That's ridiculous. If you get hit by a bus tomorrow, your process dies with you. Better to let everyone know so that they can archive their own discs.

You don't have this market cornered; I'm able to produce high quality transfers too. (https://youtu.be/1dtVWr19L8I?t=807 is a sample of some of my work, however youtube compression has ruined some dark murky sections in that specific video because I only uploaded it at 1080p60 instead of 4k60.) Unlike you, I want others to reproduce and improve upon my results, so here's my process:

1. Pioneer CLD-D606 -> Y/C -> Blackmagic Intensity Pro -> 10-bit 4:2:2 .AVI. This is done using the Media Express software and software version 10.11.4 (Windows), a combination that produces perfect sync. (Later versions have issues with sync drift, loss of video sync, or both.) I capture everything at 0 IRE so that I have more flexibility in post (and also because I've caught some laserdiscs mixing 0 IRE and 7.5 IRE content, mainly music videos that have paintbox effects).
2. Depending on the source material, I sometimes choose to eliminate noise introduced by the capture process by capturing the same material 3+ times, then if all captures are frame-accurate, I'll combine them by overlaying them in Premiere and averaging them using Linear Dodge (add). Think of this as a video version of "oversampling". (This is a tremendous help with VHS sources too, but capture of longer sources almost never line up exactly even when using a line TBC feeding into a Frame TBC (all it takes is one delayed field to throw things off), so there aren't always opportunities to use this technique with VHS.)
3. I then bring the footage into Premiere Pro and correct black and white levels (capturing 10-bit allows this without clipping during the original capture or during processing), and use NeatVideo (carefully and judiciously!!) for noise reduction and fixing dropouts/rot. If the audio needs some repair, I export the final audio and process it with izotope RX, then import it back into Premiere and use that for the audio. All video processing is done internally 32-bit. Noise reduction occurs before level correction in the filter chain. I then export 10-bit again. All of this takes place in the interlaced domain.
4. For final output and deinterlacing, I use avisynth with QTGMC for deinterlacing (I use different settings for different sources, but the quick answer is that I use preset "very slow" for sources with a hint of noise still left in them, and SourceMatch/Lossless settings for anything where I was able to remove most of the noise previously). If needed, nnedi3_rpow2 + spline36resize for upscaling after the deinterlacing stage. Finally, the avisynth script is fed into FFMPEG for h.264 or h.265 encoding.

The entire path, from capture(1) to edit to export to avisynth to ffmpeg to final output compressed files, is 10-bit. It took me a long time to get avisynth verified working with 10-bit colorspaces(2) but the end result is definitely better viewing on my OLED TV than when I was doing everything 8-bit.

(1)The Pioneer uses an 8-bit digital TBC but I still capture in 10-bit for the headroom.
(2)hint: Use ffmpegsource for import, as avisource converts everything to 8-bit... another hint, use avisynth+ which supports YUV422P10 colorspaces)

Pioneer's digital TBC's generally use 8-bit (+ sync in most cases) ADC/DAC's. A few like the LD-S2 have oversampling DAC's that are pseudo 9-bit.

Thank you for confirming this. I still get an expanded range (ie. no clipping) capturing in 10-bit, so I'll continue to do so. Is the ADC used during normal playback, or only displaying still frames (for example, when players give CAV-like still frame display to CLV disks)?

Thank you for sharing! I've never seen The Mind's Eye in 1080p60 before! It's stunning!

Gosh, this is technical. I've never used Avisynth, so I'm going to have to look all this up. It looks complicated.

I have some questions.



1. What is this blur? Is that just an artifact from working with such an old format?


2. Is this a levels thing? Can you explain what this means?

3. I realize you are saying 10-bit is great, and as an editor myself, you are absolutely right. However, I don't want to spend more money than I already have on this. Do you think my Elgato Game Capture HD would suffice? I think that only does 8-bit 4:2:0.

4. If I do want to upgrade in the future, is this older version of the Blackmagic Intensity Pro still 10 bit? https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B001CN9GEA/ ... UTF8&psc=1

It is, but here's a primer: http://macilatthefront.blogspot.com/201 ... sited.html


It's a common artifact of high-contrast transitions that occur horizontally; it's an artifact of analog video. One longer explanation of this is in the Video Essentials laserdisc tutorial material, IIRC. It affects both luma and chroma, which is why you can see this kind of blurring sometimes in the NTSC SMPTE color bars test pattern even though the luma is constant in those transition areas.

I think that artifact is in the source material. It was definitely not introduced by my software process, although it's possible it might have been exasperated during the capture process.


Analog video goes from 0 to 100 IRE. For North American NTSC broadcasts, 7.5 IRE is considered the displayable level of black; for Japan, they used 0 IRE. When I started capturing laserdisc, I used to capture with 7.5 IRE as the black level, but I found that mixed-content discs (like Mind's Eye, and some documentaries) would mix these standards and the 0 IRE content would have severely clipped blacks. So, I now don't assume anything, and capture with 0 IRE so that I can adjust it later using the waveform monitor display in Premiere, sometimes clip by clip if necessary. Even if the disc is mastered properly and correctly, I still do this, just because I want fine control over the black level.

100 IRE is too intense and caused blooming for large areas of white on older sets, so the general NTSC standard for white is 80 IRE.

