Ffmpeg Replacement for Favourite ACE Functions

0. Introduction

My normal project flow starts with either DV from my Sony VX2000 or video captured by that from either VHS or Hi8. The VX2000 does not have a full frame TBC but it does have line timebase correction with better line jitter removal than the ACE!

Then I edit using Premiere Elements 2023 to another file using DV output at 100% quality. This preserves all unadjusted frames unchanged. Next, I previously used VirtualDub with the Flaxen VHS filter to cure any colour bleed or colour droop. I also used Neatvideo here for noise reduction, especially on VHS sources, though this could also have been done within Premiere. However, for all but the lowest quality sources NeatVideo is an overkill and the Ffmpeg filters are fine.

In order to produce the final MPEG-2 file for a DVD or MP4 file for PC playback I used Premiere again. The problem was that Premiere Elements gave ridiculously large MP4 files and there seemed no good way to change to 50p. (Discussions with a friend convinced me that good de-interlacing gave much better results on a PC.) The MPEG-2 files were correctly sized using the same parameters as I use below with Ffmpeg but the result was too soft.

So, I researched and found that Ffmpeg could do Colour Shift and that it could do excellent encoding, especially using similar parameters to Fishman0919 and Manolito, given in the doom9 forum, with corroboration and adaptation from many other sources. What follows assumes you can digitise and edit your video with most adjustments, but need colour shift and good encoding. If you prefer to try the VirtualDub route see Here and scroll down.

1. Ffmpeg Batch Files with Colour Shift and Encoding to MPEG-2 and MP4

First you may need to download and install Ffmpeg, currently version 7.1. Look on either of these sites:

Ffmpeg download page for 64bit Windows - Latest Full Release. Option 1
Ffmpeg download page for 64bit Windows - Latest Full Release. Option 2

Next download the zip files with my batch files here, First Set with Fixed 2 Line Chroma Lift, Second with Adjustable Chroma Shift:

I suggest putting them into your same "ffmpeg\bin" directory. I have included both the *.txt file and the identical *.bat file.
I always edit the *.txt file and then save as the samename.bat. This avoids inadvertently running the batch file by mistake!!

Now I suggest creating a shortcut on your desktop for each of the batch files you will use.
This can be done using a right click and selecting SendTo and Desktop (create shortcut).
In addition, or alternatively, the method I prefer, create a new "SendTo" link as follows:
Copy the batch files to C:\Users\yourname\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo.

This allows you to have up to two possible ways of using these batch files:
1. Drag a video file and Drop onto the appropriate batch file on your desktop.
2. Click on the video file and use right click "SendTo" to send to the appropriate batch file.

FILES:
The "Ffmpeg_MPEG-2_2HrsOnDVD" batch file uses the default matrix and encodes at High Quality, fitting 2 Hours on a DVD.
The alternative, ending "FoxNew", uses a custom matrix instead of the default. It reduces low level noise without bad side effects.

The "Ffmpeg_MP4_Encoding_50p_CRF23" batch file de-interlaces 25i video to 50p and then encodes with Compression Ratio 23.
This uses ffmpeg "Preset Slow" for High Quality. The Preset can be changed and CRF value can be varied from 23 to 18 typically.
Faster Presets or increasing the CRF value give lower quality. With a slow PC use a faster preset but decrease CRF to compensate.
Preset Options: Very Slow, Slow, Medium, Fast, Very Fast. File size change is small between presets but large for changes in CRF.

The First Set of batch files have preset 2 line vertical Chroma lift (easily changed by editing the file). The Second Set is adjustable.
The Test Filter batch file, which just plays the video, asks you to enter values to try to help you test the correct Chroma adjustment.

NOTES:
All the encoding batch files place the final result in the same directory as the source file, with just a change of file name extension:
".mpg" for MPEG-2 files and ".mp4" for MP4 files. The source files are unchanged. The log file created after encoding is deleted.
These relatively small files are therefore now in your Recycle Bin which will need emptying eventually!

Full documentation of all the filters used and the MPEG-2 encoding parameters are in the following zip file:

Ffmpeg_MPEG-2_Encoding_2HrsOnDVD.txt and FoxNew version

2. Ffmpeg Batch Files with Video Filters to Emulate Other ACE Functions

1. Brightness, Contrast, Saturation and Gamma

Inside the -vf list of filters within the inverted commas just add the following (all filters except last to be followed by comma & space):
eq=contrast=1.25:brightness=.05:saturation=2.5:gamma=1.07

Values shown are just an example. To try this and get the correct levels you can use them with Ffplay by editing the Test Filter batch file:

Contrast: Range -1000 to 1000. Default 1. It boosts higher brightness levels so overload is possible. Range -1000 to 1000. Default 1.
Brightness: Range -1 to +1. Default 0. It can also cause overload. You may find Gamma much more useful as it won't cause overload.
Saturation: Range 0 to 3. Default 1. It will do what it says!
Gamma: Range 0.1 to 10. Default 1. Lifts mid tones, not affecting very dark or light areas, so no overload. Not available on the ACE!

