VHS to DVD/MP4 (H.264) conversion

(***Here is the OLD procedure***)

Here is how I converted my VHS tapes to DVDs and/or MP4 (H.264) video.

This procedure could also apply to other sources such as Betamax.

Yes, DVDs are old, but this easy-to-use format was meant for my mother-in-law (who only got a Blu-ray player a year later). We are talking standard definition here (which both VHS and DVDs are), and DVDs is a lowest common denominator that can be played on both DVD and Blu-Ray players out there.

HOWEVER, optical media does not last a very long time, so you should also make a digital copy for archival purposes, which this walkthrough also shows.

I am keeping this walkthrough here primarily for my own reference (ex: if I need the information while I am at my parents' house). I say this because there are countless tutorials out there with more detailled information. This walkthrough is meant to quickly get back into the process without having to re-read tutorials because I have not touched this procedure in years and already forgot some of it.

The procedure is up-to-date as of 2020. However, I hear that there is a VirtualDub2 and it may be better than the Virtualdub referenced here. I have had no issues with VirtualDub as of 2020, but may look into what VirtualDub2 has to offer (and update this procedure if really needed) if I am going again through old VHS tapes on another computer (ex: at my parents).

Hardware and Software Prerequisites

1. Purchase a video capture device.
• I DO NOT recommend any of the cheap EasyCAP/EZCap/EasyCapture style capture devices from Amazon or EBay. I purchased one and properly dealt with the driver nightmare (thanks to one Amazon reviewer), and the hardware I purchased had good image but the sound left a lot to be desired (it was staticky/noisy IIRC, despite using my best cables and avoiding sources of electromagnetic interference (ex: power supplies, fans) along the cables).
• Beginners should use the Startech SVID2USB232 adapter (available on Amazon and actually sold by Amazon instead of a 3rd-party) mentioned by The Oldskool PC (make sure to adjust the contrast levels as per his recommendations)
• I have had good results with the Dazzle DVD Recorder HD on a Windows 10 machine even though those devices are also getting old and OS support is getting sketchier and sketchier as new OSes come along. I bought it new from the Pinnacle site (which offers the 64-bit one (Model HU3194)). I did not want to have to take a gamble getting older models on the used market (see table below).
  NOTE: I am not fooling myself by the "HD" claim of this product; it's only got s-video and composite (not component) inputs; no HDMI. Maybe the software supports HD. Use this device for standard definition stuff, which is exactly what I happen to need this product for.

MODEL NUMBERS	COMMENTS (disclaimer: No guarantees on the accuracy of this information)
DVC-50, DVC-80	USB 1.0 only. 32-bit drivers only. Old Win9x devices; No recent OS support. **DO NOT BUY**
DVC-85, DVC-90	USB 2.0 only. 32-bit drivers only. No recent OS support. **DO NOT BUY**
DVC-130, DVC-170	Works with both USB 1.x and USB 2.0. Compresses to MPEG when sending to PC (you still have to de-interlace, etc.) **NOT RECOMMENDED**
DVC-100, DVC-101, DVC103, DVC107	USB 2.0 only. 32-bit and 64-bit drivers. Uncompressed video straight to PC. Old devices from 2007 onwards. **Apparently** can work with Windows 10 (use drivers from Pinnacle website and DO NOT install/use any included CD software). If you can find a used DVC-100 or DVC-107 at a really low price this could be the way to go. Try your luck with these drivers but go on YouTube first to see if someone figured out the correct driver/procedure.
HU3194 (updated, rebranded DVC-100?)	USB 2.0 only. 32-bit and 64-bit DVC-100 drivers present on the CD. Uncompressed video straight to PC. This is what I purchased from Pinnacle website in 2020, and the box is copyrighted 2016; CD is copyrighted 2013. Can work with Windows Vista (SP2), 7, 8, (and Windows 10 with a patch from Pinnacle (there may be a different patch needed for Windows 8.1 as well))



2. Install video capture device drivers
   NOTE: I have the 2016 version of the Pinnacle Dazzle product (model HU3194) with a CD having a copyright date of 2013, and I have Windows 10.
   
   • On one computer I went the full software install route and I needed a patch from Pinnacle to make the software work under Windows 10 (there may be a different patch needed for Windows 8.1). Install the software from CD first (which installs the drivers too; you may get the

     The operating System has been upgraded after Studio has been installed. Some or all of the program's features may not operate correctly. We recommend that you re-install the software.

     error message which means that you need to restart the computer and then apply the patch. Only once all this is done may you plug in the capture device.
   • On another computer, seeing as I was only going to use VirtualDub (and did not want to deal with Pinnacle's software activation), I only installed the drivers (which are on the CD under Drivers, X64); those drivers are for DVC-100 and are version listed as both 1.07 and as 16.0.0.400 (higher than the ones on the driver website). I then plugged in the capture device.
   
