# Deinterlace a Video

Remove interlacing combing from camcorder, DV, DVD or broadcast footage in your browser — pick bwdif or yadif and keep or double the frame rate.

## Run it

- **CLI:** `gizza tool video-deinterlace 'url=https://example.com/input' 'filter=bwdif' 'mode=frame' 'field_order=auto' 'apply_to=all'`
- **Web:** https://gizza.ai/tools/video-deinterlace/
- **Agents:** machine-readable descriptor (parameters JSON Schema) at https://gizza.ai/tools/video-deinterlace/tool.json

## Inputs

- `file` — Video _(file; accept: video/*)_
- `filter` — Deinterlacer _(field)_
- `mode` — Frame rate _(field)_
- `field_order` — Field order _(field)_
- `apply_to` — Apply to _(field)_

## Output

- Deinterlaced video (video)

## Query parameters

Open the tool pre-filled and auto-run via URL:

- `filter` — Deinterlacer
- `mode` — Frame rate
- `field_order` — Field order
- `apply_to` — Apply to
- `url` — fetch the input file from a public URL (CORS-permitting)

Example: `https://gizza.ai/tools/video-deinterlace/?url=https://example.com/input&filter=bwdif&mode=frame&field_order=auto&apply_to=all`

---

## About this tool

Old camcorder tapes, DV captures, DVD sources and 1080i broadcasts often store each video frame as two time-separated fields. When those fields are displayed as one progressive frame, moving edges show horizontal "comb" teeth. This tool runs ffmpeg's deinterlacers in your browser and writes a progressive video you can download.

The default preset uses `bwdif`, keeps the source frame rate, trusts the file's field-order flags, and deinterlaces every frame. That is the safest starting point for unlabelled captures. If motion looks less fluid than the original broadcast, switch frame rate to "Double" (`field` mode). If motion jitters backwards and forwards, force top-field-first (`tff`) or bottom-field-first (`bff`).

### Worked example

A PAL DV transfer named `family-tape.mp4` has combing on fast motion and is bottom-field-first. Choose:

- Deinterlacer: `bwdif`
- Frame rate: `Keep frame rate`
- Field order: `Bottom field first`
- Apply to: `All frames`

The output is `family-tape-deinterlaced.mp4`: H.264 video flagged progressive, with the audio stream kept when the container supports it.

### Limits and edge cases

- This is deinterlacing, not inverse telecine. Film-sourced 29.97i footage that should become 23.976p needs a separate field-match/decimate workflow.
- Deinterlacing rewrites the picture, so video is re-encoded to H.264 at CRF 20. Audio is copied unless the output container must switch to MP4.
- Browser runs are best for short clips. Very large videos can exceed the browser ffmpeg runtime's memory limits.
- `field` mode doubles the frame count and can roughly double encoding time and file size.

## FAQ

<details>
<summary>Should I use bwdif or yadif?</summary>

Use `bwdif` first. It is motion-adaptive like yadif but uses a sharper interpolator, so it usually keeps more vertical detail. Use `yadif` when you need the classic, widely documented ffmpeg filter for comparison or compatibility.

</details>

<details>
<summary>What does double frame rate do?</summary>

Interlaced video has two fields captured at different times. `frame` mode combines them into one progressive frame per input frame, keeping the nominal frame rate. `field` mode outputs one progressive frame per field, so 50i becomes 50p and motion looks smoother, but encoding takes longer and the file has more frames.

</details>

<details>
<summary>How do I choose top-field-first or bottom-field-first?</summary>

Start with `auto`. If the output has a forward/backward judder on motion, the file is probably mis-flagged. Try `tff` for HDV and 1080i broadcast footage, or `bff` for many SD DVD, DV and analogue-capture sources.

</details>

<details>
<summary>Why can the output still look soft?</summary>

A deinterlacer has to synthesize missing scan lines, so some softness is normal. `bwdif` usually preserves the most detail among the fast ffmpeg filters exposed here. Severe tape noise, blended fields, or telecined film may need cleanup or inverse-telecine tools before or instead of deinterlacing.

</details>

## Related tools

- [Convert MKV to MP4](https://gizza.ai/tools/mkv-to-mp4/): Free MKV to MP4 converter that runs in your browser. Lossless stream-copy remux for H.264/HEVC clips, or re-encode VP9/AV1. Nothing is uploaded.
- [Convert MOV to MP4](https://gizza.ai/tools/mov-to-mp4/): Free MOV to MP4 converter that runs in your browser. Lossless container remux (stream-copy) for H.264/HEVC clips, or re-encode ProRes. Nothing is uploaded.
- [Convert MP4 to FLV](https://gizza.ai/tools/mp4-to-flv/): Convert MP4, MOV, MKV or WebM to FLV in your browser — H.264 or Sorenson Spark, AAC or MP3, with RTMP-friendly bitrate and keyframe controls. Nothing uploaded, free.
- [Convert MP4 to MKV](https://gizza.ai/tools/mp4-to-mkv/): Free MP4 to MKV converter in your browser. Lossless stream-copy remux — keeps video, audio and subtitle tracks, nothing re-encoded or uploaded.
- [Convert MP4 to MOV](https://gizza.ai/tools/mp4-to-mov/): Free MP4 to MOV converter in your browser. Lossless stream-copy remux into a QuickTime container for Final Cut Pro and iMovie — nothing re-encoded or uploaded.