[mythtv-users] New deinterlacer for perfect image quality when using an interlaced display, mode that matches the source

[Tom Dexter]

On Thu, Mar 26, 2009 at 8:26 AM, Paul Gardiner <lists at glidos.net> wrote:
> I've just created a patch that provides a deinterlacer for perfect image
> quality and motion smoothness when using an interlaced display mode that
> exactly matches the video source. See Ticket #6391. The deinterlacer comes
> up in the menus as "Interlaced x2". It is also known as field order.
>
>

I noticed something using this deinterlacer that I thought was an
issue with the deinterlacer itself.  Others may notice it so I figured
I'd point out what I discovered:

I noticed some flickering of translucent portions of the OSD (the
playback menu for example) while this deinterlacer was in use (unless
video is paused).  On 720p stations where it gets disabled this
doesn't occur at all.

However I discovered that this is strictly an artifact caused by the
stations that mix those progressive frames in the interlaced
content...and the more they do it, the more noticeable the OSD
flickering.  For example, on NBC shows that do this it's very
noticeable...on the CBS shows that mix them in it's less noticeable,
and on PBS which uses pure 1080i interlaced content it doesn't occur
at all.

Using Bob x2 I get similar results but much less so...the flickering
is there for those same shows but is barely perceptible, so I had
never noticed it.  For whatever reason it's much more pronounced with
the frame order deinterlacer.

I really wish these stations would cut the crap...honestly.  Just try
and figure out their thought process:  With shows that are actually
produced as non-HD 4:3, they were (apparently) afraid that switching
formats on the fly would cause problems with TVs etc, and chose
instead to broadcast them as 1080i with black bars built into the
content (so what should be SD shows take up as much disk on my system
as do HD shows...thank you very much).  Yet they have no issue with
tossing progressive frames into interlaced video and using different
frame rates for commercials (thus those 1 hour shows that get reported
as 51 minutes in the OSD).  What the hell are they thinking.

All I can say is kudos to the MythTV devs for the fact that it handles
all that horse shit as well as it does.

Tom