Correcting Vibrating Video

saradvd wrote on 3/7/2004, 1:39 PM
As I transfer my old home movies to DVD using Vegas, I notice that VCRs tend to make scenes that have large areas of white vibrate like the frames are jumping. It seems to me like there should be software available that will place these jumpy frames into a steady stream once I capture them on the computer. Like a stabilizer. Some people will tell me to purchase VCRs that don't create this vibrating effect with white scenes, but some of these videos have already been transferred once so the vibration is already in the recordings. Has anyone tackled this issue and found a successful solution?
Thanks,
Sara

Comments

johnmeyer wrote on 3/7/2004, 1:58 PM
When you say "old home movies" that at first makes me think you are talking about film (Super8, 16mm, etc.). However, in reading the rest of your post, I think you are asking about transferring VHS video. Generally, any jumpiness in video is usually improved by using a VCR with a time base corrector, or better still, using an external time base corrector.
saradvd wrote on 3/7/2004, 8:49 PM
What external time base corrector do you recommend? If I get a camcorder with such a corrector will it correct video coming in through the analog jacks or does it only work when using the camcorder through the lense?
GaryKleiner wrote on 3/7/2004, 11:03 PM
A TBC in a camcorder would only work on a tape being played back from that camcorder.

Gary
saradvd wrote on 3/7/2004, 11:27 PM
So if I record the shakey video on the camcorder and then play the camcorder tape while I capture it to my computer, then the TBC will kick in during that playback?
farss wrote on 3/8/2004, 1:02 AM
If you use a Digital 8 camcorder to digitse you'll enjoy the advantages of both TBC and DNR. Alternative is Canopus ADVC-300, with that you can tweak many things as well but unlike the D8 camera it doesn't also take video.

MiniDV camcorders do not have a TBC, the only reason it's in the D8s is for when the play out Hi8 tapes.

Copying the VHS tapes to another medium will lock in' the jitter and you'll never get it out.
woofer wrote on 3/8/2004, 3:34 AM
I was facing the same problem and i used the Pinnacle MP20 MPEG capture card which has this function in its software, there is an option called (Input is a VCR) so it is reducing the flicking frames and you have a slider control to increase or decrease the force of that filter. It really works and I hope you'll have a chance to try it before you get that card
cheers.!!
craftech wrote on 3/8/2004, 3:50 AM
Many VCR's have a built in TBC. They are usually SVHS/VHS in the $200 plus range, but perhaps if you know a videographer friend who has one you can borrow it to make the transfers with. JVC has manufactured plenty of these as has Panasonic. Hi8 cameras often had these as well. The Sony's for example.

John
cyanide149 wrote on 3/8/2004, 8:33 AM
You could always try one of the software stabilizers, e.g. Steadyhand. I use it a lot...
saradvd wrote on 3/8/2004, 11:39 AM
It just so happens that I have a Sony D8 camera and I don't think it corrects the vibration. Even when I took the video from the direct VHS source tape. But I will test it again.
saradvd wrote on 3/8/2004, 11:40 AM
Unless you lived nearby I don't know how I can test out a capture card before purchasing it. It sounds promising through. Thanks for the info
saradvd wrote on 3/8/2004, 11:42 AM
Some time ago I took my actual original video to Ultimate Electronics and played the tape on all of their VCRs (about 15 of them). Not one of them corrected the problem.
saradvd wrote on 3/8/2004, 11:44 AM
Maybe I can download a demo version of Steadyhand to see if this helps. I hate to purchase software that ends up not resolving the issue. Thanks for the info.
craftech wrote on 3/9/2004, 5:21 AM
Doesn't your Sony D8 camcorder have a built in TBC? On the tapes where it is already in the recording because it was transferred, I don't think TBC will help. It should on the originals though.

John
farss wrote on 3/9/2004, 5:53 AM
Also check in the settings on the camera in VCR mode that the TBC and DNR are enabled. You need to be running it in pass through, i.e. feeding the vhs machine into the A/V input on the camera and then 1394 to the PC.

Results I get are a dramatic improvement but there is a limit. You can get even better results with gear that works on the RF signal within the VCR but there's very little of that around for VHS these days. Image stabilisation software will most likely be dead useless for this problem, it works on a situation where the whole frame is moving fairly gradually, most of the problems with VHS are where the frame is being scewed by the wobbly sync pulses. These problems can only be corrected in the analgue domain, well OK maybe there's some very fancy way to do it in the digital domain but I cannot quite see how, once its digitised all the data needed to correct the image is lost.

Your best hope maybe a really old VCR with manual everything, look for one of the old behemoths built like a tank that'll break your back when you try to lift it. A few years ago you could pick them up for peanuts but I think the only serviceable ones are now rather prized possessions of those in the know.