Hi,
I just got a field blended MasterFile from a production studio and I have to encode it in XDCAM50 PAL to air it via our playout (Omneon Ports).
When they said that they were going to deliver an Apple Prores, I expected a nice 23.976fps progressive 10bit to speed it up to 25fps and apply a pitch adjustment.
Unfortunately, that didn't happen...
They did send a ProRes, but...
Code:
General
Complete name : C:\Encoding\MidnightTexas.mov
Format profile : QuickTime
Codec ID : qt 2005.03 (qt )
Overall bit rate mode : Variable
Overall bit rate : 199 Mb/s
Writing library : Apple QuickTime
Video
ID : 1
Format : ProRes
Format version : Version 0
Format profile : 422 HQ
Codec ID : apch
Bit rate mode : Variable
Bit rate : 197 Mb/s
Width : 1 920 pixels
Height : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate mode : Constant
Frame rate : 29.970 (29970/1000) FPS
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:2
Scan type : Interlaced
Scan type, store method : Interleaved fields
Scan order : Top Field First
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 3.178
Writing library : any0
Language : English
Color primaries : BT.709
Transfer characteristics : BT.709
Matrix coefficients : BT.709
matrix_coefficients_Original : BT.709
Audio
ID : 2
Format : PCM
Format settings, Endianness : Little
Format settings, Sign : Signed
Codec ID : sowt
Bit rate mode : Constant
Bit rate : 1 536 kb/s
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 48.0 kHz
Bit depth : 16 bits
Language : English
Other
ID : 3
Type : Time code
Format : QuickTime TC
Time code of first frame : 11:23:35;00
Time code, striped : Yes
Language : English
Default : No
When I saw "29.970fps interlaced TFF" I thought "fair enough, it's 23.976fps telecined".
Nope...
It's field-blended with progressive parts on a regular pattern.
They basically recorded at 23.976fps progressive, edited it while progressive and they exported it field-blending it in order to air it in NTSC.
Code:
#Index original 10bit source
FFMpegSource2("MidnightTexas.mov", atrack=-1)
#Dithering down to 8bit with Floyd-Steinberg error diffusion
ConvertBits(bits=8, dither=1)
#Converting from 4:2:2 planar to 4:2:2 interleave
ConverttoYUY2(interlaced=true)
#Deinterlacing the field-blended parts
tdeint(mode=2, order=-1, field=-1, mthreshL=6, mthreshC=6, map=0, type=2, debug=false, mtnmode=1, sharp=true, cthresh=6, blockx=16, blocky=16, chroma=true, MI=64, tryWeave=true, link=1, denoise=true, slow=2, opt=4)
#Trying to restore the original progressive frames
SRestore(frate=23.976)
#Speed-up +4% with pitch adjustment
AssumeFPS(25, 1, true)
ResampleAudio(48000)
#Converting from 4:2:2 interleave to 4:2:2 planar
Converttoyv16(interlaced=false)
Unfortunately, the resulting 25fps PAL file still had some of the field-blended frames, 'cause SRestore didn't remove the right blended frames.
I tried with TDecimate(mode=2, rate=23.976) but it didn't work either 'cause TDecimate it's supposed to remove duplicated frames, not the blended ones.
I then said "whatever, I'm gonna blend it to 50 and make a interlaced" like:
Code:
#Index original 10bit source
FFMpegSource2("MidnightTexas.mov", atrack=-1)
#Dithering down to 8bit with Floyd-Steinberg error diffusion
ConvertBits(bits=8, dither=1)
#Converting from 4:2:2 planar to 4:2:2 interleave
ConverttoYUY2(interlaced=true)
#Deinterlacing the field-blended parts
tdeint(mode=2, order=-1, field=-1, mthreshL=6, mthreshC=6, map=0, type=2, debug=false, mtnmode=1, sharp=true, cthresh=6, blockx=16, blocky=16, chroma=true, MI=64, tryWeave=true, link=1, denoise=true, slow=2, opt=4)
#Blending the resulting 29.970 to 50fps
ConvertFPS(50)
#Diving in field to get 25i
assumeTFF()
separatefields()
selectevery(4,0,3)
weave()
#Converting from 4:2:2 interleave to 4:2:2 planar
Converttoyv16(interlaced=true)
The result was awful and I didn't have the guts to send it to QC.
In other words, I have to get back the original 23.976fps progressive to apply the speed-up.
Luckily enough,
the field-blended frames follow a regular pattern through the whole video.
The pattern is:
0 = Progressive
1 = Progressive
2 = Field Blended
3 = Progressive
4 = Progressive
5 = Progressive
6 = Progressive
7 = Field Blended
8 = Progressive
9 = Progressive
10 = Progressive
11 = Progressive
12 = Field Blended
13 = Progressive
14 = Progressive
15 = Progressive
16 = Progressive
17 = Field Blended
18 = Progressive
19 = Progressive
20 = Progressive
21 = Progressive
22 = Field Blended
23 = Progressive
24 = Progressive
25 = Progressive
26 = Progressive
27 = Field Blended
28 = Progressive
29 = Progressive
30 = Progressive
31 = Progressive
32 = Field Blended
33 = Progressive
34 = Progressive
35 = Progressive
36 = Progressive
37 = Field Blended
I think I could achieve this via SelectEvery but I don't know how to set the pattern.
Last but not least, I'm afraid I can't upload a sample as it's protected copyright material that we have the rights to air on our channels, but I can't redistribute it here.
Thank you in advance,
Frank.