPEG

Under advanced settings I was mistaken Here is exactly how it reads

Under MPEG-1

Mild compression rate
VCD compatible

Under MPEG-2

High compression rate
Mild compression rate < which I chose
Low compression rate
DVD <- Perhaps what I should have chosen

Then the remaining settings for MPEG4 and JPEG motion are the same...
High Mild Low compression choices

*** Now here is what it says in the help window>> TV Jukebos software has the functions for you to watch cable or antenna TV programs on the computer. It can record the TV program or the video tape into high quality MPEG1 / MPEG2 / MPEG4 / AVI movies. I sure don't find AVI settings though. In another sentence it says the "software engine" records and compresses the video, so I dunno.

thanks guys for the interest to help,
dcp