[MEncoder-users] Encoding to DVD: to deinterlace or not?

[Moritz Barsnick]

Âllo, Francois,

On Mon, Oct 08, 2007 at 09:34:11 +0200, Francois Visagie wrote:
> I wrote my first-ever DVD (encoded with mencoder) this past weekend, quite
> chuffed!

Oh, I remember well, the joy is amazing. Actually, it doesn't work as
fine for me, but that's a different thread (to come).

> However, over the weekend I saw on wikipedia and other sources that
> the output of most standalone DVD players is progressive. Certainly
> the component video output which I'm using seems to be progressive
> output, and only some scarce and strange RGB-type connectors provide
> interlaced output if I remember correctly.

That's interesting. I would have thought that - unless you explicitly
configure your player's output to progressive (for devices which
support it) - analog output will be interlaced. Many players don't even
support progressive output at all, they assume to be driving television
sets, which until recently knew no other mode.

> Is that true? If so, deinterlacing will either happen in mencoder by choice
> and in controlled fashion, and/or by force in the player. Can I please have
> some logical, unemotive ;-) answers to: is there then *any* point to
> preserving deinterlacing when the target is DVD?

If my assumptions and not your search results are correct ;-), leaving
interlaced to be interlaced is best, because that's what your TV's
display is doing anyway. (Okay, nowaday, CRTs are getting rare, and your
LCD/TFT/Plasma may be all progressive after all.) I don't see the point
of deinterlacing, just to have the player revert the signal to
interlaced.

Just my houghts, any others?
Moritz