Interlacing question

[steveb52]

Hi, I'm definitely a newbie to this forum, but I have some knowledge about video, maybe some out of date. Not sure where this question should go. Anyway,

I've been transferring things off my DVR for many years, using an old Sony software that saves as MPG2. I then use a converter (lately, WinX Video Converter Deluxe) on my system to convert to MP4, 720x480, which not be the best but that's about as far as my knowledge goes.

But I still don't get interlacing and don't know what i should do. (If I've been doing it wrong, I have an awful lot of wasted video). I don't really see any comb effect, at least not that I can identify. The converter has a button for Deinterlacing but I've never used it.

Is there something I should be doing to improve my videos?

Thanks,
Steve

[manono]

Is the Sony reencoding them? If so, then just drag-and-drop the MPEG-2 (is that what they are?) files to your hard drive. You want them on the hard drive in exactly the same quality as on the DVR. Also, post an untouched sample - 10 seconds or so with steady movement - so we can have a look. If MPEG-2, open it in DGIndex and scroll to an appropriate place. Use the [ and ] buttons to isolate a short section. Then Save Project and Demux Video. Make the M2V file available and you can toss the rest.

[steveb52]

This is coming to the edge of my knowledge, but, yes, I assume the Sony software is reencoding. (This is an old system.) The only way i could see to transfer a given video off the DVR to the Sony is through RCA connections, then playing the video on the DVR. The Sony software then copies it onto its hard drive (for a given time period). The "high quality" choice it gives (and the one I use) is MPEG-2.

I'll work on putting together a sample like you described.

Thanks!

[johnmeyer]

All modern LCD TVs deinterlace (they have to, since lots of OTA TV is still interlaced). Therefore you do NOT need to deinterlace unless you plan to re-size the video. My recommendation is KISS, which means keeping it simple. What you have been doing is probably just fine, although if you can post something, it will be easier to know for sure.