Why am I having to de-interlace videos when converting them to DVD?

[manono]

HCGUI doesn't support AVI files as input. He'll have to create an AviSynth script to open the source. And since HCGUI doesn't handle audio he'll have to convert the audio separately. Then maybe mux them together (depending on what DVD authoring software he uses).

He could use AvsToDVD which accepts AVI input and then uses AviSynth scripts to frameserve into HCEnc (if he chooses to use that encoder, as he should). It'll handle the audio separately, author (Muxman), and also allow him to set up chapters. Since he doesn't know what he's doing, that's probably the easiest and best course for him. He can easily choose to have it encoded as interlaced.

The main problem is that it's interlaced but marked progressive in the header.

Yes, it's never a good idea to encoded interlaced content as progressive as the vast majority of the DVD players out there are flag-readers and won't deinterlace it. Really good players, such as the Oppos and Denons, are cadence-readers and will discover it's interlaced and deinterlace it anyway.

[transporterfan]

But after a little searching it sounds like ConvertXtoDVD doesn't support interlaced encoding. How can they charge $50 for such software with such a huge gaping hole?

Which is what I meant when I said it wont make much difference (quality wise) if the OP plans to use it for producing a DVD.
Neither the bitrate/quality, nor the folder size can be set with any great accuracy.
It is all an automatic process. It either comes out great, just OK, or it wont do the job at all.

I consider it a sort of legacy software. In the good old days when downloading was rife, there was very little software that could create and burn a multi-track disc with decent menus. ConvertXtoDVD filled the hole. Most of the files were AVI and progressive so it was a pirate's dream. It looks a bit long in the tooth and basic now, but it has a history and is simple and quick to use.

[halpme]

Ill check those out when im back on a machine....

....its a big question but ill just ask.......can anything different be done in vdub while capturing to eliminate these issues? What would you guys suggest doing after capture?

Obviously the goal is to get the dvd quality equivalent (or close) to the original tape if not better

The main problem is that it's interlaced but marked progressive in the header.
It has to be treated as interlaced by the mpeg encoder otherwise it will terrible as you saw.

You should be able to set up Hcenc in it's GUI to select interlaced encoding.

For future captures in vdub, can anything be done to prevent this?

[jagabo]

HCGUI doesn't support AVI files as input. He'll have to create an AviSynth script to open the source. And since HCGUI doesn't handle audio he'll have to convert the audio separately. Then maybe mux them together (depending on what DVD authoring software he uses).

He could use AvsToDVD

Yes, that's probably his best bet for free software. And it properly supports interlaced video.

[manono]

For future captures in vdub, can anything be dont to prevent this?

You don't 'prevent' it when capping to a lossless AVI. You set up your MPEG-2 encoder later to encode interlaced.

[halpme]

Your video already has trails behind moving objects from an over aggressive temporal denoiser. YUY2 AVI encoded to NTSC DVD compatible specs with with HcEnc...

Aaagh. Noise filter was set. An option i forgot to deselect. Thanks! No trails now....

[halpme]

UPDATE

So i grabbed AVStoDVD (awesome prog btw).....set the video as interlaced....and video seems a-ok.....

Now the ultimate question.......if the header says progressive.....but the vid is actually interlaced.....why does the "deinterlace" option fix the issue in ConvertXtoDVD? When deinterlace is checked, it produces the same quality results as AVStoDVD did

(All testing done with burned copies played on the tv)

[manono]

Now the ultimate question.......if the header says progressive.....but the vid is actually interlaced.....why does the "deinterlace" option fix the issue in ConvertXtoDVD?

Hardly 'the ultimate question', but deinterlacing it makes it progressive so it's then okay to encode as progressive.

When deinterlace is checked, it produces the same quality results as AVStoDVD did

No. Deinterlacing and encoding as progressive an interlaced 29.97fps source results in each frame being played twice on the TV. Keeping it interlaced results in every frame being different when played through the TV. That is, keeping it interlaced makes for smoother motion. This is most easily seen during a slow panning shot. The progressive one will pan noticeably more jerky than will the interlaced one. Not to mention the damage done by whatever deinterlacer ConvertX uses.

[jagabo]

if the header says progressive.....but the vid is actually interlaced.....why does the "deinterlace" option fix the issue in ConvertXtoDVD?

First of all, the AVI header doesn't say anything about whether the video is interlaced or progressive. The video in the AVI file simply is what it is. When you tell ConvertXtoDVD to deinterlace you're telling it to treat the video as if it's interlaced and deinterlace it.

[jagabo]

To see the temporal loss from deinterlacing watch the 24v30v60.avi video in this post:

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/307004-Best-framerate-conversion-%28eg-23-97-to-30-...=1#post1888926

That's a 60 fps Xvid AVI but the moving circles demonstrates what happens to motion with interlaced/deinterlaced video. Watch it full screen on your computer monitor. The bottom row of circles is what motion in an interlaced video looks like when played properly (60 fields per second), very smooth. The middle row is that it would look like after deinterlacing -- jerky and flickery.

[halpme]

I want to thank you all for taking the time to offer advice and help. AVStoDVD interlace option seems to have done the trick. I'm still confused as to why regular encoders (for PC play) arent properly decoding (interlace lines still showing, even after de-interlace is selected). Infact, handbrake is the only encoder ive come across thats properly de-interlacing it for PC play.