How to avoid PC deinterlacing when doing interlaced mpeg playback to TV?

[erik1958]

I can connect my TV to interlaced RBG out, interlaced S_VHS out or DVI (various formats including interlaced)
At the moment I use ffdshow for video decoding.
When I playback interlaced mpeg (PAL) I would like my TV to do the deinterlacing
Is there any way to NOT have the PC do the interlacing but to have a non scaled, non deinterlated, frame sync decoding to allow the TV to do the deinterlacing?

[jagabo]

Some graphics cards have a video overlay mode where the video playing in a player window is sent full screen to the TV via an s-video or composite (and probably RGB SCART) cable. ATI calls this Theater Mode. Matrox calls it DVD Max. Nvidia calls it Pure Video or something like that. Configure your graphics card for that. Turn off any deinterlacing in your media player. You may need to fiddle with the scaling options in the graphics card setup applet (enable overscan, set the field order, set the aspect ratio, etc.).

[RickA]

Greets,

Would like to hear from the local experts on this as well, wish to make sure I am doing this correctly too. All my dvd movie content is interlaced, my tv is interlaced and in creating my HTPC I would like to keep the content in it's interlaced form. I have nothing against the progressive format. Seems all the rage to convert everything to progressive these days - but I do notice a quality loss when converting to it. Also, my tv manual says it does not like the input from a progressive dvd player. So I figure the same would go for receiving progressive from being connected to the tv out of my pc vidcard.

My suggestions would be to seek a software video player that specifically lets you turn off it's de-interlacing engine. By doing so the video will not look as good on your computer monitor (if you have one hooked up to your pc along with a tv). Zoom Player does this and there are some others I cannot think of at the moment. A good deal of software players seem to convert to progressive for display on a pc monitor - which I can understand. With the secondary thought that there may be a tv out in which it converts the content back to interlaced losing image quality. Instead of just piping it straight through to the tv in it's native interlaced form.

On your video card software settings check to make sure it can output as interlaced. It may offer a refresh rate of 60Hz (I'm in NTSC land) or 50Hz as output. That does not necessarily mean it is doubling your frate rate turning a 29.97fps movie into 60fps or 25fps into 50fps. I use Dual View so the monitor and tv can have different resolutions, along with Auto Fullscreen video on. You did not say what your card is. If nVidia, look for the older pre 90.xx drivers. I've not had much luck with the newer ones and the vid card forums are full of complaints dating back a few years about the newer versions not doing tv out properly on 'non-secure' channels. Such as forcing 4:3 output or not completely allowing fullscreen output. Make sure your encoder or filters if you are using them are working in interlaced mode as well. Good luck and hope this helps.

Cheers,
Rick

[jagabo]

Matrox has always had the best s-video/composite output (I have an old Millennium G450 and a Parhelia Apve). Unfortunately, their cards are hard to get, have poor 3D performance, and are overly expensive.