# What is Deinterlacing?

Deinterlacing converts sequential odd-line and even-line fields from interlaced video into progressive frames. The process attempts to preserve motion and detail while avoiding combing, flicker, and interpolation artifacts.

Video + audio tracks

Video processing

Playable derivative

Video processing decodes timed tracks, transforms them, and encodes a deliverable for a target player. This diagram shows video broadly, not specifically Deinterlacing.

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## How Deinterlacing works

Interlaced capture samples alternating line sets at different moments, so combining them as one progressive picture misaligns moving objects. A deinterlacer must decide which lines can be retained and which pixels need temporal or spatial reconstruction. Simple weaving favors static resolution, bobbing favors field-rate motion, and adaptive methods switch or interpolate according to detected movement. This stage normally precedes scaling, computer-vision analysis, and progressive delivery encoding.

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## Key facts

1. 1Field order is part of the signal interpretation: treating top-field-first footage as bottom-field-first reverses local motion cadence and can produce persistent judder or serrated movement.
2. 2Weaving preserves detail only where the two fields describe the same scene state; bob-style interpolation avoids combing but can soften vertical detail or make thin horizontal lines shimmer.
3. 3Film transferred with a repeating pulldown cadence may be better restored by cadence detection and inverse telecine; edits or dropped fields can break the pattern and force fallback processing.

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## When Deinterlacing matters

Deinterlace broadcast or archival footage before progressive playback, analysis, or modern encoding. A motion-aware method preserves moving detail better but costs more computation and can fail on difficult cadence changes.

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## Common use cases for video

These examples cover video broadly, not specifically Deinterlacing.

* Preparing uploaded video for web, mobile, connected-TV, social, or editorial playback.
* Creating clips, thumbnails, captions, alternate aspect ratios, and adaptive renditions.
* Normalizing camera, screen-recording, and user-generated files into predictable outputs.

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## Working with video

This guidance covers video broadly, not just Deinterlacing.

A demuxer separates tracks from the container, decoders turn compressed streams into frames or samples, and filters apply spatial or temporal changes. Encoders compress the transformed tracks before a muxer writes the chosen output container.

Video compatibility is the product of codec, container, profile, level, frame rate, color, audio, and subtitles. Validate the complete output on target devices because a playable file on one decoder may fail or look different on another.

### What you gain

* Standardized derivatives make diverse source files playable on target devices.
* A retained master can feed many resolutions, aspect ratios, codecs, and channels.
* Automated inspection and transformation make large upload volumes consistent.

### What it costs

* More efficient codecs can lower bitrate at similar quality but usually cost more compute and may have narrower support.
* Higher resolutions and frame rates preserve more detail and motion while increasing processing and delivery requirements.
* Fast encoding settings improve throughput but can produce larger files or lower quality than slower analysis.

### Before production

1. 1Inspect codec, container, dimensions, frame rate, color, audio, and subtitle tracks.
2. 2Test visual quality and playback support across the slowest and oldest target devices.
3. 3Preserve a suitable master before applying lossy, destructive, or delivery-specific changes.

[← Deep Learning for Image Processing](/glossary/deep-learning-for-image-processing.md)[Demosaicing →](/glossary/demosaicing.md)

More in video

* [Color Correction](/glossary/color-correction.md)
* [Color Grading](/glossary/color-grading.md)
* [Common Intermediate Format](/glossary/common-intermediate-format.md)
* [Demuxing](/glossary/demuxing.md)
* [Distorted Video](/glossary/distorted-video.md)
* [DRM Protected Video](/glossary/drm-protected-video.md)

[All 505 terms](/glossary.md)

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