When or if to de-interlace?

[teddymines]

I think I understand that interlacing breaks a frame into 2 fields, even and odd, and then alternates them on a TV screen. The question I have is handling this interlace from capture, through editing, and then playback.

I am capturing analog hi-8, which I presume is interlaced, and capture as AVI 640x480, mjpeg. I want to edit through MediaStudio 6.5 and then push out to VHS tape.

The questions. Should I de-interlace or do any kind of vertical reduction? If so, should this happen during capture?

[fmctm1sw]

I would deinterlace if you are going to view it on a progressive (like your computer monitor) display. Otherwise, I'd leave it alone.

[teddymines]

Clarification:

If I want to edit and then output to VHS tape, then it makes no sense to de-interlace, right?

I capture hi-8 NTSC through virtualdub, 640x480 AVI, mjpeg=18, sharpen=15. That's interlaced, correct?

[Poplar]

Don't know why you have to output it back to VHS tape. You must have a very good reason. Tape - AVI - Tape again?

If you convert it to MPEG-2 stream, there is no need to de-interlace. I would imagine the same for tape, although I have never done it.

[wulf109]

Why not just go from your HI-8 player direct to VHS. If you use a VHS deck with flying erase heads you can edit on it and you'll have a first generation copy and flying erase heads will assure perfect edits.

[teddymines]

I want to edit the captured AVI file using MediaStudio 6.5. The reason I'm going back to VHS is because I'm sending the end product to relatives and friends who don't have DVD players or computers.

I'm pretty sure if I capture at 352x480, AVI, mjpeg=18 then MediaStudio can handle the 2 fields correctly. In other words, playing this interlaced capture on the PC would look crappy. But editing and then outputting to VHS would look ok.

Sound about right?