Improving old Hi-8 video quality

[Naturopath4you]

I have a couple of important videos which were shot on cassettes in Hi 8, so of course they are not anywhere near as high resolution as we can do currently.

With all the fantastic computer editing software, is there any way either with Element 13 or any other software I can purchase, which can improve the resolution and make the image clearer? I know that this is doable if someone wanted to devote the time to writing the software so I presume that someone has done so. Any suggestions? I can upload a brief clip somewhere if anyone wants to see what I am starting with.
Thanks
By the way, With all your help, I have become pretty good at editing all my videos, and since the problems with my RAM and hard drives were finally located many months ago, I now have zero issues editing 3 hour videos all at once and rendering them with no crashes.

[Steve Grisetti]

Glad to hear we've been helpful with your video editing, Naturopath!

Hi-8 video is 720x480 pixels. That's standard TV resolution -- a bit improvement over VHS and regular 8mm video, which were only about 2/3 that resolution, but a long way from the 1920x1080 we're used to.

That said, resolution is resolution. You can't really add pixels to it.

On the other hand, how are you distributing your video? If you're sharing your videos as DVDs, then your final videos are only 720x480 anyway, and your Hi-8 should look just fine. (Most BluRay disc players and HDTVs are very good and upscaling DVD video so that it looks pretty good on a high-def TV. It won't look as sharp as high-def or BluRay video, but it should look very good!)

[Naturopath4you]

Hi Steve,
Maybe the person who did my original editing was the issue, if there is a way I can easily send you a few minutes you will see what I am dealing with. It was originally on DVD and I hated the quality but now I will be selling my videos (shortly) on UScreen.tv and so as I look at them again, this old one, being one of the few that was shot in Hi-8 really looks awful. Since my Hi-8 camera burned up in my house back in the wildfires in 2007, I will have to either buy a used one or pay the local conversion company that I use for my DVD duplication, to convert them for me so I can have a look at what the content originally looked like. The kid who shot it (before I found the much better person I use now) didn't know enough, so possibly the lighting or camera setting added to the issue. I can pull out a couple of minutes and email it yo you??
David

[Kent Frost]

It's very possible that whomever duplicated your footage may not have done so through means that would preserve your original Hi8 picture quality. If he used RCA connectors instead of an S-Video cable, for example, the quality defaults to regular 8 or VHS quality.

[Steve Grisetti]

If you've still got the original tapes, I can loan you my Digital 8 camcorder for a bit, David. If you'll pay for the shipping. As I'm sure you know, Digital 8 camcorders can play 8mm and Hi8 video and, through a FireWire connection, this video can be captured to your computer just as if it were digital -- and in its pristine original quality! (When I first started shooting video, 25 years ago, I had an old 8mm Sony, and this camcorder allows me to still pull pristine video off those old tapes.)

That's one solution, if you're interested.

Otherwise, I'm glad to look at a sample of your DVD footage. But, in my experience, Premiere Elements does a great job of using ripping DVDs so that the footage looks almost as good as the original. So that's also an option, assuming that whoever converted your Hi8 to DVD did a good job of transcoding.

[Naturopath4you]

Thank you both and since the quality is nowhere near DVD quality, there must have been some issue back then.
Steve, I will happily pay transportation to and from- for your loaner offer.

I have a PC not a mac so I use USB 3.0 or I have the new thunderbolt connector on my newest DROBO.
If I can buy a cable for your camera that goes to USB 3.0 ( must be available) or else a fire wire to USB 3.0 adapter (should also be available)
or did your camera come with a cable for PC and not just the apple fire wire?

I like that solution a lot and will be very careful with your camera.
When I was an audio video technician in New York 40 years ago, I was very leery about ever loaning any of my equipment out except to a few very knowledgeable careful special fiends, so I really thank you for your offer.
You have my address, just let me know if I will need to purchase any cables or and adapter and I will order them. Also, of course I have HDMI on my newest laptop but I don't think that can be used for this

[Steve Grisetti]

A USB connection won't get you the quality you're looking for from a Digital 8 cam, David. And neither will a Firewire to USB adapter.

If you don't have a FireWire card you can drop one in. They only cost about $10 on Amazon. I'll provide a cable along with the camcorder.

Do you want to do that?

[Naturopath4you]

Most definitely
I just ordered the card on Amazon
thanks

[Steve Grisetti]

Excellent! I'll be in touch with you via e-mail about arranging for the Digital 8 cam, when you're ready.

[Naturopath4you]

Great
The fire wire board should be here Monday and I'll install it immediately.
I think you have my .att email address or did you mean the personal email on this site?
Here is the address to a download link to 60 seconds of the video so you can see the quality
http://we.tl/ZVqmr2dEWq
I extracted the clip to send to a friend in New Jersey so I might as well let you look at it as well
It should be up for a few days at least
David

[Steve Grisetti]

I've sent you an e-mail by way of this web site's messenger, David. Just reply to it to let me know what address you want the cam shipped to and if you want it UPS Ground, Two-Day, Express Mail or whatever.

BTW, the quality of your video sample doesn't look too bad -- although I don't have the original video to compare. A little vibrance or contrast enhancement might help. But the resolution looks pretty good.

[Naturopath4you]

Anyone help me with this?
I would like to put myself in the center of the screen (which is simple) and then put a fairly wide (thick) frame around me as though you are seeing me in a picture frame
I will need to be able to adjust the thickness and color of the frame. It does not need to have any texture, just color, such as grey.
Can someone tell me how to do this
It always takes less time to ask you guys then to spend hours experimenting
Thanks

[Steve Grisetti]

It's easy enough to create a frame in Photoshop/Photoshop Elements. I could certainly do it, if I knew exactly how large you wanted it and how thick it needs to be, measured in pixels.

But there may be a simpler way to do it right in Premiere Elements. Open the Title Adjustments area and, on the Graphics tab, select the rectangle and color it gray. Drag it to the size and place you want it.

Then, back in the main editor, place the video of yourself on the track ABOVE this graphic and size it as necessary.

The gray box isn't technically a frame. But, with your video on top of it, it will seem to frame it. And, since you're working with a graphic you've created right in Premiere Elements, you can easily size and position it to your exact need.

[Bob]

Another way to do it is to use the clip effect. Clip works like crop with the difference that you can assign a color to the cropped off area thereby making a border. If you can crop your video, just apply the clip effect to it and set the color and clipping location.

If you can't crop your video, place a color matte on the track below your video. You can scale and position the color matte to produce the border you want.

[Naturopath4you]

Perfect
Thank you both very much. The clip works great and I'll try Steve's ideas next as a comparison but I cannot find the rectangle title adjustments