2. Colour Temperature

Inside the -vf list of filters within the inverted commas just add the following (all filters except last to be followed by comma & space):
colortemperature=temperature=5000
Colour Temperature: Range 1000 to 40000. Default 6500k. 5000 shown in example is warmer. Adjustments assume source is 6500k.

3. Ffmpeg Batch Files to Cut and Join Video and Audio Files

1. Ffmpeg Batch File for Cutting Video and Audio Files

When initiated, the batch file will ask for two parameters. First the Start Time of the wanted section and Secondly the Duration.
These are in the form HH:MM:SS.milliseconds, where HH (Hours), MM (Minutes) and SS (Seconds) can be single or double digits 0-9.
Milliseconds is optional and you can alternatively put all times in seconds (with optional milliseconds). There should be NO Spaces!
Valid numbers (omitting inverted commas) are: '55', '0.2', '23.189' (all in seconds), '200ms', '200000us' (both 0.2 seconds), '12:03:45'

NOTE: MP4 and MP3 results will be slightly longer than requested, but always have the required part. This is due to the Compression.
Uncompressed or Intra-Coded files (such as WAV, DV AVI etc.) will be accurately cut and could be re-combined exactly as the original.

Download Here (NOTEs: Source Files are Unaffected! The ZIP contains the Batch File *.bat and an Identical *.txt file for easy viewing):
Ffmpeg_CutVideoAudio.zip

2. Ffmpeg Batch File for Joining Video and Audio Files

This time the trigger is the list of files to be joined. ALL files must be the same type as the named batch file, same frame and sample rate.
Examples of the FileList.txt file are zipped with the batch files. This must be a simple text file with any name, e.g. matching your project.
The result "full_video.*"/"full_audio.*" is placed in the same directory as FileList.txt with correct file extension AVI, MP4, WAV or MP3.
The source files to be joined can be from any directory as their full filename and path is recorded in the FileList.txt file.

NOTE: The "Ffmpeg_JoinVideoAVI.bat" batch file is perfect for joining captured files which were segmented by software on a 32bit PC.
Because DV AVI files are Intra-Coded (i.e. each frame encoded separately) they can be joined seemlessly into one large file for a 64bit PC.

Download Here (NOTEs: Source Files are Unaffected! All ZIPs contain the Batch File *.bat and an Identical *.txt file for easy viewing):
Ffmpeg_JoinVideoAVI.zip , Ffmpeg_JoinVideoMP4.zip , Ffmpeg_JoinAudioWAV.zip , Ffmpeg_JoinAudioMP3.zip

4a. The Best Free DVD & Blu-Ray Creation Tool with Full Colour Subtitling

Want a way to create DVDs & Blu-Rays from already encoded files without re-compression? I finally chanced on this excellent software.

This is so comprehensive and versatile and can either use existing encoded files or re-encode as you wish to a variety of different formats.
It has a variety of static and moving menu options and you can add your own poster images, backgrounds, chapters and subtitles.

If you would like any help please email me as I have now used this very extensively - there are far too many options to explain them all!
However if you download my PDF in the next section this gives most of the detail you will need, including ways to avoid some quirks.

Download Here multiAVCHD 4.1.771

4b. The Best Free DVD Disc Creation Tool. Can use multiAVCHD output

The Best DVD Creation Tool is DVDStyler

This will accept pre-prepared Mpeg-2 files or even VOBs from a DVD and video, audio and subtitles without re-encoding if required.
It can also encode video and audio and uses Ffmpeg with the Manolito parameters for High Quality. It's own subtitling however is poor.

My initial use for this was to recreate a copy of a DVD with translated subtitles by copying the multiAVCHD DVD output.
A full description of how to do this is shown below. Jump in at any point for simple DVDs!

HowToTranslateSubtitlesOnBluRayAndDVD.pdf

Sources for all possible required software is below:

MakeMKV Extracts files in MKV format from a DVD
Mediainfo Reads All the Details of DVD and BluRay Encoded Files
SubtitleEdit Reads Subtitles from a DVD file and/or Creates New Subtitles
multiAVCHD Same Link as above. Check it is Final Version 4.1.771
K-Lite Codec Pack Basic Excludes a player - I use VLC (Next Link)
VLC Best Video Player Ever - Far superior to Windows Media Player!
pgcedit Allows you to adjust DVD startup parameters etc.
DVDSubEdit Useful to check through a DVD to see Subtitle colour details etc.

Keywords: free, software, Colour, Color, Chroma, Shift, Noise, Reduction, AVI, WAV, MPEG, MPEG-2, MP4, Video, Encoding, Cut, Join, Filter, FFmpeg, DVDStyler, multiAVCHD, makeMKV, SubtitleEdit, K-Lite, Codec, pgcedit, DVDSubEdit, MediaInfo.