video upconversions switches ?

[freebird1963]

Hello
A google search yielded me nothing.
Is there a video switch that does video upconversion or is that only built into the receivers ?

I do a lot of video capturing and would like to "up" it from composite to s-video at minium if possible.

Thanks
mark

 

[MDS]

Try http:///www.gefen.com. They make all kinds of switches and probably make one that upconverts video.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Mark, you have to realize that you are starting with the lowest common denominator in composite. There is very little - or nothing - you will gain by changing formats before capturing. Typically, conversion (transcoding) is done to make cabling as easy as possible. It is not done to improve image quality.

Sorry if you thought it would do much to improve image quality.

What exactly are you trying to capture? If it is to a PC, it may be better to get a TV/Cable tuner card for your computer directly so you get the cleanest possible capture from the beginning.

 

[freebird1963]

Hello
I have a bunch of old vhs tapes that I am capturing to the pc and burning to dvd.
I know it the upping won't make it look super duper but was hoping maybe a little better quality. I know garbage in , garbage out but was hoping maybe a little cleaner garbage out

Thanks
mark

 

[Cygnus]

As BMXTRIX just said, up converting won't make the picture any clearer, it only makes it so that you have less cables to deal with.

 

[brian32672]

it only makes it so that you have less cables to deal with.

Actually this is not true. If you are going from composite or s-video, up to component, then you have just went from 1 cable to 3 cables.
Edit:: in his case with composite up to s-video, its still just 1 cable..

 

[BMXTRIX]

S-video is two cables in a single jacket.
Componet, while 3-cables, is still just transcoded 480i on composite, and does nothing to increase video quality unless it is a quality set of component cables and a cruddy composite cable.

Component doesn't automatically make a signal 'better'. Most component video STARTS as a better signal and is kept better by using component. Transcoding from s-video or composite to component won't improve image quality. Using a scaler (DVDO or other) to process the composite to component will improve quality.

MORE ON SUBJECT:
You want to focus on getting a decent video capture card for your PC and a decent video editing program. Analog editing is far more cumbersome than digital editing. So, if you are going from VHS, VHS-C, 8mm, or Hi-8mm into a computer, you need a pretty fast machine with plenty of hard drive space and a video capture card in it that really can do solid full frame captures with no problem.

Pinnacle is one of the leaders in video capturing and editing software and hardware which is worth taking a look at. Some of their stuff is rather inexpensive, but other stuff falls squarely into the prosumer level and will give you the best possible quality from your VHS player that is possible.

NOTE: A better VHS player could possible have a significant impact on your quality as well. Not sure of the quality of your current machine, but a nice S-VHS machine will start, and keep, everything in the s-video domain which could help overall quality a bit.

EDIT: Poorly quoted Brian from prior post - sorry

 

[freebird1963]

Hello
Unfort no S-VHS player. Optimus 4head vcr. was pretty good back in its day.
Its about 10 yrs old now.
I capture using either a canopus advc-55 or dvd xpress. Both work well.
The canopus captures in avi while the dvd xpress captures in mpeg-2.

I edit out all the warnings and previews etc. I just want the movies.

I haven't noticed any quality diff in the canopus captures vs the dvd xpress.
Only diff is the size of files. Canopus being uncompress sometimes makes some huge files depending on the length of movie. Rob Roy is a 2hr 39min movie and man was that file HUGE when using the canopus for the capture.

If I could find a S-VHS cheap I would get one but can't see spending 2-3 bills plus for this. Esp since I haven't bought a VHS tape in 5 years.

I have a vidcraft II detailer. When that arrives I will see if that improves it somewhat.
I should say tho most captures look just like the vhs tape when its played.
But on my 55" tv its just grainy and thats what I was hoping to eliminate.
I didn't't think it was gonna happen but hey other miracles have happened.

THanks
Mark

 

[BMXTRIX]

Depending on which movies you are trying to convert from VHS to DVD...

There is always DVD shrink and Blockbuster...

Of course, this is entirely for archival purposes.

 

[brian32672]

Sorry - that's completely incorrect.

There you go getting on my case again, you seem to look for my posts on occasion.
I know how many cables are in s-video. But its only one cable to run. Component is 3 cables to run. That was my only point.
The main thing was he had said there was less cabling to deal with, I never even got into picture quality....

 

[brian32672]

Pinnacle is a leader in video capturing and editing software and hardware

This sounds like a biased opinion, I would say Hauppauge, or ATI All In Wonder cards. Depends even on those two if he wants software or hardware encoding. Which then gets into the exact needs of his machine. Software will require much more powerful machine, over hardware based card. etc..
BTW, I even had/have a Pinnacle card, 3 All in wonder cards, and 1 Hauppauge.

 

[BMXTRIX]

There you go getting on my case again, you seem to look for my posts on occasion.
I know how many cables are in s-video. But its only one cable to run. Component is 3 cables to run. That was my only point.
The main thing was he had said there was less cabling to deal with, I never even got into picture quality....

Brian - My apologies, I didn't read what you had quoted correctly. You quoted the 1 cable 3 cable thing... Very poor reading on my part. Please disregard my post... I will edit it as I completely mis-read.

As for Pinnacle being a leader... Of course it is biased, but it is also true. It is like saying Yamaha or Denon are leaders. It is biased. But, it doesn't mean that it is untrue either.

I don't know about ATI capture cards, as I know very little about their integration with editing software. Avid, Pinnacle, and Matrox jump to my mind as leading video editing cards. Canopus stuff I haven't looked at recently and have no opinion of, and the ATI AIW cards that I have used only seem to be compatible half the time, and crash my computer the other half.

 

[brian32672]

the ATI AIW cards that I have used only seem to be compatible half the time, and crash my computer the other half.

This would be true on the lower end cards IMO, not saying you had lower end.
They may crash, but this is usually from other variables. They are more software based. A true hardware based say like "Hauppauge" and some Pinnacle cards may actually have less problems since they are not as computer savoy needed. Meaning they can run on lower end machines. The last 2 AIW cards I have/had were the 9600XT and the 9800Pro, the pro kills the XT of those two cards. My next will be the AIW 800XT, which has been totally revamped and should work great. But thats at a cost most people are not willing to go to.