Converting/Editing Circa 2000-2002 Pinnacle DV500 Exported AVI Files

[Stan Jones]

Retrieved an archived version of an AVI video from a CD backup. I have concluded that this was exported from PR version 6 or so when I was using a Pinnacle DV500 capture card. I see references on line to "the
DV500's hardware-DV-codec."

The files will play, but anywhere there are titles, effects, transitions - the video is simply not there - the audio usually continues. Video comes back once the problem part is done. About 2 years ago, before I reached my conclusion about the DV500, I was able to do a conversion with AVISynth or something, and got a good file. 

Before I go that route again, any suggestions on how to address this? I still have the DV500, but I suspect there is an easy conversion.

MediaInfo is not instructive, as it simply shows Codec ID as "dvsd."

Stan

[Peru Bob]

Handbrake?

[John T Smith]

My 1st editing computer came with that conversion card... as I remember (could be wrong, that was a long time ago) the AVI files would not play on my wife's computer because she did not have the required Pinnacle codec installed... and the Pinnacle installer would not work on her computer because she did not have the card

[Ann Bens]

Can you upload a file?

[Stan Jones]

I'll leave this up for a few hours.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2jxubig7v015sib/Part2.avi?dl=0

VirtualDub simple save as with lagarith works fine.

Maybe it is that simple.

I also wonder if it is just a codec issue. No preview in the icon in Windows Explorer, but I see one when I select it for upload to dropbox....

Stan

[Averdahl]

I can open and convert it to Lagarith in TMPGEnc Video Mastering Works 7. If you can convert it in VirtualDub, go for it. If you want i can convert the clip and upload it so you can compare my conversion with yours. 🙂

But it is interseting why Premiere Pro cannot handle the clip on the same machine. 

[Stan Jones]

Update. Using the Opacity/Blend Mode Difference method, I found a significant difference in the Lagarith vs original. Not terrible, but enough that I wondered. More importantly, I discovered (when I saw a little interlacing artifact), that Lagarith out of Vitualdub had a) no fields indicated in MediaInfo and b) no difference between fields when switching between the PR Program Monitor Display First Field, Second, both. Looking at the original (clear difference in fields), the Lag version appears to be a single combined field. So did it go progressive, but with jaggies?

In any event, Never Mind! lol. I took a timeout to make room on a drive by combining some old download directories and discovered a Pinnacle DV Codec (from some free source years ago), I installed it. When I use that as the codec from VirtualDub, I get a file that looks identical in MediaInfo, very little Difference Blend Mode, and fields. And yes, all the missing transition/title info. So I'll use that to "fix" these files.

Now it is tempting to tune up some of those old movies, but all the titles are .tdk (Title Deko from Pinnacle I assume). And yes, Murphy's law, a clean up effort about a year ago, and finally got rid of my PR 6 install disks! omg. No conversion utility for .tdk anywhere , right?

Stan