Trying to deinterlace properly

[Marc05]

I'm using MeGUI and I have a (cartoon) DVD that's interlaced. One episode is interlaced only in some parts and doesn't follow any kind of order. Another episode is completely interlaced with a pulldown of 3:2 (I think that's the proper term) where 3 frames are progressive and 2 frames are interlaced.

For the first one, I have the following:
Source type: Film
Field order: Top Field First
Deinterlace: Decomb IVTC

LoadPlugin("E:\Programs\MeGUI\tools\dgindex\DGDecode.dll")
DGDecode_mpeg2source("H:\sj\s1d1\e01.d2v", info=3)
LoadPlugin("E:\Programs\MeGUI\tools\avisynth_plugin\ColorMatrix.dll")
ColorMatrix(hints=true, interlaced=true, threads=0)
LoadPlugin("E:\Programs\MeGUI\tools\avisynth_plugin\Decomb.dll")
AssumeTFF().Telecide(guide=1).Decimate()

For the second one, I have:
Source type: Film
Field order: Top Field First
Deinterlace: TIVTC

LoadPlugin("E:\Programs\MeGUI\tools\dgindex\DGDecode.dll")
DGDecode_mpeg2source("H:\sj\s1d1\e03.d2v", info=3)
LoadPlugin("E:\Programs\MeGUI\tools\avisynth_plugin\ColorMatrix.dll")
ColorMatrix(hints=true, interlaced=true, threads=0)
LoadPlugin("E:\Programs\MeGUI\tools\avisynth_plugin\TIVTC.dll")
tfm(order=1).tdecimate(mode=1)

It's my understanding that a Film source is a (progressive?) 24p video encoded as interlaced NTSC DVD. And "Decomb IVTC" will only deinterlace the necessary parts, whereas TIVTC will deinterlace the whole 3:2 video. Any help as to what the right settings actually are and some info on them would be appreciated.

[manono]

It's my understanding that a Film source is a (progressive?) 24p video encoded as interlaced NTSC DVD.

Film sources can be encoded either as progressive or interlaced. Generally, the better quality DVDs encode them as progressive 23.976fps with pulldown.

Any help as to what the right settings actually are and some info on them would be appreciated.

I, for one, would prefer not to guess without an untouched sample or two to look at.

But you have a somewhat incorrect idea of what IVTC does. While one benefit is that the interlacing does disappear, the field matching and frame decimation an IVTC performs is completely different from what a strict deinterlacer does, and the results are way better. Never deinterlace if an IVTC is called for.

By the way, both Decomb and TIVTC do exactly the same thing - perform an IVTC.

[Marc05]

Thanks for the help. I've included a sample of the different sources.

If Decomb and TIVTC do exactly the same thing, then why is there a choice between them? Surely there must be something.

Unordered/partially interlaced:

http://www.mediafire.com/?htbd9u77hf77ynv

3:2 interlaced:

http://www.mediafire.com/?b6gx6jjpw89arwl

Mainly I want to know what settings to use to properly deinterlace the 3:2 source.

[manono]

If Decomb and TIVTC do exactly the same thing, then why is there a choice between them?

Probably because both are well known IVTCs developed by well known and respected AviSynth filter writers and the MeGUI developers didn't want to show any favoritism. That's just a guess as I've never used MeGUI for anything.

If using TIVTC, your second script will work well with both of them. Both samples were edited in video, as is common with anime, and therefore the cadence gets broken from time to time, causing the post-processor (the deinterlacer) to kick in. It's nothing serious.

Mainly I want to know what settings to use to properly deinterlace the 3:2 source.

There's no 3:2 pulldown in that second sample. The telecine has been encoded into the video and is commonly referred to as hard telecine. It was encoded as interlaced 29.97fps. Soft telecine is the term for something encoded as progressive 23.976fps with 3:2 pulldown applied. If it were really soft telecine, you could have made the D2V project file using the Force Film setting in DGIndex and had a progressive 23.976fps video with no need to use TIVTC or Decomb, or any deinterlacer.

You don't need the ColorMatrix filter unless you're planning on raising the resolution to Hi-Def.

And when one asks for an untouched sample from a DVD, he means either a VOB or M2V and not something repackaged as an MKV.

[jagabo]

If you demux the first clip to an m2v and check it with dgindex it shows only about 90 percent film. I don't know if the entire show is like that but it's safest to let the MPEG decoder perform the pulldown, then TFM().TDecimate().

[Marc05]

There's no 3:2 pulldown in that second sample. The telecine has been encoded into the video and is commonly referred to as hard telecine. It was encoded as interlaced 29.97fps. Soft telecine is the term for something encoded as progressive 23.976fps with 3:2 pulldown applied. If it were really soft telecine, you could have made the D2V project file using the Force Film setting in DGIndex and had a progressive 23.976fps video with no need to use TIVTC or Decomb, or any deinterlacer.

Things are a bit clearer now. Although I never meant to imply that it was soft telecine. I was only making it clear that the file had 2 interlaced frames every 3 frames. However, after further inspection, I did notice that it was not consistent.

You don't need the ColorMatrix filter unless you're planning on raising the resolution to Hi-Def.

I was following this: "Colour Correction: Automatically added with .d2v sources. Colour correction for DVDs and other MPEG2 files ensures the video has the right colours." Which seemed to be working fine.

And when one asks for an untouched sample from a DVD, he means either a VOB or M2V and not something repackaged as an MKV.

I thought that since MKV was only a container, it would keep everything the same.

From the new sample, MeGUI automatically detects the source as "Hybrid film/interlaced. Mostly film" and applies these settings:

LoadPlugin("E:\Programs\MeGUI\tools\dgindex\DGDecode.dll")
DGDecode_mpeg2source("H:\sj\s1d1\test\e03dgi.d2v")
LoadPlugin("E:\Programs\MeGUI\tools\avisynth_plugin\TIVTC.dll")
tfm(order=1).tdecimate(mode=1,hybrid=1)

I tried it out and it left some ghosting. Out of all three, the one you suggested turned out the best on the sample. I suppose I have my answer, but if you'd like to share some more info, please do.

http://www.mediafire.com/?127bt1y59fh4yic

[jagabo]

Also be aware that anime is often a mix of 24 fps and 15/30/60 fps sources, all hard telecined to 30i. If you IVTC back to 24 fps the 15/30 fps content will be jerky. If you encode at 30 fps the 24 fps sections will be jerky. With those you can encode 30i or go to 60p with a smart bob.

[poisondeathray]

Your samples aren't that mixed, but what some people do with lots of mixed hybrid content (low film % in dgindex) is encode VFR, so sections that run 15 will play at 15, 24 at 24, 30 at 30, etc... For a high film%, just adaptive IVTC is fine (what you're doing now)

I was following this: "Colour Correction: Automatically added with .d2v sources. Colour correction for DVDs and other MPEG2 files ensures the video has the right colours." Which seemed to be working fine.

This is wrong 99% of the time. It should be removed from megui. It's a remenant from back in the days when people thought studios transfered source material to DVD using ITU Rec.709 (they don't, they typically use Rec 601)