Progressive DVD Export from HDV

[Daniel Rudd]

Let's discuss the best way to get a great looking DVD from an HDV project.

In my particular setting I'm using:
Aspect HD - Premiere Pro - Source footage is from a Sony FX1 1080 x 1440 30i

I'm not using the simulated film look at this time, but I'd be interested in knowing how that would play in to this (in both 24 and 30), and I know Cineform has some special abilities for importing that stuff.

David, I look forward to hearing the best technique cineform has to offer at this point, and I'm hoping we can compare results (which may vary in different settings) with some alternative techniques (Joel if you like you can repost, otherwise I'll copy your steps for you)

Hope you all had a great holiday,
Daniel

[Dave Campbell]

Daniel, when you say progessive DVD, what does this mean? Guess I need to learn here. I now the DVD player can put out various formats, but, can a std DVD player read different formats? If so, what are the different types, and of is the outputting from either AME or Procoder do this?

So much to learn.

Dave

[Daniel Rudd]

I'm not an expert on this but...

MY DVD player has a progressive mode. You have to hook it up to a monitor that is capable of this with component cables.

It's supposed to look really nice. It's progressive as opposed to interlaced.

Anyone want to correct me?

[Dave Campbell]

But, the dvd players first had std 480i output. Then, they added progressive, 480p if you TV can handle. Then, some of them can upscale to 720p or 1080i.

But, for a standard DVD, my assumption is the bits are put on the platter the same way, which I assumed was always NTSC 29.97i?

So the output can be scaled. But, I assume the material on the DVD was always the same. (I am not talking HD.)

Dave

[Daniel Rudd]

My answer: 7
I refuse to defend my answer!

[Steven Gotz]

I can defend an answer of 42.

[Daniel Rudd]

Originally Posted by Steven Gotz

I can defend an answer of 42.

Alright, let's hear it.

[Steven Gotz]

http://www.factspider.com/th/the-ans...verything.html

[Daniel Rudd]

well then. I stand corrected. My new answer is 42 and I'm willing to defend it.

Now... about creating those DVDs
:)

[Steven Gotz]

Oh, THAT answer!

I believe it is in here somewhere:

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volum...e-10-2000.html

[Dave Campbell]

So good data.

[Steven Gotz]

Never mind...

[David Newman]

It seems in the end the original question has not been answered. Yes DVDs are inherently interlaced, but if the source is progressive (or made progressive) the progressive scan DVD player can reconstuct the progressive image, resulting in sharper more film-like picture (due to the reduced temporal motion, from 60i to 30p or 24p.)

In Premiere do Export Movie using "CineForm HD Export" to a 720x480 images with a 1.2 pixel aspect ratio (this will provide a 16x9 NTSC SD image.) In the rending settings select de-interlace (if you source is interlaced.) This is not normally a great de-interlacer, however as you are scaling from HD to SD, you have plently of vertical resolution so this option will work well. Another option is to shoot in CineFrame modes (then you don't need to deinterlace.) Now use this new AVI to encode for your DVD.

[Dave Campbell]

Cool David, another neat thing to try.

dave

[Bill Binder]

This makes me think of a few things.

For starters can't a DVD hold a 24p MPEG2 file? I'm pretty sure it can because you can put more 24p footage onto a DVD than you can 60i at the same bitrates. It's then up to your DVD player whether to send the true 24p footage to the TV or to insert 3:2 pulldown on-the-fly to send 60i to your TV.

That said, I've been wondering something about HD lately, but I'm not seeing a lot of discussion on this (but maybe I just haven't been looking). If you have a 1080i source, why not first de-interlace by DROPPING every other field (drop all lower fields for example)? Now, in an SD world, that wouldn't be a very smart way to delace, but when dropping down from HD to SD, this makes A LOT of sense to me instinctually.

I mean if you delace by dropping every other field (which your NLE may or may not be able to do, but there are plently of SD-based tools that are capable of deinterlacing like that, just not sure if they can handle HD footage), you'll drop down from 1080 vertical lines of resolution to 540 lines of resolution (which is still more than what an SD DVD can handle in terms of NTSC). That would get you a truly progressive frame with no artifacting. Then, just scale the whole frame back down to 720x480 with a 1.2 PAR to burn to DVD. That could potentially be done to arrive at 30p or 24p SD from HD source couldn't it? It's almost like having a progressive CCD on your cam isn't it?

Maybe I've missed something, but I've been wondering about this.