Progressive AVI -> Interlaced MPEG2 Conversion

[zilog_jones]

I've been trying desparately to succeed in converting a 50fps progressive AVI (mde with Flash) into a 50fps interlaced MPEG2 to play on a TV from a SVCD, but have yet to actually get anywhere!

I've tried doing it with TMPGEnc, but it doesn't seem to like MPEG2 any higher than 30fps. If I try encoding it as 25fps MPEG2, it just drops every other frame - even when a select "interlaced" encoding.

I tried bbMPEG too, and that also won't let me do any MPEG2 higher than 25/30fps, but when I try encoding it with that to MPEG2 it just halves the speed - with hideous consequences.

What am I doing wrong? There must be SOME way of encoding interlaced video! I've seen 50/60fps interlaced DVDs, so it can't be impossible.

Surely there are people here who aren't just converting film footage?

[zilog_jones]

Do I have to make the AVI file interlaced first or something? How would I do that anyway?

This is really confusing/annoying the hell out me - EVERY guide, FAQ, or whatever I've seen just assumes everyone's converting film!

[SLK001]

I've seen 50/60fps interlaced DVDs, so it can't be impossible.

Oh, really? Where did you see that? 50/60fps is way outside the DVD spec, which is why nothing is doing what you want. I also doubt that your TV can even view 50/60fps material (mine certainly cannot).

Your best bet would be to decimate every other frame. The resulting 25fps video would play on your TV with no problems (I'm assuming that you are PAL). If you are not satisfied with this, then I guess that you will have to be satisfied with viewing only on your computer.

[zilog_jones]

What are you talking about? Anything recorded on a video camera (i.e. not taken from film) is 50 or 60 *FIELDS* per second (i.e. 50/60Hz interlaced), and it is CERTAINLY NOT out of DVD spec - I've seen TV series originally recorded in 50Hz interlaced video on DVD, still in 50Hz interlaced video! And what about DVB? That uses MPEG2, doesn't it? How do they broadcast interlaced video footage on that, then? Magic?

I didn't mean 50/60 *frames* per second for the MPEG2 - sorry for any confusion - maybe I should have said 25/30fps interlaced. It's just I can't make interlaced video with Flash, so I made it in 50 frames per second. But trouble is I can't seem to make interlaced video with anything else...

I know I can decimate the frames, but that's not what I want to do! I want to find out if it's possible to make actual 50Hz interlaced video, not 25fps progressive film-like video. Interlaced video just looks so much smoother with CG animation compared to 25fps video!