Stupid question re: 480i video and iMovie

[mrgreen4242]

When you import 480i video into iMovie is it deinterlaced automatically? If not, can iMovie deinterlace video? If so, what method is used?

Finally, I have a general question about interlacing. I "get" how interlacing works, but I'm woefully ignorant about deinterlacing "best practices".

So, supposing that you have a 720x480 interlaced video, which (in North America) would consist of 60 720x240 fields which are displayed as 30 720x480 frames per second.

Would the best result be to take each field and double it (either just live double it or with a 'smart' scaler that creates new pixels based on the surrounding data) to 720x480 and then display it as a 60 frames per second video? If so, is there a good way to do that on OSX (with reasonably priced/non-pro software)? If not, what's the best/right way to deinterlace video.

I'm asking all of this because my current budget requires I go with a n SD (480i) camcorder and I'd like to get the best quality out of it for playback on HDTVs and other progressive scan monitors.

Thanks, Rob

 

[huntercr]

When you import 480i video into iMovie is it deinterlaced automatically? If not, can iMovie deinterlace video? If so, what method is used?

Finally, I have a general question about interlacing. I "get" how interlacing works, but I'm woefully ignorant about deinterlacing "best practices".

So, supposing that you have a 720x480 interlaced video, which (in North America) would consist of 60 720x240 fields which are displayed as 30 720x480 frames per second.

Would the best result be to take each field and double it (either just live double it or with a 'smart' scaler that creates new pixels based on the surrounding data) to 720x480 and then display it as a 60 frames per second video? If so, is there a good way to do that on OSX (with reasonably priced/non-pro software)? If not, what's the best/right way to deinterlace video.

I'm asking all of this because my current budget requires I go with a n SD (480i) camcorder and I'd like to get the best quality out of it for playback on HDTVs and other progressive scan monitors.

Thanks, Rob

Your editing software ( like final cut or imovie ) will deinterlace for you, if you want. ( There are several different deinterlacing methods for example for final cut ) You don't do it yourself. I think you're expecting too little of the software package.

Also, not that if outputting for television is your output medium, there's nothing wrong with leaving it interlaced. Especially, as you say, if you are going to put it on a progressive display anyway. that's the purpose of a progressive display.. it will deinterlace the signal for you.