Convert to 25P or 50P using interlaced footage

[Sir_Loin]

Hi guys

For those that convert interlaced video to a digital file on USB for a client, do you keep it interlaced or provide a progressive file?

And if progressive, do you keep the frame rate the same or double it for a smoother video?

I have been doubling the frame rate but it dawned on me that many smart TVs which people put USBs into, don't play PAL 50p as its not a standard. But im a hoarder and hate throwing things away especially half the quality.

Im interested to hear what others are doing.

Thanks

[Bernix]

according to wiki 50p is standartd. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frame_rate

[Sir_Loin]

Not at PAL definition which is 576. Even Youtube and Vimeo re-convert these frame rates at 576 back to 25.

[poisondeathray]

50p is "non standard" at SD; but 720p50 is standard - all "smart" TV's , BD, youtube supports it now (at 1080p50 or 720p50). Keep it interlaced SD or upscale it to 720p50

[hello_hello]

If you've been de-interlacing to 50fps wouldn't you have received complaints if people couldn't play the video?

My TV's nearly 5yo and it's media player supports Level 4.1 and therefore 50fps up to at least 720p. I always de-interlace PAL as 50fps progressive.
Support for Level 4.2 seems to be becoming more common. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.264/MPEG-4_AVC#Levels

Of course you're not really de-interlacing unless you're de-interlacing with QTGMC.

[Skiller]

If a player supports playing 720p50 it almost certainly will also play 576p50.

[poisondeathray]

If a player supports playing 720p50 it almost certainly will also play 576p50.

I agree from a "decoding power" perspective. But because of "standards", some situations and devices might not support 576p50. While a TV should be able to play it from USB - a BD player which can play back 720p50 from optical disc usually cannot play 576p50 from that same disc , yet usually can on USB. So if his client burns the video onto disc, he's going to get some complaints. If his client uploads the video to youtube, you will get 50p at 720p; but uploading as 576p50, he will only get 480p25

[hello_hello]

Are we talking about burning 576p50 as a non compliant Bluray video disc or burning an MKV/MP4 to disc as a data file?
Because if a Bluray player will play 576p50 via USB but refuse to play the same video burned to disc as a data file, I'd be fairly surprised.

[pandy]

Use always 50p, for uploading on services like YT rescale to at least 1080p - there is no sense to dispute about limitations of YT - they exist and we need to adapt to YT.

[Sir_Loin]

Thanks for the comments. So is deinterlacing and doubling the frame rate the consensus?

I have many years experience in post production and know that scaling up video should not be done, however if the majority of people are watching one of my DVDs or USBs with SD footage on it, the TV is going to scale up the footage anyway. So should i then do the re-scale myself? This would just mean larger file sizes and USB flash drives

[pandy]

Thanks for the comments. So is deinterlacing and doubling the frame rate the consensus?

I have many years experience in post production and know that scaling up video should not be done, however if the majority of people are watching one of my DVDs or USBs with SD footage on it, the TV is going to scale up the footage anyway. So should i then do the re-scale myself? This would just mean larger file sizes and USB flash drives

All depends from context - lot of discussion in topic was related to limitations of some services such as youtube - upscaling is trick to cheat such limitations.
Side to this upscaling doesn't mean automatically bad quality and for interlace source converted to progressive it is unavoidable as anyway you have only field.