Question about creating DVDs from VHS tape...

julia_lunquist_84 · Post by **julia_lunquist_84** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 3:05 am

When I play a DVD of captured analog VHS movies, the picture quality is terrible. I was told that as long as my capture device is 720x480, it shouldn't be "box-like" even when blown up on our 50 inch t.v. but that is how it is.

Maybe I am doing something wrong. Does anyone else burn DVDs through VideoStudio using an analog capture device? How is the quality?

Merlin · Post by **Merlin** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 3:17 am

I've copied several using an analog capture device that captures to mpeg2 and they have all come out great. I use a Zenith four head hifi vcr for the transfer. I only use video studio to edit because I've captured them in mpeg2 already so there's no need for reencoding.

jchunter_2 · Post by **jchunter_2** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 3:19 am

Julia,
I have captured more then 20 hours of analog video from my old camcorder, edited, created video files, and burned at least a dozen DVDs. I play them on a 60" HDTV. They all look great.

I suspect that you are not manually controlling your properties when you burn your DVDs as specified in the Recommended Procedure. Your Burn properties must exactly match the properties of your project Video file(s). If you don't set them properly, Video Studio will set them to fixed default values that are probably completely wrong.
John

julia_lunquist_84 · Post by **julia_lunquist_84** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 6:23 am

jchunter_2 wrote:Julia,

I suspect that you are not manually controlling your properties when you burn your DVDs as specified in the Recommended Procedure. Your Burn properties must exactly match the properties of your project Video file(s). If you don't set them properly, Video Studio will set them to fixed default values that are probably completely wrong.
John

Stupid question. I went to the "recommended procedure", but am I supposed to follow what it says under Capture Phase - mini-DV even though I am not using a mini-DV? I didn't see a procedure for capturing from analog.

THoff · Post by **THoff** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 6:31 am

What capture device are you using, and how is it connected? Do the files you have captured look to be of good quality to you when viewed outside UVS? Don't use UVS to preview files, the Preview window is a poor representation of the file -- use Windows Media Player or another program instead.

julia_lunquist_84 · Post by **julia_lunquist_84** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 6:40 am

THoff wrote:What capture device are you using, and how is it connected? Do the files you have captured look to be of good quality to you when viewed outside UVS? Don't use UVS to preview files, the Preview window is a poor representation of the file -- use Windows Media Player or another program instead.

Capture device is Plextor ConvertX AV100U, 720x480 connected via USB and connected to my camcorder with standard red/white/yellow cables. The videos I am trying to capture are all excellent quality when I watch them in their original 8mm form.

THoff · Post by **THoff** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 6:51 am

Is that a USB 1.1 connection, or USB 2.0? USB 1.1 doesn't have the bandwidth that is necessary to capture DVD-quality video.

I'm trying to figure out where the quality loss occurs. It's good that the tapes are in good shape, and given a properly configured capture system, you should be able to get video that looks essentially identical into your PC. It's crucial that you use USB 2.0 to connect the Plextor -- with USB 1.1, it will simply not work adequately.

julia_lunquist_84 · Post by **julia_lunquist_84** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 7:16 am

THoff wrote:Is that a USB 1.1 connection, or USB 2.0? USB 1.1 doesn't have the bandwidth that is necessary to capture DVD-quality video.

I'm trying to figure out where the quality loss occurs. It's good that the tapes are in good shape, and given a properly configured capture system, you should be able to get video that looks essentially identical into your PC. It's crucial that you use USB 2.0 to connect the Plextor -- with USB 1.1, it will simply not work adequately.

Definitely USB 2.0. For what it's worth, when I am in capture tab, and I play the 8mm from my camcorder, the quality in VS capture screen is excellent. But after I actually capture it and do all the settings that I am supposed to, and make a file out of it, it looks like crap, especially played back on my 50 inch t.v. If that helps...

Thanks for continuing to help me

david reece · Post by **david reece** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 1:23 pm

this something i did in VS7 it may help.

1) capture as AVI at 358 x 288 or DV.AVI at 720x576 (amend for NTSC)
2) convert to 720x576 for MPG2.

I found if you capture as direct MPG2 from VHS you get this awful pixel/squaring on the picture, even if your capture device reckons it can convert as it captures.

Also if analogue dont expect it to produce a master piece in DVD.

See if this helps.

jchunter_2 · Post by **jchunter_2** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 2:38 pm

Julia,
Your problem is that you are not setting your BURN properties to match your video properties. Look for a tiny gear-shaped icon on the SHARE/Create Disk screen (second to the right on the lower left). Click it and then select Change Mpeg settings/Customize. Now set every single property manually to match the properties of your Video file - which should be an Mpeg2 file.
John

Trevor Andrew · Post by **Trevor Andrew** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 5:24 pm

Julia

When you hit the ‘Output’ button does video studio render your video again?
Do you get the info window ‘this will take a long time to render’ ‘do you want to continue’ (or something like that.)

If you do then your video settings / burner settings do not match.

If the burner module goes straight to multiplexing and burn then your settings should be ok.