What if I run out of questions? :-D

BTW. would this count as #4?

I have been creating DVDs from VHS tapes, among other things.

The program material I'm using is about 1hr 50 mins on average. I transfer it and pull it into into Vegas.

I normalize the audio (right-click on audio track, switches, normalize). On older tapes, I use a BBE 'aural exciter' plug-in that I actually got for Cakewalk, originally, but works like a jewel in Vegas.

For the video, I use the scopes to check the contrast ratio, and invariably find that I get a better picture if I increase the contrast and the brightness a little bit. This effectively "stretches" and centers the bars in the histogram between the 'first marker in' on either side of the graph, keeping about within NTSC broadcast limits and yet improving the image.

Boy, I love those scopes!

The older the tape, I notice, the darker and 'redder' it becomes.

I render using the AC3 stereo and MPG2->DVA templates, changing the data rate on the latter so that it is max:6.2k, Avg: 5.2k, min:2.2k. That minimum figure appears to be the limit that I found through experimentation... going below that causes my older set-top players to choke.

That's about it! The total contents of the VIDEO_TS folder comes to 4~4.1 GB. Looks pretty decent! Certainly no worse than the VHS original, and with the contrast correction and audio enhancement, is usually better!

Hope this helps.

dvddude,

Could you elaborate about your most used techniques for doing contrast and color corections. Are you working with a perfectly calibrated monitor?

Thanks

Excellent reply. Good to see someone doing what is enevitable. VHS will soon fade away to nothing!

Thanks again.