Another question...

[cycletron]

Anyone know how to tell wether or not a video source is interlaced or non-interlaced. I understand the Basics of what interlaced and non-interlaced is but don't know how to tell wether or not my source video is interlaced or non-interlaced. This inforomation is needed so I can correctly encode my videos to mpeg w/ TMPGenc. PLEASE IF YOU KNOW SOMETHING POST! TIA!

[VidGuy]

Depends where it comes from - if you rip a DVD and use force film in DVD2AVI - it's non-interlaced.
If it's from a VHS tape, LaserDisc, DV camera, it's almost surely interlaced.
If it's something somebody posted, and you don't know,
visually, if you play interlaced video back on a PC - you get horizontal "stripes" whenever anything moves - if you see those, it's definitely interlaced.

But I could give you a better answer if you told me exactly what you were encoding (frame rate, Mpeg/AVI, etc.....)

[cycletron]

OK, This is my first DVD rip. I used SMART RIPPER for the VOB files and then used DVD2AVI for FRAMEserving. I then decided to used TMPGenc to convert the movie to VCD. I went to settings and noticed under advance that it had already selected my video as interlaced which is not typical of anything I had encoded w/ a DIVX. So this bothered me. I went to source range filter to look at some frames and I think the VIDEO is interlaced due to that fact that frames that have motion (and only these frames) have lines between the video. If the video is not a rapid moving frame it has a SOLID picture frame. I am confused because I thought that DVD's were always NON-interlaced! Any more clues about it?? Would love some more input. THANKS!

[VidGuy]

DVDs are almost always authored from a non-interlaced source, but they are usually converted from 24 fps to 30 fps by a process known as Telecine (basically adds extra frames to the movie). So, virtually all DVDs are interlaced. However, they can usually be coerced back to non-interlaced. With DVD2AVI - under the video menu, choose FORCE FILM. This will do the coercion.

Now, to make a VCD, you have a decision. You can either not do FORCE FILM, and have TMPGENC resize and possible do de-interlacing (I say possibly, because in theory, cutting the vertical size in half is a form of de-interlacing, so quite often you don't need to deinterlace). In this mode, you make a 30 fps VCD. If you do use FORCE FILM, then you have a 24 fps video, and you can make a 24 fps VCD that is NOT interlaced..... I don't know for sure if a 24 fps VCD is "legal", but I do know that most DVD players play them fine.....
Hope this helps.

[kinneera]

If it is NTSC, 29.97fps, and 480 vertical lines of resolution or higher, it is almost certain to be interlaced.

[vacman37]

This works, rip with smartripper or claddvd, rip the audio with dvd2avi, use TEMPGE to put it into a mpeg and then use nero to convert it into a vcd. I haven't had any problem's with interlace or noninterlace issues.

[cycletron]

Thanks for ALL THE REPLYS! Great stuff. I was aware of the interlacing of DVD's. I more or less need more understanding of video. I think I will have to pick up a book somewhere on it. I have made a DVD to VCD movie using smart ripper and avi 2 DVD w/ tmpgenc. The video was good but I noticed on it that there was a wierd flash effect when the MPEG played. It was not super noticeable but it does not look quite corect. It happens on moving frames on my pc and VCD player. I had started to convert terminator 2 DVD to MPEG and got the same result so I have gave up for the time being becuase I can not figure this problem out. If any of you have seen or experienced this light flashing effect in the video, Let me know and if you know of a correction. Thanks again. You guys are great!

[cycletron]

Just a correction to previous post, I meant to say, "I was not aware of DVD's being interlaced.".