Why should I avoid deinterlacing telecined content?

Deinterlacing telecined content throws away half the vertical resolution and permanently loses the original progressive frames, whereas IVTC restores the original 24fps quality losslessly.

What is the difference between telecine and interlacing?

Telecine is 24fps film converted to 30fps using a 3:2 pulldown pattern which is reversible, while true interlacing is native 60i content where every field contains unique temporal data.

How do I visually identify telecine?

By stepping through frames in a player like mpv; telecine usually shows a repeating pattern (often 3 interlaced frames and 2 clean frames) while true interlacing shows combing on every frame with motion.

Which tools does this skill recommend for IVTC?

It recommends tools like Wobbly for manual pattern matching, or VapourSynth and Avisynth (using TFM and TDecimate) for automated field matching and decimation.

Telecine & Interlacing Detector

Name: Telecine & Interlacing Detector
Author: robbyt

byrobbyt

•

Productivity & Workflow

Identifies whether video content is telecined or truly interlaced and provides expert guidance on restoration workflows to preserve video quality.

About

The Telecine and Interlacing Detection skill helps users analyze video artifacts like combing and horizontal lines to determine the correct processing method for media files. It provides a structured workflow for distinguishing between reversible 3:2 pulldown (telecine) and true interlaced footage, preventing common mistakes like unnecessary deinterlacing that can destroy vertical resolution. This skill is essential for video preservationists, encoders, and editors working with DVD, NTSC broadcast, or legacy film-to-video transfers who need to recover original progressive frames using Inverse Telecine (IVTC) or select the highest quality deinterlacers like QTGMC.

Key Features

37 GitHub stars
Assists in identifying optimal output frame rates for film vs. broadcast
Distinguishes between 3:2 pulldown telecine and true interlacing
Provides visual inspection patterns for frame-by-frame analysis
Explains Inverse Telecine (IVTC) vs. deinterlacing workflows
Recommends industry-standard tools like VapourSynth, Avisynth, and Wobbly

Use Cases

Troubleshooting 'combing' artifacts and horizontal lines in video encodes
Selecting the appropriate deinterlacer for true interlaced sports or news content
Restoring high-quality 24fps progressive frames from telecined NTSC sources

About

Key Features

37 GitHub stars
Assists in identifying optimal output frame rates for film vs. broadcast
Distinguishes between 3:2 pulldown telecine and true interlacing
Provides visual inspection patterns for frame-by-frame analysis
Explains Inverse Telecine (IVTC) vs. deinterlacing workflows
Recommends industry-standard tools like VapourSynth, Avisynth, and Wobbly

Use Cases

Troubleshooting 'combing' artifacts and horizontal lines in video encodes
Selecting the appropriate deinterlacer for true interlaced sports or news content
Restoring high-quality 24fps progressive frames from telecined NTSC sources