TMPGEnc: 720P -> Progressive or 3:2 Pulldown?

[akrako1]

I'm converting a 23.976fps 720p Divx file to mpeg-2 for DVD authoring. By default, TMPGEnc Plus 2.5 sets the 'encode mode' to "3:2 Pulldown when Playback". But since the original file is progressive, shouldn't I encode in 'non-interlace' mode, if I want to make a progressive DVD? My first encode I used the "3:2 Pulldown" method, but when I use TMPGEnc DVD Author 3, and flip through the frames, I see interlaced frames. For my second encode, I tried 'non-interlace' mode, and the outputted video looks great, I can see each frame is progressive, however TMPGEnc DVD Author is flagging it as needing re-encoding. So I'm guessing that the 23.976fps framerate isn't DVD compliant? So then I do need to use the "3:2 Pulldown" method when encoding??? Will this play back as true progressive on my dvd player and HDTV?

[jagabo]

In an NTSC video signal there is no such thing as a frame. It is always 59.94 fields per second. "3:2 pulldown when playback" encodes the video as 23.976 progressive frames per second and adds instructions that tell the DVD player how to produce those 59.94 fields per second for the TV. This is the way most NTSC movies DVDs are encoded. TMPGEnc Plus is doing exactly the right thing.

[DRP]

The weird thing is though that TMPGEnc also increases the bitrate by 25% above what you specify when you employ this method. So what you end up with is a 29.97fps video (well at least that's what every piece of software I have tells me it is) that won't fit on the disc you intended it for anymore because the bitrate is now too high.

[jagabo]

The weird thing is though that TMPGEnc also increases the bitrate by 25% above what you specify when you employ this method. So what you end up with is a 29.97fps video (well at least that's what every piece of software I have tells me it is) that won't fit on the disc you intended it for anymore because the bitrate is now too high.

As I wrote in your other thread about this, TMPGEnc is not good about hitting the requested bitrate when it is very low or very high. If you are talking about the same 1960 kbps encoding as the other thread, and single pass CBR encoding, the miss doesn't surprise me. Most programs will report 23.976 with 3:2 pulldown as 29.97 fps. Because, after pulldown, the average frame rate is 29.97.

[PuzZLeR]

Jagabo. I'm just curious here.

I have TMPGEnc Xpress and have used it for many Inverse 3:2 encoding jobs - the best MPEG-2 deinterlacer in my opinon.

The funny thing is that every other app is reading it as 29.97fps. Is the stream really 23.976fps, but somehow "passes off" as 29.97fps (for compatibility reasons)? If that's the case, then TMPGEnc is indeed really doing a fine job.

...wish I can find something that can pull this off with pulldown on x264 streams...

[jagabo]

I have TMPGEnc Xpress and have used it for many Inverse 3:2 encoding jobs - the best MPEG-2 deinterlacer in my opinon.

The funny thing is that every other app is reading it as 29.97fps. Is the stream really 23.976fps, but somehow "passes off" as 29.97fps (for compatibility reasons)?

I don't use TMPGEnc Express but I assume it does the 23.976 fps encoding with pulldown flags correctly, just like TMPGEnc Plus. Use GSpot to examine the output file. It will show you pics/s (23.976), frames/s (29.97), fields/s (59.94).

[PuzZLeR]

@Jagabo:

You are indeed correct. To point out, for the thread's case, using TMPGEnc Xpress:

3:2 pulldown plaback is exactly as Jagabo described in his last post.

Inverse 3:2 pulldown is actually, seemingly, a true 29.97fps encode in almost every way using a form of interpolation. This eases frame rate fluidly but may smooth quality in doing so.

There are also other options to play around with in the Source interface under Filters.