Is Chroma Smoothing Worth It for 4:2:0 DV Footage?

[taigi]

I’m working with DV footage in 4:2:0 format and using AviSynth+ for processing. I’ve read that chroma smoothing can sometimes improve the overall quality of footage.

For those experienced with processing DV footage: Is chroma smoothing worth applying? Are there subtle improvements I might be missing (e.g., better gradients or smoother color transitions)? Would filters like SmoothUV or MergeChroma (paired with a blur) help without introducing softness?

Thanks in advance!

[jagabo]

Probably not. But look at the chroma channels your self using something like this in AviSynth:

StackHorizontal(UtoY(), VtoY())

Increase the saturation to see detail more clearly:

Tweak(sat=2.0)
StackHorizontal(UtoY(), VtoY())