Frame load speed of digital video?

I now understand _most_ of the details about frame rates, interlaced and progressive etc.

However, I was watching a video describing the technique of getting to 24fps "to look like film". Ironically the demo video itself looked quite flickery: more than I would like, and it was using 24fps progressive. I do not remember true film flickering as badly.

So I am wondering how fast the frame is filled from start to finish, in a progressive frame load. I would imagine that film shuts the shutter, moves the film, opens the shutter and so on. I reckon that could be done far faster than 1/24 second, so you get less flicker. If video actually takes 1/24 second to fill the frame, then of course you will get more flicker.

I have something of a bee in my bonnet regarding video flicker, as some of you may know ;)

So any input would be gratefully received.

EDIT: I looked for a more suitable forum area, but could not see one.

Nick

Thanks for the reply. I take your points and it's always a fight between ISO and noise and slow shutter.

But I was more wondering about the actual playback, and what causes flicker there. My camera can do 50p and it looks like silk. But if I convert to 25p, there is a noticeable flicker. That is in spite of all the help I have had here to optimise it and including turning off Vegas's daft "smart resample".

I still prefer interlaced for any action shots for its smoothness, although I realise it is not quite as good even at its best with still scenes, compared to progressive for detail.

Nick

Hey! Never got a heads-up from the forum about your reply. Sorry.

OK. Thanks. That pretty much confirms what I thought.The whole paradigm is just so different.It was just that people who at least _sounded_ good were going on about it. :)

Nick

Progressive frame display on a PC screen (or flatscreen TV) is basically instantaneous, and even faster than a film projector shutter opening. Frames are displayed complete, and there is normally no transition time between frames, no shutter blanking, nothing. Just one complete frame instantly replaced by the next complete frame 25 or 30 times per second.

You might be seeing the results of frame blending as part of a frame-rate change/mismatch or deinterlacing. That can create intermediate frames where you see the "ghost" of the previous frame blended with the current frame (or fields in the case of deinterlacing).