Batch processing multiple video files

[BeardFaceMan]

Is there an easy way to do this? I'm trying to convert some old VHS tapes to digital and I don't know if it's the computer I'm using not being good enough or if I bought a dodgy piece of kit as a VHS to PC converter or if I'm using crap capture software (I'm using OBS), but the audio on every video I do is out of sync. I have software where I can manually adjust the audio on video files and fix it that way but I'm going to be converting a lot of tapes so is there any software that can batch process multiple files like this? The only thing I need to do to them is offset the audio a bit and the audio is out of sync by the same amount on every file.

[Spudgun]

VirtualDub is what I'd use to batch process video files, but in all honesty I think you'd be a million times better off getting it right at the capture stage. What hardware are you using? If either VirtualDub or AmaRecTV can 'see' it, use one of those. (AmaRec is more user-friendly, VirtualDub is more fully featured.) I wouldn't go anywhere near OBS for VHS capturing.

[PlanktonSideburns]

Reaper can do this ok, you can import video, export as video, and you can make an export cue of multiple time regions in a single project

Is it the same time offset every time? If so you could import all the videos, duplicate the track, offset one of them, turn the volume down on the other, then start adding each one to the queue

Might even be a plug in that does time offset actually, won't even need to duplicate the file

[BeardFaceMan]

VirtualDub is what I'd use to batch process video files, but in all honesty I think you'd be a million times better off getting it right at the capture stage. What hardware are you using? If either VirtualDub or AmaRecTV can 'see' it, use one of those. (AmaRec is more user-friendly, VirtualDub is more fully featured.) I wouldn't go anywhere near OBS for VHS capturing.

I'm using one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09JSFWQLX?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details which didn't come with any capture software, the little manual it came with had instructions on how to install and use OBS. I'll try one of those programs you mentioned there, see if that's any better. When I use OBS and it's all set up and I just play the VHS tape but don't record it or anything, just watch it, it's still out of sync so it's not happening at the conversion stage.

Reaper can do this ok, you can import video, export as video, and you can make an export cue of multiple time regions in a single project

Is it the same time offset every time? If so you could import all the videos, duplicate the track, offset one of them, turn the volume down on the other, then start adding each one to the queue

Might even be a plug in that does time offset actually, won't even need to duplicate the file

I'll take a look at this too because so far it's been the same offset every time.

Edit - just had a look at the reviews for the hardware I'm using and they're mostly good but there is someone else complaining about out of sync audio so maybe it's just shitty hardware. Fuck, this is a job I'm doing for my sister using her equipment, I think she may just need to buy better hardware first. Who the fuck wants to watch old wedding videos anyway?!?

[PlanktonSideburns]

I'm using one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09JSFWQLX?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details which didn't come with any capture software, the little manual it came with had instructions on how to install and use OBS. I'll try one of those programs you mentioned there, see if that's any better. When I use OBS and it's all set up and I just play the VHS tape but don't record it or anything, just watch it, it's still out of sync so it's not happening at the conversion stage.

I'll take a look at this too because so far it's been the same offset every time.

Edit - just had a look at the reviews for the hardware I'm using and they're mostly good but there is someone else complaining about out of sync audio so maybe it's just shitty hardware. Fuck, this is a job I'm doing for my sister using her equipment, I think she may just need to buy better hardware first. Who the fuck wants to watch old wedding videos anyway?!?

how much of it is there?

could you send us the files, i could time shift them and send them back

[BeardFaceMan]

how much of it is there?

could you send us the files, i could time shift them and send them back

I appreciate the offer but she has a box of about 30 tapes she wants done, so yeah, I think I need to mess around with capture software a bit more and try and get rid of the problem before it gets to the encode stage.

[PlanktonSideburns]

How many times has she been married?!

[BeardFaceMan]

Oh she's one of those people who got a camcorder and filmed fucking everything, I'm lucky theres only 30 tapes.

[greencalx]

If you don't mind getting your hands dirty with the command line window, you could use ffmpeg for this

https://superuser.com/questions/982342/in-ffmpeg-how-to-delay-only-the-audio-of-a-mp4-video-without-converting-the-au

[Spudgun]

I'm using one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09JSFWQLX?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details which didn't come with any capture software

I haven't used that particular device, but good news: it looks like you picked a good one. At least, the Amazon description suggests it's able to capture "YUV422", which in a nutshell means it's passing an uncompressed signal into your computer which leaves you a number of options of what you can do with it. (Worse ones do their own lossy compression before it even reaches your PC.)

I'd strongly recommend AmaRecTV - the version linked above, as later updates added restrictions - and see if you can get that playing nicely. It's the sort of program that takes a little setting up, but once you're there, you never have to think about it ever again. OBS is absolutely not the tool for this type of project.

What codec are you using, by the way? What's your 'destination'? (DVD, Blu-Ray, MP4 file, etc.) Are you planning to do any edits, fixes, and further processing, or is it a case of the fewer steps, the better?