Sony DVP-NS999ES - Manual (Page 46)

ES Series DVD-Video/CD/SA-CD Players; Version 3.0 Page 46
Theatrical release movies aren't the only programs that are originally
captured at 24 frames per second on motion picture film. For example, music
videos, TV commercials and primetime dramas are often shot on film or film-like
24-frame progressive video. In fact, industry observers estimate that more than
50% of primetime television has been shot on film or 24P video.
Film-to-video transfer and 3-2 pulldown
We've seen that much of television broadcasting starts out as movie film
at 24 frames per second. This means not only has it been converted from film to
video, it's been converted from 24 frames per second to 60i. A machine called a
telecine performs both conversions. Simple arithmetic says that 60 ÷ 24 = 2.5.
This means that each film frame must convert to an average of 2.5 video fields.
A process called 3-2 pulldown performs this conversion. The first film frame is
converted to three video fields. The next film frame is converted to two video
fields. The next film frame is converted to three video fields, and so on. We get
a pattern of 3-2-3-2-3-2 etc, from which 3-2 pulldown gets its name. This pattern
averages out to 2.5 video fields for every film frame. The telecine converts a film
frame to three video fields by repeating the first field. For example, the first video
field may consist of odd scanning lines, the second field consists of even
scanning lines and the third field consists of the same odd scanning lines as the
first.
3 3 2
O E O E O E O E
Thanks to 3-2 pulldown, movie film at 24 frames per second gets
transformed to videotape at 60 interlaced fields per second. Movie
frame A is converted to three fields. Movie frame B is converted to two
fields. Movie frame C is converted to three fields and so on, in a 3-2-3-
2-3-2 pattern.
Film and video on DVD
In order to fit a feature-length film onto a CD-sized disc, the DVD format
employs MPEG-2 digital compression. And one important trick of this
compression is to distinguish between footage originally shot on conventional,
interlaced video and footage originally shot on film or 24P video. As you would