Question on DIF4U

[quinn]

Why, in Auto mode, when doing a pure interlaced video (most extras on NTSC DVDs) do you do a Telecide() - why not just leave the video interlaced the way it originally was on the DVD?

[Eyes`Only]

Let me know how that works for you. If you're successful and it looks good, I'd like to know the exact steps you did.

[quinn]

Basically, I just modify your PureInterlaced and FieldDeinterlace scripts to be empty, and it works fine.

Of course, if you're going to play on a computer, you need something that does good real-time deinterlacing, but for a DVD player, everything works fine.

Another option (or 2) you might consider -
Two tricks I use on extras -
1st - convert them to 4:3 if they're 16:9,
second - I add
Crop(8,0,704,480)
LanczosResize(352,480)

to the footer for extras to resize them to reduce their bitrate.
It means I have to IFOEdit afterwards to fix up the sizes, but that's pretty simple.

A last trick I've used just recently when I really really ran out of space, was to resize the video down by 75% and encode:
i.e.
LanczosResize(264,360)
AddBorders(44,60,66,60)

This way, it's a legal 352x480, you still have the video, but you're encoding a lot more black, so it compresses better.

Having a simple checkbox and avs script mode for these sould be handy as well.

[Eyes`Only]

OMG! I've seen the results of those tricks and it looks like hell! I like to actually watch my extras so I won't be trying that again. I never resize my video, to me (and many others) it looks like sh**.

This has been requested once before and it was denied back then too, as my app is for keeping DVDr the best it can be, not shrinking resolutions and creating distortion (your end result is a small video zoomed to 2x, and digital zoom==distortion).

[hendrix]

@eyes - i tried transcoding an interlaced video by leaving the interlaced section in DIF4U blank. so the .avs file is basically same as a progressive source. and leave the progressive and top field unchecked in CCE and it looks fine to me - although i cant bring my waveform analyzer and the vector scope from work home to check - i figure if it looks fine then f*ck it. have you tried this method or do you know something i dont. :D

[Eyes`Only]

hendrix: you're using PAL right? I'm talking about difficulties with NTSC only. With PAL, keeping interlacing is fine and easy, I think.

[hendrix]

sorry about that..im a NTSC user

[Eyes`Only]

cool.. lemme know how it looks after you burn it then :)

[hendrix]

it looks the same - i use my hollywood+ card to preview all my stuff prior to burning. i also notice that i get a 80-90% speed increase when encoding interlaced material without decombing them to progressive. what is your take on that.

[quinn]

EyesOnly:

I like to watch my extras, too, but for a low bitrate, a 352x480 picture looks a lot better even on a big screen than using that same low bitrate for a 720x480 picture.

Granted, it's not DVD quality, but it can look almost as good as an SVCD, which isn't bad (at least to my eyes - I've watched a lot of SVCDs and CVDs before I switched over to DVD)....

As for the really small window'd versions - I use those on the trailers, just to keep the DVD basically the same, but I never watch those...

Not sure why you think interlaced video at 480 NTSC is going to look bad.... that's how it is on the original DVD and we watch that, right?