Upper Field or Lower Field order.. please help

Fotis_Greece wrote on 2/28/2003, 3:06 PM
What's the whole thing with upper or lower field order in video? After looking at the Vegas manual I came into the conclusion that Upper field is for use for Television viewing and Lower field for DV. At other forums they said that Upper field is for PAL users and Lower field for NTSC users.
Can you please tell me what is true here. When capturing from my mini dv camcorder I see in the video file properties that it is Lower Field Interlaced. So when I want to render to DVD Pal mpeg2 (for viewing with my DVD player in the television or viewing in PC)what setting should I use, Upper or Lower field?
Thanks in advance

Comments

Vulcan wrote on 2/28/2003, 3:27 PM
DV (NTSC and PAL) is always lower field first. When you render to DVD keep with the original setting, i.e. lower field first. If you have the fieldorder wrong you will notice a stuttering effect on playback (on a TV-set). If you get the fieldorder wrong you can change the fieldorder (without reencoding) using, e.g. pulldown.exe (a freeware program) or EasyChanger (don't know if this is freeware).
Fotis_Greece wrote on 2/28/2003, 4:50 PM
Thanks for the answer. Can you please tell me why most of the hollywood DVD movies are in Upper Field? I have checked 12 of them with the software Bitrate Viewer. Also tell me why in Vegas Video help file it says that Upper field should be used when creating video for viewing in Television?
Vulcan wrote on 2/28/2003, 5:35 PM
I'm not sure why DVD movies normally are Upper field first. I would guess that it might have to do with the fact that most DVD's are shot as film (and probably progressive) and then transferred for TV which are always interlaced. As I understand it really doesn't matter whether something is upper or lower field first as long as it is consistent throughout the process. When it comes to DV this is always (so I'm told) lower field first and thus should be captured that way. Since the original file is (i.e. the DV file) is captured lower field first it should also be output with lower field first. This is the way I do it and it works for me (I'm really just talking based on what works for me and I can't support/prove my process technically but maybe someone else will pop in and explain). I took a look in the Vegas 4 manual (pages 178 and 283 - 284) but didn't find anything saying that output of DV to TV should be Upper Field First. The helpfile states that lower field and upper field are used on TV but gives no preference for one over the other.
aussiemick wrote on 2/28/2003, 5:56 PM
If you find that when you play the final video on TV and it stutters you will have to change the field order, I have had no problems with lower order first, but just keep that in mind.
Fotis_Greece wrote on 2/28/2003, 8:05 PM
God damnit! Isn't there a book about digital video where I can learn all this stuff?
beatnik wrote on 2/28/2003, 8:55 PM

Yiasou Re! There are LOTS of books on video editing, just search the web OR go
to your nearest BIG bookstore, I am from Toronto and I have seen such books at
a chain store called "Chapters"

Good luck.

ps, what part of Greece are you from? My parents are from Larisa.
Grazie wrote on 3/1/2003, 3:16 AM
FG - Yeah, I've been here before. What I did was do a search on the web. I DID find Upper and Lower Field explanations. Didn't cost me a penny (cent?). Have a look see first - yeah? In other words Try Before You Buy. Read up what you can - and its for free - then decide if you want to go get a book. Seen your posts on the COW too - same reply from me.

It's hard . . . it's technical . . . it's a pain . . . sometimes! Learn it once and it's in. Hats Off to your persistance.

Grazie
Fotis_Greece wrote on 3/1/2003, 8:47 AM
Hi from Greece. My parents are from Agrinio but I live in Athens. Nice to see another Greek around.
Johnny7777 wrote on 3/3/2003, 1:44 PM
Fotis and Beatnik,

There is a book coming out in March apparently for VideoVegas 4.0 different from the downloaded manual. Gives you more detail as to how and why things work. It is supposed to be on a site called enovel.com but its not there yet just keep checking.
I'm Greek as well but live in Toronto, Canada pretty soon we'll have our own forum. LOL. Send me an email if you wish jvas2@yahoo.com
grig wrote on 3/4/2003, 5:45 AM
gia sas!!

well, I'm interested by that book too!!

I'm from KPHTH and I live in Belgium!!
hehe!!
;)

peace,
Grig