there is a order of processing filters on vegas.

of you add a HD video on a SD timeline for example, and add yadif on the EVENT, it will resize the HD video to SD, THEN filter with yadif. but now the video was already resized, and yadif will work with the result of video processed with vegas.

if you add on the media FX, it will process the file at is original size, then, will resize. so you process file at its original size, then reduce to SD (way better results)

also, if you add a interlaced clip on timeline, then export in progressive, vegas does not know that yadif deinterlaced it, so it will try to deinterlace the clip (not know if before or after processing)

so yeah, use in media fx. (if i recall, media need to be set as progressive also)

To put it short, you deinterlace the source, not the output.

Thanks guys - great advice.

"there is a order of processing filters on vegas.

of you add a HD video on a SD timeline for example, and add yadif on the EVENT, it will resize the HD video to SD, THEN filter with yadif. but now the video was already resized, and yadif will work with the result of video processed with vegas."

Maybe this explains why Vegas does a poor job of de-interlacing AND re-sizing. Vegas may be re-sizing first and then does the de-interlace. Maybe if Vegas did the de-interlace first and then the re-sizing it would be a whole lot better? Please correct me if I am wrong on this but it does make sense!

Whatever the case is, if I shoot progressive, I can then use the Sony AVC to mp4 at 5,000 kbps and get great results. The HandBrake method still does better at lower bit rates such as 2,000 kbps to 3,000 kbps but even then the videos can be a bit slow on showing quality with motion because the bit rates are just a bit too low. This is especially true with Church videos where the lighting is not all that good.

I shoot 60p, turn smart resample off, change under sample to 0.5 for 29.97, set project properties to also be 29.97 and render 30p for both internet and DVD from Vegas and get great results.

Also, because my Sony cams shoot the brightest areas above 235 I use levels to bring them back down and still keep the details. I do add .001 sharpness for a little bit of a sharpening flavor that I like.

Sure makes the entire work-flow a whole lot faster!

You can force resize after deinterlacing if you want. To do so you create FullHD progressive scan project, import interlaced media and then render or nest your project to SD resolution file/project.
Even though I doubt it will give better results, since both deinterlace and resize are moderate at best compared to possibilities provided by Handbrake.

I shoot 60p, turn smart resample off, change under sample to 0.5 for 29.97, set project properties to also be 29.97 and render 30p for both internet and DVD from Vegas and get great results.You can shoot at 30p without much difference here as undersample rate + disable resample simply dump skipped frames. But I'm pretty sure it will not give smoothness of 60i film.

"Even though I doubt it will give better results, since both deinterlace and resize are moderate at best compared to possibilities provided by Handbrake."

Since I am not deinterlacing at all and am ONLY resizing progressive videos the results of resizing in Vegas is much better. HandBrake will still compress better using bit rates less than 5,000 kbps.

"You can shoot at 30p..."

My cameras do not have the option to shoot at 30p so I have no choice but to use 60p and then process that down to 30p. 24p is 100% garbage and I will not even touch that!

I am still paying off my cameras so it will be quite a while before I can upgrade to new cameras.

I may not get the smoothness of 60i or 60p but at least I do not have the other garbage and I spend a lot less time getting the final results!

I have spent many, many hours shooting test videos with great and poor lighting and except for extremely bad lighting and shooting procedures, the results I get are visually the same as what I can get with HandBrake at 5,000 kbps.

Earlier versions of Vegas with Sony AVC to mp4 were not any good at all. With Vegas 12 it has been greatly improved! Main Concept is still the garbage that Sony AVC used to be.

If one is using an earlier version of Vegas and/or starting with interlace then the HandBrake method is the ONLY way to go!

@Warper
Don't make it so complicated. I too shoot in 1080 60p and all you have to do is disable resample to get to 30p; you can leave your project settings as they are for 1080 60p http://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/39278380/1080-60p.jpg. There is even a script that can do that for all your footage in one go. http://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/39278380/Disable%20Resample%20All%20Events.js and this one will enable it again http://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/39278380/Enable%20Resample%20All%20Events.js

@ OldSmoke

I noticed in the jpg the deinterlace method is set for interpolate fields. You do not want that when you render progressive.

If I leave the project settings for 60p and do not change the events to 0.5 for 29.97 my timeline playback will suffer.