Restoring badly digitized VHS

[Graven]

I have a digitized VHS (no access to the original tape) file where it looks like the field heads wobble slightly (vertically) independent of each other.  So even after deinterlacing with QTGMC there is some combing or echo (I'm not sure of the right way to describe this) that can last several seconds before aligning again and looking correct.  Is there any hope to fix/restore this?

   

[Selur]

If you can share a small sample of the original, I can have a look at it tomorrow evening.
My first try would be to look at the separated fields, an think about whether filtering the separated fields before deinterlacing might help. Also, maybe using fields matching instead of deinterlacing is the better approach,..

Maybe the separated fields are already messed Up,...


Cu Selur

[Graven]

Thanks!  I tried VITVC as well since this is a DVD digitization of a telecined movie, and it gives overall slightly more appealing results, but it still has a lot of the same artifacts you seen in the screenshot.

Here is a 30-second clip of the VHS warning.

And here is a 2-minute clip of the movie opening credits which shows the same effects.

[Selur]

Looking at the 30sec sample:
Try Filtering->Vapoursynth->Frames->Stabilize->ReduceFlicker, it will at least stabilize the video.
Text will still be messed up, since the fields are already broken.

Looking at the 2min sample, I would also Crop and add Filtering->Vapoursynth->Frames->Stabilize->Stab and probably Filtering->Vapoursynth->Artifacts->SpotLess.

Cu Selur

[Graven]

Thanks, I'll give this a try and report back.  Also, just to make it interesting, I believe the movie (not the VHS warning, of course) was a PAL telecine (not sped up) on VHS, then converted to NTSC DVD.

[Selur]

Haven't really looked at frame pattern ( no horizontal movement, so hard to spot )
But reading https://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=176104 might be interesting.
Norm conversions are always a pain, you can try using sRestore to get to 25 fps or TIVTC in mode 7 and aim for 25fps,..

Cu Selur