Blown out highlights and clipped blacks

[Stawan]

Has anyone else had a problem where when looking the video footage through TV, the video is as it should be, but looking the video through Ezcap and computer, the highlights are badly blown out blacks are a bit clipped? I just noticed this problem, and it would be nice to solve it.

I have an old video camera, a Sony CCD-V100E, which I am using to capture the old recordings with my Ezcap(116). Virtualdub - which I am using to record the video - has two settings called "extend luma white point" and "extend luma black point", but they do not seem to do anything. I googled and it seems that the original video is in a brightness scale of 0-255 and when I capture it to my computer, it is only 16-235 and then anything under or over that scale gets clipped or blown out.

Any ideas? I have had _a lot_ of problems with this device, and it'd be nice to get the job done...

[bigweeal]

Why are you using virtual dub? Use Arcsoft that came with it and you will not have any issues.

[Stawan]

I tested Arcsoft Showbiz DVD 2, but the problem persists. Also, I use Virtualdub because it can capture the footage losslessly whereas Arcsoft Showbiz can only capture MPG(2) files.

I have also talked with the guy who sold me this capturing device. He said that I should test capturing stuff from a DVD, and indeed the video was how it should have been and didn't have any clipping etc. issues. He then said I should get an adapter and RCA-cables so that I could capture the video footage through my TV: first connecting the video camera to the TV and then, plugging the cables to the output scart and through ezcap to the computer. However, I do not know if this will work and I wouldn't like to spend extra money just to notice that it didn't change a thing...

[bigweeal]

If it captures dvd ok then we can rule out the EzCAP as it is working.

Are you capturing and then looking at the file on your computer? Remember, the resolution is set for TV, not pc. Burn a clip to disc and watch it through your tv.

[Stawan]

Yeah, the video is the same everywhere - in the capture preview window, looking the captured video at computer or from DVD on TV... So there's something that doesn't go right in the capturing process.

I also have another problem when I watch the clip from DVD on TV, it has some horizontal wavy lines across the image... Do you know what causes this? It is just fine looking the video at pc.

[bigweeal]

Can you post us a capture of both the problems. Do it in Arcsoft, not virtualdub

[Stawan]

Sorry, the only videos I have are family etc. stuff so I can't post any examples and I don't have any extra cassettes to record one. But to realize the problem you'd first need to see the raw material through TV to really spot the difference, otherwise you could just say "well, it's overexposed". The video is generally okay, but areas that are bright in the original video are blown out and also darks are clipped...

About the "wave" problem, I have not tested if it gets better by using Arcsoft, but the video is smoother (almost too smooth, imo) when I record with that program. There is also a problem with Arcsoft - the quality is rather poor due to the lossy MPEG codec... how can I get best quality possible with Arcsoft?

[bigweeal]

Arcsoft is set to MPEG. You cannot record in AVI.

The best settings are the default settings. There is a youtube video

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/zRA1g5mr9i4&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/zRA1g5mr9i4&rel=0</a>



You could also try another capture program:
It is free and good. It works on xp/vista/windows 7 (both 32 & 64 bit)

Debut
http://www.nchsoftware.com/capture/

When you go to the site, don't click on the links on the right hand side.
There is a download link for non commercial customers in the first paragraph
on the page.

When you have installed, plug in the ezcap, open Debut, click on "device" at
the top.

If that gives you the same result, It would be worth doing as the seller suggested and purchase a "switchable scart to phono" lead. They are not expensive. If you are in the UK you can get one for £1.77 including postage from ebay. Set the switch to "out" so it forces the signal in the right direction.