Exporting PAL DV from Premiere.

[Koppel]

Trying to make a video for use on PC only.
Wondering if I did everything the way I should have:

* captured video from miniDV tape to PC using winDV.
* imported the avi file to Premiere using the preset "DV-PAL > Standard 48kHz" setting
* edited the video in Premiere and exported using "File > Export > Movie"
checked the Settings, Video tab
Compressor: DV (PAL)
Aspect Ratio: D1/DV PAL (1,067)
No Recompress (ticked this off)

Keyframe and rendering tab
Rendering Options: No Fields (Progressive Scan) --- I can change it but it'll change back if I check other options. I'm not confident that it has to be progressive.

* import the file Premiere created into VirtualDUB, add deinterlace , resize and crop filter and compress using 2pass Xvid.
(Saved the WAV audio, set audio to none in vDUB and compressed it using Lame MP3)

* Add the MP3 audio to the 2nd pass Xvid in vDUB MOD and save using "direct stream copy" gives me the final *.avi file.


The deinterlace method was "blend fields together (best)" but the final video looks a bit blurry. With moving things there is no frame that is sharp.
http://www.priits.com/Koppel/example.jpg
I know the source isn't progressive but is that really the best I can have? Seems to me that there is something fishy with the deinterlacing.

[neuron2]

Try using my SmartDeinterlacer instead of the internal one. Also, the tag "best" on a blend deinterlacer is pretty funny, but when Avery originally wrote that, things were way different.

http://neuron2.net/smart/smart.html

[Koppel]

That made a whole lot of difference, thanks a lot!

What settings to you suggest?
The defaults are:
"Frame-only differencing" and "blend"

Linear interpolate, cubic interpolate and edge-directed interpolate all worked fine for me. The blend mode looked like the built-in deinterlacer.

One question remains. Once I have my video from the miniDV tape to the PC - the video is progressive, it only lookes like its interlaced, right?
So there is no difference between a video that is straight from the miniDV tape and the one that is exported from Premiere using "no fields (progressive scan) as the settings?

[neuron2]

What settings to you suggest? I suggest using the ones that you find most satisfying. :)

One question remains. Once I have my video from the miniDV tape to the PC - the video is progressive, it only looks like its interlaced, right? Let's assume that the video is interlaced on the miniDV tape, as it is likely to be if you've shot it with a camcorder (and didn't use any progressive mode on the camera). After you transfer the file to your PC it is still interlaced. Otherwise, why would you want to use a deinterlacer? :)

So there is no difference between a video that is straight from the miniDV tape and the one that is exported from Premiere using "no fields (progressive scan) as the settings? Sorry, I don't know about Premiere. What codec are you using for output?

[Koppel]

Let's assume that the video is interlaced on the miniDV tape, as it is likely to be if you've shot it with a camcorder (and didn't use any progressive mode on the camera). After you transfer the file to your PC it is still interlaced. Otherwise, why would you want to use a deinterlacer? :)
It lookes like its interlaced but is there any difference how the PC handles the AVI file according to how its exported. Like reads it line by line instead of frame by frame?
Sorry, I don't know about Premiere. What codec are you using for output?
* edited the video in Premiere and exported using "File > Export > Movie"
checked the Settings, Video tab
Compressor: DV (PAL)
Aspect Ratio: D1/DV PAL (1,067)
No Recompress (ticked this off)

Keyframe and rendering tab
Rendering Options: No Fields (Progressive Scan) --- I can change it but it'll change back if I check other options. I'm not confident that it has to be progressive.

[Mug Funky]

the "no fields" option depends on whether you're exporting to DV.

DV to DV in premiere is lossless (fades and effects will not be though) if your project is a DV project (not a video-for-windows one!).

however, i don't recommend letting premiere export without fields - it might blend the chroma fields together, meaning that after you deinterlace later, you'll have blended chroma but interpolated luma, giving you weird colourful ghosts around moving objects.

btw, you'll be throwing out half the motion info if you do a straight deinterlace. if you're playing back on a PC (or PCs) that are fairly fast, you could do a full-rate deinterlace (ie "bob"), and preserve all the motion. for racing type footage, this is definitely desirable.

either that or you could keep it interlaced and bob on playback - this'll be faster, but requires the machine to be setup properly.

[Koppel]

I have a DV project in Premiere

What is a full-rate deinterlace (bob) and how do I do it using VirtualDUB? The final video will be compressed into xvid.

I'm showing/sending the video to the racing participants, their machines are most likely not set up properly.
Fairly fast PC means like faster than a 1,0GHz P4 or 2,0GHz P4?

edit: currently reading 100fps.com, hopefully I can get some answers there