postpass2 HD Upres Add On: Interlaced vs. Progressive Video HD Upres Add On: Interlaced vs. Progressive Video

May 12, 2021Misc, Uncategorized, Video TransferBy Scott Sargent

AV Workshop’s HD Upres Video Transfer Add On

Learn More About our HD Upres Option

You may have noticed that when you watch old videotapes, they often have a flickering, blurry appearance. This is because video was originally made for old 4×3 interlaced tube TVs. Interlaced refers to the method in which the picture is created on the screen. Rather than film, which was composed of several full frames, interlaced displays alternated between two incomplete images. These partial images were made up of two sets of horizontal lines known as even and odd fields.

In this image you can see the difference between interlaced (two fields creating one image) and progressive (a full frame)

However, with interlaced displays, these two fields quickly alternating means that you can often see some blurriness and uneven edges where the fields don’t perfectly align. This becomes even more pronounced when we view interlaced video on the large screens we are used to today.

Now, we view and make videos in the progressive form, which means there is a full frame per second. Therefore, the picture is clear and does not have the flickering and blurriness that can be seen on interlaced videos.

Example of Jagged / Banded Edges (Interlaced Video)

While we can’t create a higher resolution out of what was originally taped, our HD Upres option gives us the ability to make your home movies progressive at 60p. In other words, we can separate each even and odd field into a full 60 frames per second. 60p helps reduce the jagged edges, smooth the motion, and overall makes your home movies more compatible with our modern day computer and TV screens. This way, we can give you the best possible result for your video transfer.

In addition, HD 720 60p is a standard resolution so you can play, edit, and share your files almost anywhere!