Best workflow approach to editing and transforming 576i 4:3 PAL video to 1080i 16:9

[SteveD333]

I have around 60 hours of video shot in S-VHS adhering to the PAL standard definition 576i 4:3 format.

I’d like to edit the footage and have the finished output scaled up and cropped to 16:9 1080i.  Having reviewed the footage, there are parts which would benefit from use of the warp stabilizer effect.

What is the best workflow to achieve the end result?  There appears to be so many different methods to getting to the finished product, I just don’t know which is the best approach.

Regards, Steve

[Kevin-Monahan]

Hi,

Thanks for the question. I like to transcode the footage, then begin work. That way, I can work faster and more smoothly. Try a sample workflow and see if it works flor you.

Thanks,
Kevin

[Ann Bens]

Topaz is the way to go.

But...........going from 576i 4:3 format to cropped  16:9 1080i is a big step. (100% to 245%)

I would not make it interlaced but rather progressive.

I converted quite a few Digital 8 tapes to 1280x720 but did not touch the 4:3 ration as in two black vertical bars on the side.

I think old footage looks at its best in 4:3 as framing might not look all that great in 16:9.

[RjL190365]

Converting interlaced footage to progressive, as Ann suggested, is a good idea. Unfortunately, most NLEs by themselves (including Premiere Pro itself) do it incorrectly: They either drop every other field or blend two consecutive fields together, resulting in further loss of image quality; in fact, performing the former will result in an effective resolution of only 720x288 (or in this case, 560x288), assuming that the image isn't resized. As a result, you not only need to convert 576i to 1080p, but you must also make the new copy 1080p50 (not 1080p25) by using a good third-party deinterlacer/bob tool.

[SteveD333]

I've been looking into the Topaz Software Suite.  The results look quite impressive, and as I'll have little use for it other than upscaling and deinterlacing, I just need to prepare the video footage and push it all through Topaz with a one month subscription.  It appears to offer batch processing, so I hopefully can just perform some test conversions, get the settings right, then just let the software get on with it.

[RjL190365]

Topaz Video, the app that you are considering, will cost you a lot more money with a truly monthly plan than if you commit yourself to an annual subscription paid monthly, similar to Adobe's pricing structure. In both cases, the true monthly plan will cost you the full list price while annual commitments (paid either monthly or annually) are heavily discounted from full price.

[SteveD333]

Yes, it's more expensive if you only take out a  monthly subscription, but my understanding is (which I'll double  check before committing) is I can subscribe for a single month only.  As I only need one month to perform the conversions, it's the best cost option for me.