   
3. Download and Install Lagarith Lossless Video Codec (for lossless compression (on slower machines, like the machine I was using)).
   NOTE: I found out that Lagarith is apparently included with VirtualDub2 so this entire step may be skipped if you use VirtualDub2.
   IMPORTANT: If you are going to use the old VirtualDub, the Lagarith codec (and/or any other codecs) should be installed BEFORE VirtualDub.
   WARNING: Apparently UTVideo codec is another option, but there is also the fact that some antivirus software would believe it is a virus (false positive? but codecs were often a way to get a virus), so it was an additional reason to use Lagarith instead of UTVideo.


4. Download and Install VirtualDub (for capture and compression using lossless (Lagarith) codec)
   NOTE: I do not use any of the included Pinnacle capture software. It's old, not very good, and I heard that it can crash. Maybe the patch can fix the crashes too, but one theory that I have would be that some VHS tapes will have an issue with the top lines of the screen (usually fixed by a TBC (more on this below)) which may be misinterpreted by the Pinnacle software as the MacroVision copy-protection mechanism which also uses line patterns at the very top of the screen. VirtualDub ignores copy-protection, so no false positives when digitizing your family memories.


5. Download and Install Handbrake (for compressing video using H.264)

OLD Procedure (provided as-is)

VCR-DVD Conversion Instructions v_0_04.txt


RECOMMENDED BEFORE YOU BEGIN: TENSIONING VHS TAPE
=================================================
Before you capture, insert the VHS tape in the VCR, stop it if it's auto-playing, fast-forward to the end, wait a few seconds (if possible; some high-end VCRs will automatically rewind for you when the tape is at the end), and then rewind all the way to the beginning. This is especially effective for tapes that have not been played for 20 years or so as it will tension the tape and make better contact with the read heads.


CONNECT VCR TO COMPUTER
=======================
Plug VCR to the video capture device
Plug video capture device to computer


PHASE 1: RAW CAPTURE USING VIRTUALDUB
=====================================
Open VirtualDub.
Click on File, Capture AVI
Power on VCR if you have not done so already.
Click on Device and make sure that you selected the correct video capture device.
You should see what your VCR usually outputs when it's powered on (ex: blue screen with channel number showing in white).
If not, toggle between Video > Overlay or Video > Preview. Usually Video > Preview works.
Go to File, Set Capture File.
  Give the video a name such as nameofvideo-rawcapture so you know this will be the raw capture.
Go to Video, Capture pin... 
  Video Standard: NTSC_M
  Output Size: 720 x 480
  Color Space: YUY2
  Frame Rate: 29.97
  I Frame Interval: 30
  Quality: 1.000
  Click OK.
Go to Video, Capture filter...
    Video Standard: NTSC_M
    NOTE: In my limited experience, the Check "VCR Input" checkbox seems to make things worse during capture, but your mileage may vary.
Go to Video, Compression... 
  Choose Lagarith Lossless Codec
  Click OK.
Go to Audio, Raw capture format...
  Set to PCM:48000Hz, stereo, 16-bit
  Click OK.
Go to Capture, Timing...
  Make sure "Drop frames when captured frames are too close together" is checked
  Make sure "Insert null frames when captured frames are too far apart" is checked
  Select "Sync audio to video by resampling the audio to a faster or slower rate"
  Make sure "Correct video timing for fewer frame drops/inserts" is checked
  Audio latency determination: Automatic, 30
  DirectShow options: Make sure "Force audio clock when audio playback is enabled" is checked
  Click OK
Under Audio, make sure the following are checked:
  "Enable Audio Capture"
  "Volume Meter"
  (for some reason, "Enable Audio Playback" breaks the video preview, so you will have to review the sound of your video later, which is probably better, because it's only after processing (ex: deinterlacing) that you need to look at the video and make sure that sound is in sync; no point in wasting time staring at the video during capture)
You should still see the VCR input, and at bottom/right of the screen on the status bar, you should see 48k/16/s 29.97fps.

Get your VHS tape ready (assuming that you rewound your tape or have it at the point you want), but do not insert it yet. When you are ready to capture:
  Close all applications other than VirtualDub
  Temporarily Disable antivirus real-time protection (if you have a slow machine)
  Click on Capture, Capture Video.
  Insert tape.
  Tape plays and you should see it in VirtualDub. 
  When you are done, click on Capture, Stop Capture. 


