Will interlaced video become unplayable in the future?

[pshooper]

I am in the process of deciding how to archive SVHS and DV tapes, both of which are interlaced video sources. One question I have is whether the playback devices of the future will do interlaced video. For example, if I want to turn these old recordings into BluRay disks, will BluRay and my Pioneer 5020FD plasma display support playback of interlaced video?

My understanding is that de-interlacing will always lose some of the information that is in the recording, so it seems that keeping the interlaced video is worthwhile as long as there are playback devices that will display interlaced video. Thus, I need to understand how the future of video will effect archiving older interlaced video. How does interlaced video effect the decision of how to archive SVHS and DV for the future?

[jman98]

I am in the process of deciding how to archive SVHS and DV tapes, both of which are interlaced video sources. One question I have is whether the playback devices of the future will do interlaced video. For example, if I want to turn these old recordings into BluRay disks, will BluRay and my Pioneer 5020FD plasma display support playback of interlaced video?

The BluRay spec actually supports interlaced video at some resolutions and some BluRay discs are known to be 1080i It doesn't happen a lot, but it does happen. The recent Canadian release of the Beatles' film "A Hard Day's Night" is 1080i. If your TV has a progressive native resolution such as 1080p it will simply convert your video itself (if interlaced) using internal electronics to progressive. Or your playback device may the do the conversion to progressive if set up to do so. So there will be no problems in the future to play interlaced video.

Your 2nd paragraph contains some good questions, but I feel that others here are more qualified than me to answer them, so I will let them do so.

[edDV]

Interlace will be around for some decades. The ATSC, DVB and Blu-Ray standards support interlace and these will be legacy supported when the new broadcast standards emerge in another twenty years or so. TV will go fully progressive only when wireless IP finally forces the end of over the air broadcast television.

My understanding is that de-interlacing will always lose some of the information that is in the recording, so it seems that keeping the interlaced video is worthwhile as long as there are playback devices that will display interlaced video. Thus, I need to understand how the future of video will effect archiving older interlaced video. How does interlaced video effect the decision of how to archive SVHS and DV for the future?

Keep S-VHS, Hi8 and DV interlace for archive. Future encoders will be much more sophisticated than today. Even today, 120/240Hz HDTV sets do much better with 59.94 field per second source. They only like progressive at 23.976 or 59.94 frame per second rates.