The final output of my adjustments translate black->100 IRE as 0-1024 RGB (1024 being the highest value in a 10-bit colorspace). Some people argue that 80 IRE should be used as "full white" but I have seem clipping and loss of detail when I do that, so I follow the standard. As a result, sometimes the output is a hair dimmer than what people are expecting, but at least nothing clips. Until I have an HDR process, allowing 100 IRE material to be "whiter than white" is not feasible for me. I have an OLED that can do HDR and DolbyVision, but Premiere Pro's HDR workflow still leaves a lot to be desired, sadly.


No. See next answer:


That is exactly the hardware I'm using. It works on an i7-8700k system with two GTX 1080 ti cards, taking up the third and last slot on the motherboard. With the correct older version of the software, I've had no issues, although it took some adjustment to handle 486 total lines instead of 480 (I just crop the two 2 and bottom 4 in the final avisynth output stage).

Thanks a lot for good workshop, I am agree only 10 bits for all processes.
I can add also work with PF clean and Phoenix Finish for cleaning and restoration...

Trixter, thanks for answering my questions. I'm looking forward to my own restorations!

Digital TBC players always use it. You might be seeing better results with 10bit because the comb filter you're using does a better job, and there's a 4.2mhz analog LPF after the TBC (which is at 14.something mhz). So in effect it might be a higher depth (and unfortunately higher-ringing!) signal.

Thinking about it more, bit depth isn't always the only factor... in a Domesday Duplicator setup the RF capture is done at 40msps/10bit, but you can go down to 8 bits worth of signal before losing much - player calibration is a far, far bigger factor.

FYI, I amended the above description of my capture process to include a trick I use sometimes depending on the source material: Oversampling the video capture. I'll capture 3 or more times, then I'll merge all captures that are frame-accurate to each other using the linear dodge (add) compositing method in Premiere. There are avisynth scripts to do this as well, along with optional median rejection of things like dropouts, but I find it easier to do in premiere since I'm already in premiere for level correction and other editing. The end result of "averaging" multiple captures together is that noise introduced by the capture process itself is eliminated. It's not the same quality as a Domesday solution due to the signal running through the comb filter, but the luma quality is exceptional and always an improvement.

My Intensity came in the mail!

Just making sure I have the settings correct. Is this what you use in Media Express? Mostly I want to know about YUV vs RGB and the drop TC option.



Also, I am curious about adjusting the input to scopes. I found a SMPTE test pattern at the end of a Beverly Hillbillies LD of all places and want to use it make the capture image as good as possible (proper colors, no pluge blooming, etc.). But I can't install UltraScope from the CD while Blackmagic Desktop Video is installed. How do i calibrate my card? Or am I worrying about nothing?

Those are indeed the settings I'm using, although I capture to 1 TB M.2 card to ensure that anything dumb Windows does shouldn't affect capture (I have backups running in the background, etc.). I know writing 27MB/s to a card capable of 1800MB/s seems like overkill, but it's also very nice when editing (scrubbing is instant). Also, I found it very important to use the version I posted earlier -- if you use the latest Desktop Video version, the audio sync is off (worse, it *varies* and *drifts* throughout an hour-long capture -- unusable).

I don't know why you wouldn't be able to use the ultrascope while Desktop Video is installed; I'd contact BM about that. I also wouldn't worry about calibrating the card since the card doesn't offer you much control over anything other than luma and chroma adjustments, and it doesn't make those changes realtime (you have to adjust Y, then save, then check it -- it's tedious). I captured the output of a test generator and I didn't see anything more than 1-2% out of tolerance, so I think it's fine out of the box, and any fine adjustments can be made in Premiere/DaVinci/etc. anyway after the fact.

BTW, as an example of how discs with laser rot can be partially recovered, here's a fairly rotted disc (8" The Motels):



...and here's what (careful!) NeatVideo processing in Premiere can do to recover it:



The primary purpose of NeatVideo is to remove noise, but the artifact removal and dust/scratches removal can do a great job with laser rot if you don't over-apply them (over-application starts to remove fine detail).

Cool. I made sure to download the version you posted.

Hey, Trixter. I'm finally getting around to restoring my discs. How do you interpret the footage in Premiere (or in my case, After Effects)? Upper field first, lower field first, or off so it shows both fields at once? Do you use any pull down settings?

Do me favor - discuss your technical questions in PM, nothing personal.
Everybody who fascinated Pink Floyd, it is a short video from Laserdisc PULSC PAL edition.

https://vimeo.com/389401376

That's the very definition of "personal".

If this thread is specifically about "mclaus projects only Laserdisc digitalization and restoration", then you should change the title of the thread. The title of the thread suggests that it is a discussion about all Laserdisc transfers and restoration, and technical details are part of that discussion.


The 525i30 footage captured from the BMIP is lower-field-first.
Pulldown settings are for turning telecined film footage back into 24p, but only use this for material you are 100% sure is only film. Some music videos have film elements with video effects or transitions, so pulldown isn't appropriate for those.

BTW, I wouldn't try to use After Effects as a video editor. If you're working with footage > 10 minutes long, it should be in Premiere.

Just read my first post.

If you don't want people to talk about digitalization and restoration then why did you bother creating a thread on it?

Just seems like a weird hill to die on.

It should be noted that those are in fact nominal levels. Legal levels don't cut off until 109 according to the SMPTE standards. Negative voltage values are also possible. For archival purposes, maintaining information above and below reference levels is fundamental.

100% agree, and I do take this into account when I perform my restorations that aren't HDR. I try to standardize "white" at 80 IRE, for example, leaving headroom for higher levels. I also keep an eye on a waveform monitor, and if what I'm doing clips, I back it off.