Requriments: A capture card, a card with video-in or tv-in. PicVideo MJPEG Codec or best quality Huffyuv codec and VirtualDub.

Install PicVideo first Or install the Huffyuv codec for the best quality but requires lots of hd-space, download the pre built-dll and exctract the zip and rightclick on the .inf-file and select Install.

How to

Launch your tv-application and select the channel you want to capture from. Exit your tv application. <- This is only for TV-Cards.

Launch VirtualDub and select File->Capture AVI and the capture mode will start.

To capture from linein,composite or svhs change the source in Virtualdub under Video->Source.


Now select Video->Format and select:
for VCD at least - 352x288 for PAL and 352x240 for NTSC
for SVCD at least - 480x576 for PAL and 480x480 for NTSC
for DVD at least - 720x576 for PAL and 720x480 for NTSC

And under Image Format: for best perforamce YUY2 or for best quality 24 bit RGB
(If you cant select the correct image dimension, use the Video-Set Custom Format and set it there instead.)



Select Video->Compression and select PICVideo MJPEG Codec. Hit Configure
(you can of course try the other compression-codecs, for example the Huffyuv)



Set Quality factor under MJPEG Settings. Quality 20 = best quality but requiers more diskspace and CPU. Hit OK and return to VirtualDUB (for Huffyyuv select under Predict gradient under YUY2 for best quality)

View a MJPEG Quality comparison between the settings here.


Select Audio->Compression. Select CD Quality for best quality. You can also try to encode directly to mpeg3 or anything.



Select Capture->Settings and set Frame rate: to 25 (PAL) or 29,97(NTSC). Select Wait for OK to Capture, Capture Audio and Lock video stream to audio(and the audio will get synced if you drop some frames).


Now you are ready to Capture.
Select File->Set Capture File and configure where you want to save your avi.
Then Select Capture->Capture video. Hit Begin when you want to capture.
Check the Frames dropped -> if it increases to much you have too slow computer( be sure that you have selected DMA on the harddrive that you capture to), try then to configure the quality setting under MJPEG Compression setting/HUFFYUV setting.




Now convert the capture AVI to VCD, SVCD or DVD MPEG.




Problems:

No audio in Virtualdub capture mode:
If there is no audio check that line in is not mute.(Double-click on the speaker icon in the tray and go to Options -> Properties -> Adjust volume for recording. Then you should be able to alter the volume of the line-in port.)

If it still doesn't work try to restart VirtualDub sometimes.

If you have a WinTV card try then to start the prog AudioSel.exe in the /wintv/ dir(or download it here), there you can choose TV Audio Source, if this doesnt work, you can restart virtualdub sometimes, or if you got the wintv/radio card, like I, you can choose radio audio source and this will work everytime /mrm

I've had the above problem and tried everything you said to get rid of it, but whatever i did nothing seemed to fix it..... until I went into control panel! I went into Control Panel, 'Multimedia'. Then under where it says 'Recording' I selected 'SB Live! Wave In (CC00)' instead of 'RSS Wave in Record' and the audio worked!!! :-) /Stuart

I have an ATI AIW 128 Pro and a Sound Blaster Live in an AMD 800 128 Mb RAM and I get no sound. When you choose video source on Virtualdub, you´l find the same settings of your capture device and soft. Despite this settings are correct, CLICK AGAIN on them and ¡voila!. The sound apears and everything works.I hope this can be usefull. Bye from Spain

How to overcome the problem with the limit of 4 GB AVIs on fat32 or if you want to use several harddrives

Use Virtualdubs Multisegment/spill system, read here how to use it.

If you here the sound when capturing but there is no sound in the captured file
Have u select capture audio under Settings in Virtualdub? And have you selected from what line-in windows will capture from (Doubleclick on the volumecontrol in the taskbar and select options->properties, click recording and OK and select which line-in that you have connected the audio to.)

If the sound is out of sync
Open the captured file in Virtual Dub. Choose "Frame Rate" under the "Video" menu. Choose "Change so video and audio durations match". Before saving, make sure you have selected "Direct Stream Copy" under the video menu and Full processing mode under the audio menu. (thanks to Mindstone for this one)

Droppes frames
Be sure that you have selected DMA on the harddrive that you capture to.

Bad picture quality
Try to use the Huffyuv codec instead, a very god codec but require lots of harddrive space. Select the codec and be sure to select YUY2 under Image Format.

I can't select the Video size that I want.
If you cant select the correct video size, use the Video-Set Custom Format and set it there instead. And also try to select under Video->Preview if have problem to capture in higher resoulutions.


Here can you find some other Video Editors and Video Capture Utilities.