[FFmpeg-user] How to fix old video with ffmpeg command line

Sat Jan 1 10:27:31 EET 2022

Hi Stephen,

that clip is pretty low resolution according to VLC.

My son works in a video duplication and grading place which delivers 
broadcast and cinema dubs and he says V8 is good quality.

I will say this.

The light source is to the side of the people. There is not much front 
light, so on auto the camera is cranking a picture out of what is 
available and this is basic.

You need light behind the camera on the people. The more the better.

Side light actually shuts the camera down a bit.

The depth of focus is not a lot.

My guess is the camera opened the iris to get enough light and the focus 
went.

Once you lose the data it's hard to get anything. I tried sharpening the 
image but it's too far gone.

It may be the dupe house could have done better. I would need to see the 
original.

My video experience is keeping a broadcast TV in check.

I don't think we can rescue much from what you have.

regards

Robert

On 1/01/22 8:57 pm, Stephen Liu via ffmpeg-user wrote:
>   Hi Robert,
>
> Thanks for your advice.
>
> Those are old VHS and V8 cassette tapes.  I haven't played them for long time since the VHS player and Video camera broken down, leaving me no device to play them.  They are well packed in boxes and stored in cabinet.
>
> Before, they worked well on CRT monitor without problem.  Recently I sent 2 cassette tapes to a profession shop ripping them on DVD.  The whole video is not so bad, only certain sections having problem.
>
> The photo is a screenshot.  I ripped the DVD on computer as .vob files.  Playing the .vob file on VLC media player I took the screenshot.
>
> I have been looking for a reliable old video camera, PAL system, to rip V8 tapes myself.  Unfortunately I couldn't find it.  My V8 tapes are original tape.  VHS tapes were duplicated on V8 tapes.
>
> I have following documents;
> ffmpeg - Man Page
> https://www.mankier.com/1/ffmpeg#-ss
> -ss position (input/output)
> https://www.mankier.com/1/ffmpeg#-ss
> -itsoffset offset
> https://www.mankier.com/1/ffmpeg#-itsoffset
>
> but expecting to get some advice in going through them myself.
>
> I have cut a section of the unclear video and upload it to Dropbox
> link:-
> https://www.dropbox.com/s/un6qmxq7in1nmtt/output-9.VOB?dl=0
>
> Please advise.  Thanks
>
> RegardsStephen L
>
>      On Saturday, January 1, 2022, 04:18:11 AM GMT+8, Robert Jeffares <jeffares.robert at gmail.com> wrote:
>   
>   Hi Stephen,
>
> there is a basic rule in the broadcast industry: Garbage in; Garbage out!
>
> How did the videos look before you sent them in to the professional
> duplication shop?
>
> Ideally you have the Video 8 recorder. Put the tape in and play it out
> over a reasonable size monitor.
>
> If the video is clear all the way through it may be the player at the
> duplication house is not aligned with your player.
>
> Do the same with the VHS if you have the camera.
>
> Is the video on the dvd the same as your source video?
>
> If it is not, you may be better to source a ripping dongle and copy the
> video on to your PC directly from the recording machine.
>
> now to your questions:
>
> 1) To upgrade the resolution ?
> or
> 2) To enhance the video quality
> or
> 3) To fix blurry video ?
>
> You are never going to upgrade the resolution/quality, you are able to
> make what you have look better by applying some process like unsharp mask.
>
> Blurry is likely to continue to be blurry.
>
>    man ffmpeg-filters
>
> is a good place to start, and some experiments may make what you have
> look a bit better.
>
> https://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg-filters.html#unsharp
>
> may help as well
>
> Remember you are only as good as the source material and you may be able
> to make what you have look better by carefully taking bits away.
>
> 4) To fix the noise ?
>
> Audio processing is possible. What kind of noise is it?
>
> If there is hum roll off below 100Hz. Hiss; roll off above 7kHz.
>
> The filters available are comprehensive.
>
> In some noise situations gating the audio between words can improve the
> sound if there is some noise in the background that is annoying.
>
> Remember, the first thing is to check how accurate the copy you have had
> made is.
>
> Sometimes videos stored for a long time need to be spooled through and
> back to make sure the video will play as smoothly as possible.
>
> VHS never copies that well V8 is alignment [azimuth] critical and be
> aware the technology of that time is not as good as what we have today.
>
> Would be interested in seeing a clip not a still. Can you upload 30 sec
> or so to a dropbox service?
>
> regards
>
> Robert
>
> On 1/01/22 3:56 am, Stephen Liu via ffmpeg-user wrote:
>> Hi all.
>>
>> I have old analogue video captured on V8 and VHS tapes in about 1990.  Recently I sent the tapes to a profession shop ripping the video on DVD as .VOB format.  I found certain sections of the old video not very clear.  Please refer to attached photo.
>>
>> Please advise how to run ffmpeg to enhance the unclear sections on the video?
>>
>> What function shall I run the ffmpeg command lines;
>> 1) To upgrade the resolution ?
>> or
>> 2) To enhance the video quality
>> or
>> 3) To fix blurry video ?
>> or
>> 4) To fix the noise ?
>> or
>> others
>>
>> Please advise.  Thanks in advance
>>
>> Regards
>> Stephen L
>>
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