Encoding video for VHS

First of all you need to find the MPEG-0 codec, which is really hard to find these days due to it being replaced with real codecs.

If you do manage to track down a copy of it, good luck trying to find any software that will recognise it.

Still reading? WTF? Okay load up the software on your Amiga 1000, you’ll need to swap 3.5″ flexi-disks mid way through which will totally corrupt the video file, but somehow you manage it anyway.

Plug your trusty JVC VCR into the custom monitor output on the back of your A1000, note you must have an S-VHS input on the JVC VCR for this to work, or you’ll get too many JPEG artefacts… not worth it IMHO.

Finally, if you have a serial port on your JVC VCR you can hook that up to the Amiga to get it to sync everything nicely and remotely control record and playback functions.

That’s it everything’s looking good so far… fingers crossed. Start the compression of the first frame of video, I think we’re talking about a native VHS resolution of about 300 odd scanlines… plenty, with the onboard memory of the A1000 you should be able to compress one frame per session and using the record/playback sync through the serial port it will pause the tape for you so you can reboot to encode the next frame.

As for the source video file, forget it, you’ll be lucky to get anything digitized in the first place, unless you can find a digi view gold from newtek, even then you’ll probably need 1 meg of chip ram, so go and get your A2000 out.. oh that’s right you left it in the bathroom at that place you rented in Strawberry Hill… oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

I found my thrill on Strawberry Hill

What colour is your berry?