HD Progressive or Interlaced—Pick Your Poison
Tuesday, February 19, 2008 Filed in: Weekly Tip
One question we get asked a lot is, when working in HD, is progressive or interlaced better? The question is not as simple as it might seem. Here is some food for thought:
Consider progressive if:
- you might
possibly be going back to film.
• you might have to create additional versions of the show. It’s easier to create interlaced versions from a progressive master than the other way around.
• you have a lot of motion. Progressive footage tends to look “smoother.”
Consider interlaced if
- compatibility
with existing NTSC interlaced television is a
must. Not having to convert from progressive
reduces the possibility of introducing artifacts.
• you have a lot of detail. Interlaced footage tends to look “sharper” when compared to progressive footage.
Like this tip? It comes from the book
Final Cut Studio On the Spot from Focal Press.