Optimizing (best) VHS conversion

Sargan wrote on 1/17/2010, 4:20 AM

I am converting a number of SVHS tapes to digital, for eventual burn to DVD.

Does anybody have any tips for workflow, process, procedure etc. ... to try and maximise the quality that I can get.

Using a PAL Panasonic SVHS deck - via S-Video & L&R Nicam stereo - to an ADVC-300 converter - then IEEE 1394 interface into PC.

I use VMS (Platinum Pro) to capture & edit (720 x 576 25fps) ...

I am new to VMS & Soundforge and would welcome any tips on use of tools & filters to clean up / improve video & audio.
Before I hit 'burn'

Comments

musicvid10 wrote on 1/17/2010, 6:39 AM

Perhaps this discussion will be of some help:

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=4&MessageID=678467

ritsmer wrote on 1/17/2010, 1:23 PM

Just did the same with our old tapes - and as they say in the thread that musicvid mentions I put them through Neat Video.

It was a whole-night-job for each tape - but I rendered to my final delivery format (mpeg-2 720p) - so that I did not have to recompress the material one more time - and so avoiding some quality loss after editing in the final rendering process - using "smart rendering".

If you are not very familiar with Neat Video then make some experiments - Neat is a great thing - but id you overdo it the result tends to look "plastic"