25 or 30 fps for Screen Recorder/Produce? (Old B/W movies from web browser)

pmikep

Senior Member Joined: Nov 26, 2016 22:51 Messages: 285 Offline

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May 06, 2018 18:55

Question: What's the best frame rate for capturing old film movies off the web using PD Screen Recorder?

I presume that, if I were capturing old film movies directly with PD, that I would set my frame rate to match the film, which, if I understand correctly, is 25 fps. UPDATE: Oops. I think I'm getting mixed up with NTSC v. PAL. Film movies were recorded at 24 pfs, correct? And so maybe the answer to my question is to record for my region, which in my case is NTSC?

But instead, I record old movies off my web browser, using PD's Screen Recorder.

Is that 25 or 30 fps delivered to me?

First, I'm not even sure if they're film movies anymore. I think most of what I watch today has been cleaned up (I don't see the usual scratches) and is digitally played out at the broadcast location.

On the assumption that the clean up crew think the way we do, then the digital medial would also be at 25 fps. Correct?

Second, my monitor refreshes at 60 Hz. (LCD.) I can't image this has anything to do with recording, since I've never heard anyone say that you should record at a higher frame rate for, say, an old CRT monitor running at 100 Hz. But I thought I would ask.

Third, I don't know if interlaced vs. Progressive has anything to do with my question. But since I record off a web browser, and since the "broadcast" is meant for HD TV, I assume they're sending me progressive.

Fourth, and this brings up an odd question: what's to guarantee that frame rates sync correctly? For example, in the old film days, the film stopped for a split second, and then jumped to the next frame.

Well, if I'm recording at the same frame rate at my end, what's to keep my recorder from catching the film just as it jumps from frame to frame?

I've never seen that in all the recording I've done. So I must not understand how this all works.

In any event, what do you experts say is the best frame rate for recording old film movies broadcast over the web by, say, DirecTVNow?

(Naturally I would produce the final video at the same frame rate I recorded it.)

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at May 07. 2018 00:59

PowerDirector Moderator

Senior Contributor Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan Joined: Oct 18, 2016 00:25 Messages: 2104 Offline

May 09, 2018 04:01

Hi,

A bit beyond my pay grade but, as I understand it, any 24fps film has to be modified for broadcast. Not only that, modern TVs have their own inbuilt processing to "help" the viewer out []https://www.wired.com/2014/08/wtf-just-happened-soap-opera-effect/]

For a more in-depth look at the technical detail involved in timecodes and framerates (and hence how they are used in shooting and then conversion) try this! []https://blog.frame.io/2017/07/17/timecode-and-frame-rates/]

So the question is - what is your "portal" (web browser in your case) actually showing you? And is your monitor doing anything with it? If it was a TV - probably yes, a standard monitor - no?

I looked at a couple of b/w sites and grabbed the "broadcast" via download. They were .ogv files with small resoultion and 25 or 30fps, depending on the country of origin I guess?

Next question, irrespective of all that, if you can screen capture at 24fps, would that give the correct "feel" for an old movie?? SCR3 does allow screen capture at 24fps and I suppose the result is in the eye of the beholder?

The actual technical details of how it's all done is not my forte, maybe other members have a better understanding?

Cheers
PowerDirector Moderator.

pmikep

Senior Member Joined: Nov 26, 2016 22:51 Messages: 285 Offline

May 09, 2018 11:06

Once again, the Moderator has gone above and beyond the call of duty. (Sounds like a pay raise is in order.)

You're right - I totally forgot about the telecine process for converting film movies for TV Broadcast.