Converting 60 fps video to 30 fps interlaced

[deadmeow]

I want to convert some HD 60 fps music videos I have, to play in a DVD player, but want to make sure the 60 fps is converted to 30 fps interlaced (I don't want half the frames discarded). What would be the best free, (and best non-free) solutions?

[manono]

AviSynth:

#LanczosResize(720,480)#if it needs to be resized for DVD
SeparateFields()
SelectEvery(4,0,3)
Weave()

I believe the all-in-one program AvsToDVD will also do it correctly (keep the fluidity by interlacing it in a similar fashion). I'm sure some of the AvsToDVD users can tell you.

[davexnet]

HI All, I'm pretty sure A2D just decimates 2:1 to produce a progressive output.

Couuld always open the script in HCencGui directly and encode interlaced.

[mulvya]

ffmpeg, using the tinterlace filter.

Basic template is

ffmpeg -i input -vf tinterlace=interleave_bottom:low_pass_filter -target ntsc-dvd out.mpg

[poisondeathray]

Assuming the HD video is correct in terms of colors (rec709), you also need to change the colors with colormatrix to SD (rec601) . I don't know if avs2dvd automatically does that manipulation. Avisynth has Colormatrix(mode="rec.709->rec.601", clamp=0), or ffmpeg has -vf colormatrix=bt709:bt601

[pandy]

Comment to lowpassfilter on ffmpeg - this is crude lowpass filter, avoid it, instead this filter put some time and perform decent antialiasing processing.

[tyee]

Just posted a few minutes ago another thread about convertxtodvd making a progressive 29.97fps video which I thought was not allowed on DVD, however I just found this thread so I ran the above command line on my 59.94fps progressive source and I got the same "progressive" designation from mediainfo. I think convertxtodvd uses ffmpeg so it makes sense I got the same thing, but is it legal on a disc?

I can't figure out how to create a 29.97fps progressive file from a 59.94fps progressive source without dropping frames causing jitter? This command line is doing it but how would I do it manually? I used HCenc to create a 29.97fps interlaced DVD earlier via avisynth using manono's script above but it has more visible interlacing artifacts than the output from this ffmpeg command line.

[manono]

I can't figure out how to create a 29.97fps progressive file from a 59.94fps progressive source without dropping frames causing jitter?

You can't, of course, not unless you want to blend frames together (I wouldn't) by using ConvertFPS(29.97).

You can remove every other frame using SelectEven(). You could try it out to see how you like it.

I used HCenc to create a 29.97fps interlaced DVD earlier via avisynth using manono's script above but it has more visible interlacing artifacts than the output from this ffmpeg command line.

It shouldn't have any visible interlacing if done properly and played in a player or through a television that deinterlaces. You didn't encode it as progressive, did you? A sample of before and after might be helpful.

[tyee]

I should have mentioned I saw the artifacts on my PC when I had de-interlacing turned off, so I saw even less artifacts with ffmpeg but maybe it is being filtered too much like Pandy said above. He didn't specify the other filter he mentioned either.

Here is a link to the convertxtodvd output, the same as ffmpeg command line gives above. See if you can verify that it actually is 29.97fps progressive!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/bn21oj27byk021w/VTS_01_1.ZIP?dl=1

[manono]

I should have mentioned I saw the artifacts on my PC when I had de-interlacing turned off...

You know how that sounds, don't you? You're complaining about seeing interlacing when you played interlaced DVD video without a deinterlacer turned on? Have you played it on your television yet?

Yes, your sample has progressive content encoded as progressive.

By the way, if you want to encode your 59.94fps source as progressive 29.97fps, you could do a SelectEven (or FPSDivisor=2 in QTGMC) and then run it through QTGMC with its motion blur turned on. It should give you a much more smoothly playing result. The more movement the more blurring, which should lessen greatly any jerkiness caused by the less fluid movement caused by removing every other frame. From the QTGMC doc:

Single-rate output may look a little stuttery, depending on how the source was filmed/created. Adding motion blur to each frame can help with this, smoothing the feel of the slower rate playback. This is done by setting ShutterBlur to 1,2 or 3, then specifying the shutter angle that you wish the output to simulate.