Tons of capture trouble - ATI All-In-Wonder 128 - Help?

The old Video Software Help forum, left visible as an archive.

Tons of capture trouble - ATI All-In-Wonder 128 - Help?

Postby Garylisk » Sun Jul 28, 2002 5:13 am

The captures I am doing aren't related to AMVs at all, but it's still relevent to this forum, and I need help big time. Here's EVERYTHING about the problem I am having.

OK here's the thing. I am trying to capture the "missing" (not aired in the USA due to censors) episodes of Sailor Moon season 1 from my VHS fansubs to a digital format (Ultimately divx, probably. ) In case you're wondering, my subs are A+ awesome quality, so the source is just great. Well, except for one little problem, and it is the very root of the overall problem. I call it problem #1.

On volume 2, which contains 2 of the "missing" episodes, the video sometimes becomes every so slightly darker than normal. While in the ATI TV program, it won't allow me to hit the record button during these dark spots, and claims that the video is copy protected. Once the dark spot goes away and the video returns to normal brightness, it'll let me hit record again, saying that the source is NOT copy protected. However, if while recording, the video comes to one of these dark spots (And trust me, you can BARELY tell that its gotten any darker.. it's odd.. you really have to pay attention to see it...), the program will keep recording. However, when I view the file later to see how it turned out, during these dark spots in the video, it will loop a half-second section of video over and over and over again, but the audio continues normally. Once the dark spot has passed, the video resumes recording instead of looping that spot. Anyway, that's problem #1.

Problem #2. I found that VirtualDub (I just love this program more and more every time I use it!) has a capture feature, so I decided to try it out. Sure enough, it works just fine. I play around with it a bit, decide that the ATI VCR2 format is pretty decent for capturing. It looks good, and that's all that really matters right now since I'm just gonna be recompressing the video to DivX later on anyway. So I capture with Virtual Dub. When I view the file, the first thing I notice is that it still does the looping over "copy protected" spots on the tape. (How the hell can a FANSUB be copy protected? Would someone mind telling me this? It's a copy itself!) So, that problem has not been solved. Appearently the "copy protection" detection is in my hardware itself or the capture device driver. Next, I notice that virtual dub's audio capture seems to suck hardcore balls. It skips all over the damn place. Things are not looking up for the possibility of capturing this with Virtual Dub.

Problem #3:
OK in the ATI TV program, I can capture directly to mpeg-1, which is damn convenient since it gets way better compression than the ATI VCR, PLUS it looks good. Not to say that ATI VCR2 isn't nice. I hav ethe HD space, so that's no problem. I am mostly wondering what kind of compression settings or formats you guys would reccomend for capturing from fansubs.

If you can help, let me know. And if you want the videos once they're captured, let me know as well. :P These are awesome episodes of SM, and if they end up looking good I'll probably digitize my whole 1st season. :)

BTW, I have another tape of the "missing" episodes that was subtitled by a group called "Michi no Anime"... but the tape is kinda bad quality, plus at the top of the video there is a frickin' mac toolbar. It sems they ran the subs thru a mac and didn't bother to hide their toolbar at the top of the screen. I can record these episodes from that tape... but I don't want that.. nobody does.. *shudders at the thought*.

Also BTW, the season 1 fansubs I have are Chikashitsu. If you know about SM subs, you know that name. They're some of the best fansubbed episodes of any anime... Chikashitsu was just that damn good. 8)
Get a life? I'm a gamer! I have lots of lives!
User avatar
Garylisk
 
Joined: 17 Aug 2001
Location: Equestira
Status: Littlecolt

Postby Garylisk » Sun Jul 28, 2002 6:05 am

OK the sound problem seems to have solved itself, and this codec seems to be pretty good, but that still leaves the looping video.

Here's a link to an example I made of the looping video syndrome. I overlayed some text notes where it happens. You'll definitely notice it.

http://www.tenament.com/garylisk/sm/example.avi

BTW the clip is from episode 6.
Get a life? I'm a gamer! I have lots of lives!
User avatar
Garylisk
 
Joined: 17 Aug 2001
Location: Equestira
Status: Littlecolt

Postby klinky » Sun Jul 28, 2002 6:27 am

Evilllllll

You're dealing with the ghostly being known as Macrovision.....

Yes something truely haunting...

A few reasons why the tape would have Macrovision on it.

Some commericial(high kwality) tapes come with it built into them or the kwality of video fluctuates so that the card *THINKS* it's got macrovision.

Most likely the tape has it built in, and the reason it goes a little dark, then light then dark again is because of the wonderful thing known as Macrovision.

Now since you have a ATI card it doesn't look very hopeful that you can get around this using software. You may have to purchase a Macrovision *remover* pass-thru box.

Check out :
http://arstechnica.infopop.net/OpenTopi ... 3650932041

For sad sad info on ATI capture devices.... :(


~klinky
User avatar
klinky
 
Joined: 23 Jul 2001
Location: Cookie College...


Return to Video Software Help Archive

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests