MPEG4 interlaced + overlay on TV == crap

[aleste81]

Hello,
I used to capture interlaced PAL VHS 720*576 and code to interlaced MPEG2, the result was perfect in overlay (full screen) on my interlaced PAL TV.

Since x264 has a --interlaced param, I tried it.
x264 --interlaced --pass 1 out.mkv in.avs
x264 --interlaced --pass 2 out.mkv in.avs

Here is a sample of the result :

http://alestecompile.ifrance.com/tmp/Hureaupile.mkv

The result is correct on the PC screen, but complete desynced crap on the PAL TV (graphic card TV-out overlay)

It seems the interlaced lines of the video don't get displayed on their correct place/time on the TV, thus ghost, shimmering, flickering effect...

How comes MPEG4 fails where MPEG2 shines ??
The decompressor I used are CoreAVC, FFDSHOW, Nero.Suite
.............[warez remioved]
They all just fail.

PS: I use Catalyst 8.6

[dukey]

its not being encoded as interlaced

[nm]

Sure it is, as MBAFF. I'd guess the field order is wrong, so you could try swapping the fields (http://avisynth.org/SwapFields) with AviSynth.

x264 also doesn't signal the field order to the decoder by default. Get an x264 build with the nal-hrd patch (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=1187056#post1187056) and encode with these parameters:
--nal-hrd --vbv-bufsize 14000 --vbv-maxrate 14000 --tff
If it still flickers when decoded with CoreAVC, try --bff instead of --tff. Note that the tff/bff parameter replaces --interlaced.

[squid_80]

Maybe not using warez copies of software would work better.

[aleste81]

OK guys I have spent some time to investigate whether this is a driver or codec (or both) related problem.

Here is the MPEG2 vid :
http://alestecompile.ifrance.com/mpeg4/TESTVID-mpeg2-interlaced.m2v
Here is the MPEG4 vid :
http://alestecompile.ifrance.com/mpeg4/TESTVID-mpeg4-interlaced-ttf-nal-hrd.mkv

On the PC screen you should see the thin interlaced lines,
and on the TV screen you shouldn't, but smooth video instead as the original.

On my setup the MPEG2 is smooth, and MPEG4 flickers.
I have upgraded to Catalyst 8.6, and now they both flicker !

The MPEG4 is produced with http://files.x264.nl/x264.987.modified.01.exe
and param --nal-hrd --vbv-bufsize 14000 --vbv-maxrate 14000 --tff

[Snowknight26]

8.9 has been out for a while..

[aleste81]

I just tryied 8.9, it doesn't recognize my TV !
I fall back to 6.2, the recommended driver for W2K (I use Server 2003).

The flickering that affected only MPEG4 now also affects MPEG2 !
What a nightmare...

It may be a driver related problem after all.
I am going to try on another PC.

[kemuri-_9]

I just tryied 8.9, it doesn't recognize my TV !
I fall back to 6.2, the recommended driver for W2K (I use Server 2003).

It may be a driver related problem after all.
I am going to try on another PC.

Server 2003 is based on the same core code as Windows XP. so trying an XP based driver may have better results.

[foxyshadis]

Maybe not using warez copies of software would work better.

Yes. Struck and closed for rule 6.