Capturing VHS interlace deinterlace ahh!!

[zl1corvette]

Ok, here it goes
I've capture with a bt848 for a long time at 352x240 (vcd)
I never had any of this comb that I have now when I capture 720x480 or 640x480. I have been reading tons on this subject and can't figure it out myself. If the video looks all combed during fast moving scenes on the computer will it look like that on TV? I am burning to DVD or VCD. As I understand it I am capturing interlaced off the VHS, so should I de-interlace it or not? I know this is widely debated so let me hear your opinions. I capture with VirtualDub and encode with TMPGenc. What ever I need to do could you give me step by step instructions, because all the guides I have read about de-interlacing suck. I managed to try deinterlacing some of my video and it looked good on the computer (actually it bobs, anybody know how to fix that?), but I really only care what it looks like on the TV. I don't have any fancy new progressive tv's so what should I do?

[redwudz]

If your source is interlaced as VHS usually is, keep it that way. Deinterlace is for computer monitors; Interlace is for TV's. Some software players will properly display interlaced video on your computer. I believe PowerDVD does.

[Coluph]

If the video looks all combed during fast moving scenes on the computer will it look like that on TV?

It shouldn't, like the previous response...a TV is interlaced, but a computer monitor is progressive. It really depends on what you want to be watching the finished product on.

I am burning to DVD or VCD. As I understand it I am capturing interlaced off the VHS, so should I de-interlace it or not?

If you are wanting to make DVD's to watch on a televison...leave it interlaced if you are capturing from a VCR, or you will get jerky motion when you play it back on your TV. (really noticeable with cartoons)

VCD's by nature are not interlaced as a finished product, as they are very low resolution. 240 lines vs 480 lines of a dvd, so regardless if you de-interlace or not...it will be deinterlaced anyway as it drops half of the information.

Personally I avoid VCD's for this reason...for the price of DVD's now, just stick with those as the resolution is much better, and you can fit more on a disk.

Also take a look at some of the guides on this website and on www.lordsmurf.com This should give you a better understanding on the how's and why's of what is happening with the signal on the two formats.

[WuphonsReach]

Capture at 352x480, inter-laced, leave it interlaced and output it to DVD in 1/2 D1 resolution (352x480). It's enough res for VHS and you can get away with bitrates of 4000-6000kbps.