PHASE 2: PROCESSING VIDEO USING VIRTUALDUB
==========================================
Click on File, Exit Capture Mode.
Click on File, Open Video File
Choose your raw footage. 
You can now use the bar at the bottom to scrub through our video, and use Home/End keys to select part of the video, and use arrow keys to step frame by frame, and Delete to delete anything selected.
Cut off the part at the beginning when the tape was loading.
Cut off the part at the end if you stopped your capture a bit late.
Click on Video > Filters...
  Add a filter called deinterlace.
    Use "Yadif" algorithm. 
    Depending on your capture device, you will need to choose either "Double Frame rate, top field first (aka TFF)" or "Double Frame rate, bottom field first (aka BFF)".
    You will have to locate a section of video where you see combing effect and/or movement and step through frame-by-frame to see if the subject is moving properly or if the subject is "taking one step back before taking one step forward" (which happens if the incorrect top/bottom is chosen depending on your capture device). You can go back to Video > Filters... and double-click on a filter to edit it and choose the correct option.
Click on Video > Compression...
  Choose Lagarith Lossless Codec
  Click OK.

You should be ready to save/encode the processed video.
Click on File, Save as AVI...
  Give the video a name such as nameofvideo-processed so you know this will be the processed (edited and deinterlaced) video.
  Click Save.
  You will now see a progress report. The encoding may take a while. Once completed, the progress report will disappear.


PHASE 3: Making the video file fit into destination media
=========================================================
Option 1: Keep the processed, lossless file created earlier as-is for archival quality. Amazon S3 has eleven nines of durability so perhaps consider keeping them there.
Option 2: DVD(MPEG2): Use DVD authoring software (such as DVDStyler, which is free) to add title, chapters, other videos, etc. and burn to DVD for older people who like physical media.
          Remember that DVDs deteriorate over time. Try using reputable, archive-quality (100-year rated) media to increase your chances.
          Remember that when it comes to capacity, there are Single-layer and double-layer DVDs out there.
Option 3: Use Handbrake to create a .MP4 for device storage or acceptable quality for archives that you are not too attached to.

Worthy of note:
- Usually MPEG2 (H.262) will be better quality than MPEG4 (H.264), but MPEG4 will be smaller sized because MPEG4 is designed for streaming/devices/internet due to its low bandwidth.


Handbrake (Option 3) in detail:
==============================
Open your processed AVI file.
Load your custom presets if you have already adjusted the settings below:
- Format: MP4
- Align A/V Start
- 712x480, PAR 1x1
- Cropping: Automatic
- Anamorphic: Automatic
- Modulus: 2
- turn all filters OFF
- Video Codec: H.264 (x264)
- Framerate (FPS): 59.94 (or if you have changed from 29.97 to something else during your capture, choose "same as source")
- Quality: Constant Quality: 18
- Optimise Video: (leave at defaults)
- Audio: (leave at defaults)
- Save As: (same filename, but remove the "_processed" suffix. If you really want to add a suffix, you can use "_final")

***Save those presets whenever possible to avoid repeating those steps every time.

Click on Start Encode. You will see progress information at the bottom. You can also adjust which action Handbrake will do when it's done.


=====================================================================================
TROUBLESHOOTING:
================
SYMPTOM: When watching video in my raw capture, the sound only comes from the left speaker.
CAUSE: The source used for filming (ex: Video camera) must've been Mono AND your VirtualDub capture settings were Stereo.
SOLUTION: Scrub and filter/process your video as usual. Before you save, go to Audio, enable Full processing mode, go to Audio > Conversion and change the audio to Mono. Save your processed file.
***Remember to change it back if you are capturing video from a stereo source!***

SYMPTOM: When watching video in my raw capture, the people's lips were unsynched slightly to the audio, and this happened since the beginning of the video, NOT over time. There were no dropped frames during the capture, and the options to sync/resample the audio were already in place.
SOLUTION: If all the above symptoms apply:
In VirtualDub, click on File, Open Video File and choose your raw footage. 
Click on Video > Frame rate...
  Under "Source rate adjustment", Check "Change so video and audio durations match" only if the framerate shown does not match 29.970 fps. For example, in one video where the people's lips were unsynched slightly to the audio, it was showing 29.965.
  Click OK if this applies to you. You can now proceed to scrub/process your video.

SYMPTOM: When playing my tape in the VCR, the top 10% or less of the screen is all skewed in one direction.
SOLUTION: A Time Base Corrector (TBC) module (separate video component) would fix that, but sometimes you could be lucky and happen to have a higher-end VCR that has a built-in TBC.
  For example, on a late-generation JVC VCR (ex: JVC HR-VP68OU or the high-end JVC HR-S9800U), you can find in the options menu a "Video Stabilizer" option, and after turning this to ON for this tape, playback of the tape did not have the top screen skewed.

SYMPTOM: Sound has a bit of static in it AND/OR tracking issues AND/OR other weird stuff.
SOLUTION: Try tensioning the tape: Before you capture, insert the VHS tape in the VCR, stop it if it's auto-playing, fast-forward to the end, wait a few seconds (if possible; some high-end VCRs will automatically rewind for you when the tape is at the end), and then rewind all the way to the beginning. This is especially effective for tapes that have not been played for 20 years or so as it will tension the tape and make better contact with the read heads.
  

Additional Information: