[MEncoder-users] VHS capturing 2 avi

[Allen]

Hi Daniel,

On Thu, 2005-12-15 at 21:43 +0100, M Daniel R M wrote:

> Hi list,
> 
> I'd like to know if there is something redundant, superfluous, wrong or
> improvable into this command line:
> 
> --
> 
>  $ mencoder -endpos 12000 -tv
> driver=v4l2:device=/dev/video0:input=2:fps=25:width=768:height=576:amode=1 -oac mp3lame -lameopts cbr:br=128:mode=2 -srate 48000 -ovc lavc -lavcopts vcodec=mpeg4:vhq:vbitrate=2800:keyint=45:scplx_mask=0.2 -vf crop=720:540,denoise3d,pp=de,scale=352:288 -o /home/daniel/thing001.avi tv://
> 
> --
> 
> I use to capture old VHS tapes with excellent results -I think...- as
> much in quality as in compression.
> 


It is timely that your question popped onto the list.  I have been
trying many combinations for capturing our home movies onto the PC such
that they can then be converted and played back by (S)VCD and later DVD.
My focus has been to attempt to capture interlaced content for playback
on a TV, hence a little bit different I think from your own tests.

The command I use at the moment is:

mencoder -tv driver=v4l2:input=1:width=720:height=576:norm=PAL -ovc lavc
-oac lavc -lavcopts
vcodec=mpeg4:trell:ildct:ilme:vbitrate=1400:acodec=mp2:abitrate=112
-endpos 5336 -o my-movie.avi tv://

which yields me excellent playback, and not so large files (about 650mb
per hour).  When converted to SVCD they playback nearly perfect on a
standard DVD player and TV.  The only artifacts are some combing on fast
moving objects.

The only problem I have encountred is to make sure the target disk has
plenty of free space, otherwise I get video buffer full errors.
Otherwise, I can get 25fps for 1 and a half hours with no (or very few)
dropped frames.

I think for animated shows, I think I need to deinterlace the content,
rather than recording interlaced.

I have tried to capture and scale to a smaller size, but no matter the
bitrate I seem to end up with very blocky content, and the file size
ends up the same as above anyway.

Any comments or suggestions are much appreciated.

Cheers,

Allen