deinterlacing source mpeg2 when transcoding it to dv

[codemaster]

I'm trying to transcode the video from a dvd camcorder disc, to dv, so that I can edit it in Premiere Pro.

I'm using Xvid4PSP to transcode to dv, an I noticed that Xvid4PSP crops and deinterlace the source, by default, before encoding the frames to dv. I turned off the crop, but I don't know if I should turn off deinterlacing too. I know that my source is interlaced TFF and dv is BFF, but does the source TFF needs deinterlacing before it can be encoded to dv BFF ?

[jagabo]

DV is natively interlaced. You can convert TFF to BFF by shifting the frame up by one scan line. Or you can separate the fields, throw away the first field, and recombine fields.

TFF frames: T+B T+B T+B T+B
separated: T B T B T B T B
discard first fied: B T B T B T B
recombine as BFF: B+T B+T B+T

[codemaster]

I noticed that Xvid4PSP uses Yadif to deinterlace the source, even if I disable deinterlacing. Shifting the lines is better than deinterlacing ? How do I shift the lines per each frame ? Do I have to search for avisynth syntax, or there is an alternative program to xvid4psp that is able to convert properly from mpeg2 to dv ?

Or can you recommend a guide that teaches how to properly transcode mpeg2 to dv ?

[jagabo]

I don't really use Xvid4psp so I can't give you exact instructions. But I see that it has a "transform field order" filter. Try that.

Interlaced PAL video has 50 different pictures per second. If you deinterlace you will reduce that to 25 pictures per second. That will give you jerky, flickery video.

[poisondeathray]

settings => auto deinterlace => off

or

avisynth => edit filtering script => remove whatever deinterlace filter was there

Change field order
http://avisynth.org/mediawiki/Interlaced_fieldbased#Changing_the_order_of_the_fields_of_a_clip

[codemaster]

settings => auto deinterlace => off

or

avisynth => edit filtering script => remove whatever deinterlace filter was there

Change field order
http://avisynth.org/mediawiki/Interlaced_fieldbased#Changing_the_order_of_the_fields_of_a_clip

"settings => auto deinterlace => disabled" doesn't work, it still uses yadif, but only if I uncheck "settings => global settings => Always encode to progressive video", then it doesn't deinterlace.

Now that it doesn't deinterlace when I transcode from mpeg2 to dv, it calls some new AviSynth functions, like SeparateFields() and Weave(). Are these two function the proper way to convert mpeg2 to dv ?

Also, it uses a function called "ConvertToYV12()" with parameter "interlaced" set to the value "true", is this conversion necessary ? It's because without it, some filters wouldn't work ?

[jagabo]

PAL DV is interlaced YV12. SeparateFields().Trim(1,0).Weave() is the second method to change TFF to BFF I mentioned earlier.

[codemaster]

I added the SwapFields() function to avisynth, but the dv video has some horizontal lines, and I don't think it's because mpc-hc is not deinterlacing it to 50 fps

[codemaster]

But if I don't convert from tff to bff in avisynth, then, ffmpeg receives the first field as tff, but it outputs dv with bff. Is ffmpeg discarding the first field, or first frame, or is it really necessary to change field order in avisynth, if ffmpeg outputs bff dv ?

[jagabo]

SwapFields() is for captures from devices that store the scan lines in the wrong order. It's not the function you want to use. It's not for swapping field order. If swaps the positions of the fields, which has the side effect of swapping the playback order but leaves the fields in the wrong place -- what you saw.

If the field order isn't explicitly changed the encoder will encode TFF frames and flag them as BFF. On playback the fields will be displayed in the wrong order. You will get very fast jerky motions.

How are you seeing the AviSynth script the program is using?

[poisondeathray]

Why don't you just edit the original video in PP ? You can interpret the field order in PP as well. No quality loss, no time wasted, no extra HDD space required

If they are "VOB" wrapped files, you can use vob2mpeg and premiere will accept (unless very old version of premiere)

How are you seeing the AviSynth script the program is using?

In xvid4psp (at least in version 5), you can use avisynth=> edit filtering script, and it will show the script used

[jagabo]

How are you seeing the AviSynth script the program is using?

In xvid4psp (at least in version 5), you can use avisynth=> edit filtering script, and it will show the script used

I have version 6.0.4 portable now. I don't see such an option anywhere. It's a very annoying version, by the way! Don't update if you don't have to.

[poisondeathray]

Yes I tell everyone the same thing! I have 5.0.37 (the last official version) on one of my test computers, and it's the most stable and actually works

They come out with new 6.x versions just about every week and they all suck, very buggy, crashes, missing features

I don't really use xvid4psp, but the downside would be no way to update the x264 executable, as some of the switches and command line arguments have changed

[codemaster]

VOB2MPEG and XviD4PSP both have problems with audio delay, with these stupid camcorder dvd's. VideoReDo can't cut the clips even after QuickStreamFix. Even Premiere Elements 8, that is supposed to have native support for dvd camcorders, has audio delay problems with these camcorder dvd's.

Sony Vegas is the only software I know of, that is able to import all clips from these camcorder dvd's, superfast, without any audio delay, without any transcoding, it just finds all the individual clips that the stupid camera fused together in dvd chapters within the same dvd title, and stores them on the hdd in mpeg container. So, problem solved, I'll use Vegas 7, wich has native support for camcorder dvd's.

From now on, in the age of native support of tapeless, file-based acquisition, I'll refuse to transcode camera footage, into another format, just because that format is natively supported by some NLE. That's even more stupid than dvd camcorders. Another benefit is that, this way, I also avoid another generation.

[Cornucopia]

Vegas 7? Dude, it's time to upgrade/update...

Scott