Export Lower or Upper field first?

[Zvi Twersky]

Just to be clear, when I said “I have tried both”, I meant that I have exported both with “lower field first” and “upper field first”. If the only difference between lower and upper fields is odd and even numbers of lines… why would it make a difference in quality when exporting one or the other first?

[Harm Millaard]

Watch the results on a interlaced TV and you will see.
In general do not reverse field, if you capture LFF, export LFF.
If you capture UFF, export UFF.

[Zvi Twersky]

O.k. Thank you but I have another question on this subject.

Ususally, I export using the Adobe Encoder. When using this, I can choose LFF or UFF and now I understand what you said about that.. but.. What about deinterlacing my video? I for sure need to do this. The footage was shot with HD. When using the Adobe Encoder, there is no place to check “deinterlace video footage” like there is when you do “export\movie”. Furthermore, when DOING “export\movie”, when you choose “deinterlace”, the LFF\UFF become greyed out so you don’t even choose that at all.

Can you explain this to me?

Thank you

[Redgum]

Yes. When you deinterlace you no longer have upper or lower fields, simply a “frame” much like film. Of course, you only deinterlace if your video is to be shown on a progressive medium (i.e. computer). For TV you need to maintain fields.
For PAL or NTSC in standard definition you will use “lower field first”. For HD transmission, “upper field first”

Redgum Television Productions
Broadcast & Corporate Documentaries
Brisbane, Australia

[Mike Smith]

For all PAL formats except DV, you will want upper field first.

[Zvi Twersky]

redgum and Mike, you both answered different things.
redgum says that with SD you use LFF both with PAL and NTSC. Mike says no, PAL will use LFF everywhere except DV.

[Chip Whitley]

Re-read Mike’s post, he says Pal is UFF except for DV. I think all DV (miniDV) is LFF or field 2.

Be careful on MJPEG cards, the field dominance is typically based on the card, so you could capture analog betacam into a Blackmagic card and it is one dominance but do it in a Media 100 system it might be another. You have to get the field dominance from the manufacturer typically.

If you shot progressive (24p or 30p for ex) it is not interlaced so you don’t want to induce fields when you export.

[Redgum]

Sorry, Mike said that PAL DV uses lower field first. He corrected me in saying all other PAL formats are upper field first.

Redgum Television Productions
Broadcast & Corporate Documentaries
Brisbane, Australia

[Zvi Twersky]

I use a Matrox video card so I export with that. The truth is, I never noteced a difference with UFF and LFF and every time I choose something else and the picture always looks the same. Is there an explaination for this?

[Zvi Twersky]

So are you saying that:
NTSC: always LFF
PAL: always UFF except DV?