Workflow advice - framerates & interlacing
 

Hi everyone,

I'm just about there with having created a good workflow, but have stumbled at the last block with exporting and hoped you might be able to help please?

*Shooting*
XHA1s at 50i HDV

*Captured and edited*
Premiere CS5 | HDV 1080i editing mode | 25 frames/second timebase | fields: upper field first

*Exported*
Format: MPEG2
Output: PAL, 1440x1080, 25fps, Quality 5, Upper

The problem I'm having is that when I export my video and play it back, I have some interlacing issues where I applied some minor zoom special effects in Premiere.

I have had a read around the forums but am a bit stumped with regards to interlacing. I did not at any point changed any interlacing settings in my workflow, but did see a suggestion to select 'Always Deinterlace' so tried this on one of the problematic clips but it didn't help.

Any ideas how I tackle this flickering/interlacing issue from here?

Thanks in advance all and almost there now :)

UPDATE: I've since burnt the video to DVD via Encore and the wavy horizontal lines are reduced, but there are lots of horizontal flickers throughout. Plus, the DVD quality is far lower than viewing an MPEG2 burnt straight to my PC. Help!

Re: Workflow advice - framerates & interlacing
 

Hi James:

When I first got my XHA1, I shot 60i exclusively. But then, I started using 30F and havent looked back since. If you have not shot 30F, I would highly suggest experimenting with it. I think its a great look and you wont have the interlacing problems. I would still go with 60i if filming sporting events or something with really fast action. But 30f is my new standard.

Re: Workflow advice - framerates & interlacing
 

Hi James,

There are many good workflows around the internet and this forum describing how to get the best quality when going from:

HDV interlaced ---> DVD

But the basic crutch of all these workflows is *deinterlacing*. I know you've written that you've tried this but haven't gotten the right results yet.. but this is it, you have to find the right workflow. If you search, you'll find numerous workflows around, many people have already faced this problem.

So you absolutely need to deinterlace if you want to get good DVD quality. In the past, when we had the old 480i tube Tvs, you could make an interlaced DVD, and the interlace artifacts would not be visible at all on these sets.

However, nowadays everyone has at least a 42" widescreen LCD or plasma right? Well these interlace artifacts become very visible on such sets...

So there are many workflows out there describing how to get the best quality when deinterlacing, you'll have to find the one that works for you....

Of course the other option would be to film progressive in the first place, as the other post has suggested -- if that is possible for your situation.

Note: Something confusing about your post:

"*Exported*
Format: MPEG2
Output: PAL, 1440x1080, 25fps, Quality 5, Upper"

That would not be a DVD, that resoultion would be for a HD blu-ray disc.

Re: Workflow advice - framerates & interlacing
 

Your minor zoom flickering issues happen because the footage isn't being interpolated/interpreted properly.

Your editor is basically zooming in on magnified interlaced lines. The proper way to do it is that one field shows only the close-up of one line and the other field shows the close-up of the other line.

Try playing with your settings, including interpreting your footage.