Interlacing, Deinterlacing and 16-Bit Transparency Effects in Sonic 2

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• published: 18 Jul 2012
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Check out part one (all about interlacing and deinterlacing!) of the ExtraLives.org video capture guide here: http://extralives.org/videoguide1deinterlace --- The methods here should be the same for any game that flickers sprites quickly (also common on the NES and Game Boy). _____ So, with that guide, I felt I had said everything there was to possibly say about interlacing and video games. TURNS OUT I WAS WRONG. Older games that utilize interlacing to quickly flicker sprites back and forth (usually to create the illusion of transparency) present some... unique challenges in deinterlacing. If you flat out deinterlace these games, the transparency effect no longer works and the result can look a tad strange. If you leave the interlacing alone, well, the video is still all gross and interlaced and unwatchable. So, we have to do something. You can either... -Opt to just deinterlace and just put up with the random graphical anomalies. -Or use a special kind of filter in VirtualDub, called a "field bob." Set the option for both frames to be "smooth" (or is it "blur"...? one of those). This takes both frames of interlaced video and blends them together so you don't lose any frames of animation and all the old-fashioned pseudo-transparency effects work. The only problem with this method is that it creates some blurring in the video. I think it's still watchable but I'm sure it also varies by game. In the end, it's up to you to decide which method works best for whatever you're trying to capture-- there doesn't seem to be any magic bullet solution for this issue. ...aside from, well, just playing MODERN games. But where's the fun in that?