What really happens with "progressive"?

My source material is 720x486 29.97 NTSC interlaced . I use a Decomb avs script to IVTC... Telecide(guide=1) Decimate(cycle=5,mode=1,threshold=50) I see no appreciable difference in the CCE generated mpeg2 file whether I check "progressive" or not. What is the effect of using (or not using) this option on my mpeg2 files that will be used for DVD?

Hello! Mpeg format can be interlaced or non interlaced (in other word: progressive) so if you want to encode an interlaced source you've two choices: 1) somehow deinterlace and create a progressive mpeg file (it can be an interlaced [non progressive] also but you won't see any diff) 2) encode the interlaced source as an interlaced mpeg (non progressive) and you save a lot of time because there is no need for deinterlacing. NA

Thanks for the reply... you say "encode the interlaced source as an interlaced mpeg (non progressive) and you save a lot of time because there is no need for deinterlacing". When I do this method (CCE / MPEG2 / Non Progressive), I still see some interlace artifacts (mouse teeth / horizontal jaggies) on my NTSC monitor. Granted, it's not as bad as on a progressive scan monitor, but they are still there. When I play back the interlaced source file on NTSC, it looks fine, but the encoded MPEG2 has the artifacts. Any idea on how to eliminate this?

Thanks for the reply. I have since sorted out a field order problem and testing criteria (mpeg-2 on cd vs. mpeg-2 on dvd) and now have a nicely interlaced DVD playback (I am no longer using Decomb). I wonder what the source material is for professional dvd production? I doubt that it is telecined film-to-tape transfers which would have inherent IVTC and 3:2 problems when encoding to a progressive MPEG-2. I have yet to find a way to do a reliable IVTC (or deinterlace process) that will create an acceptable progressive MPEG-2 stream, so I guess I'll have to stay interlaced and wonder how the pros do it.

Film (24fps) -> MPEG-2 Enf...