Interlace Problem

[Bobby]

Hi guys. Got a problem, need help please. I want to create a standard DVD from my hi-def HV-30 video. I know I have done this before, so something new or changed has occurred. Unfortunately I haven't been active for about a year and my chops aren't what they used to be!

Workflow:
1) capture from HV-30 via HDVSplit
2) create PRE10 project using AVCHD HD 1030i 30 preset
3) get media to PRE10
4) edit project, output to AVI via Share using the DV NTSC Widescreen preset
5) bring AVIs into DVDAS 4.5 and write DVD from there

The problem is that I am seeing horizontal ghosting issues when playing the DVD, which certainly look like an interlace issue to me. To track the problem, I looked first at the input .m2t files and they of course look fine. I then looked carefully at the AVIs on my PC and sure enough the problem is there, so the problem is introduced in the PRE10 share process.

I looked at the PRE10 Export Settings for the DV NTCS Widescreen preset, and interestingly enough it shows the Source as Upper and the Output as Lower. That sounds bad. But there is no way to change it.

Any ideas? Better workflow? Thanks...

[Dave McElderry]

Bobby, I think you want to use the MPEG option (instead of AVI) to send to DVDAS.

[Peru]

I don't use Pre EL any longer, but P PRo.

My export setting for HDV to MPEG-DVD interlacing option is "Automatic (based on source)."

[Peru]

Bobby, I think you want to use the MPEG option (instead of AVI) to send to DVDAS.

I think Bobby did a bunch of testing a while back and didn't find much difference between importing AVIs or Mpegs to DVDAS.

[Dave McElderry]

Bobby, I think you want to use the MPEG option (instead of AVI) to send to DVDAS.

I think Bobby did a bunch of testing a while back and didn't find much difference between importing AVIs or Mpegs to DVDAS.

When I first started using DVDAS I remember trying to use AVIs and the results were not good, although I don't remember if it specifically had to do with interlacing issues. Steve put me straight on using the MPEG output. It solved my problems and that's all I've used since. I thought perhaps this was what was causing Bobby's problem.

[Bobby]

Thanks guys, I will try MPEG. As I recall my main reason was to get away from I-frame issues when setting markers in DVDAS.

[Bobby]

No joy yet. The MPEG still had the (perhaps) interlace problem. I then tried outputting to a HD .m2t file and of course it was perfect.

Next step: try an external convert program to convert the .m2t to .avi and see what happens.

[Bobby]

OK, some joy! I took the .m2t and fed it to two different converter programs. The results from both were excellent, no interlace problems at all. So now at least I have a way of finishing the project.

But why is PRE10 failing so? Is it a settings or preset issue?

But both converters I downloaded were trial and not free. Anybody know a good free converter I can download? Thanks...

[John 'twosheds' McDonald]

Hi Bobby. I use this one but, whilst not expensive, it isn't free. You can try it before buying.

http://www.deskshare.com/audio-video-converter.aspx

[Bobby]

Thanks John, I will check that out.

But the original problem and question remains: why is PRE10 generating the interlace problem? I am experimenting this morning with different file types and presets to see if I can a) find one that works for this project and b) try to determine what the failing settings are.

In thinking back, I bought PRE10, but in the year or so I haven't done any DVDs or SD projects. I am quite sure the workflow worked fine on previous versions.

[Steve Grisetti]

Just to confirm, you're seeing these interlacing issues on a TV, when you play the disc on a DVD player, right? You're not judging the interlacing while viewing the disc on your computer, right?

[Bobby]

Edit: Corrected info on AVI

OK, problem solved!

It was definitely a field order problem. The MPEG preset allows you to change Field Order, but in the AVI is grayed out. Not sure why. Changing the order made all the difference, as you might expect.

I am not sure why taking all the defaults yielded the mismatch between Source and Output, but all I had to do was create my own Preset with the proper order and everything seems to be fine.

Thanks for all the help!

[Dave McElderry]

Glad you got it solved, and especially without having to do more conversions. The less conversion the better.

[Bobby]

Just to confirm, you're seeing these interlacing issues on a TV, when you play the disc on a DVD player, right? You're not judging the interlacing while viewing the disc on your computer, right?

Sorry Steve, I missed your post. Yes, I was seeing it on the TV, not on the PC. That is what made it so frustrating - I thought I was almost through with the project and just doing the final DVDAS stuff. When I cut the first trial DVD and played it on the TV my heart sank.

As above, the two question seem to be: Why would just taking defaults produce the field order mismatch, and why was that option to select the field order grayed out for AVI but not MPEG.

Inquiring minds...

Edit: Steve, my comments above are misleading. I did see the interlace problem when viewing the individual AVI files on the PC, but I didn't check them until after I burned the test DVD and saw what was happening. The MPEG files also had the problem, until I change the order.

[Bob]

Looks like I'm late to the party. I'm glad you got it resolved, but this is rather odd. The export preset you described first with Source as Upper and Output as Lower should have been correct. Standard interlaced HDV, AVCHD, MPEG-2 all have Upper Field first while DV-AVI has Lower Field first order. It sounds like either PrE10 is misinterpreting the field order of the captured files or HDVSplit is doing something funky. Just to narrow this down, could you look at the captured files with GSpot or MediaInfo and see what the field order and codec are? Also, in the PrE10 project Edit>Project Settings and see if the field order is Upper Field First.