Abstract: The present invention provides a method for improving playback consistency of an encoded video stream. The method of the present invention first determines whether a series of values of the progressive_frame flag of consecutive frames of the encoded video stream are arranged in a predetermined pattern. If the values are arranged in the predetermined pattern, an image of at least one of the frames is displayed progressively regardless of the value of the progressive_frame flag of that frame. As a result, the video stream is played back as if the movie had been consistently encoded in the first place.

Abstract: An improved deinterlacing technique is provided. In one embodiment, a method for deinterlacing includes receiving an interlaced frame of data, the frame including a primary field and a secondary field, and deinterlacing the frame, the deinterlacing including computing an output pixel, PIXOUT, of the secondary field based on an input pixel, PIXIN, of the secondary field, a bottom pixel, BOTTOM, of the primary field, and a top pixel, TOP, of the primary field, in which PIXOUT is computed according to an input/output curve that converges to an average of BOTTOM and TOP. The deinterlacing technique in accordance with this embodiment minimizes spatial artifacts and efficiently generates each output pixel value from only three input pixels.