VIDEO: Editing field sequential? (was Viewing System of Choice (IMAX))

[P3D Bill Costa - NIS/CIS - University of New Hampshire <Bill.Costa@xxxxxxx>]

Dear 3D Videographers...

     Andrew Woods <andrew@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> recently posted in part:

>  With regards to the discussion of temporal sequencing of 3D images (at
>  the camera and the display).  Following John R's description of the IMAX
>  system, here is a similar description of the possibilities for 50/60Hz
>  Video.  Where: L1 L2 are fields 1 and 2 from the left camera, etc.
>  
>  Left camera:    L1 L2 L3 L4 L5 L6 L7 L8 L9 
>  Right Camera:   R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9
>  
>  ALTERNATIVE 1:  L1 R1 L3 R3 L5 R5 L7 R7 L9
>  ALTERNATIVE 2:  L1 R2 L3 R4 L5 R6 L7 R8 L9
>  ALTERNATIVE 3:     R2 L2 R4 L4 R6 L6 R8 L8
>  
>  ALTERNATIVE 2 is the system used by the Toshiba camera and all other
>  standard field-sequential 3D video systems that I know of.

    I'd like to be able to edit the videos from my Toshiba and am aware
    of the importance of keeping the matching field pairs together.  I am
    unsure, however, of what to look for in features of video editing
    equipment that will allow me to do this easily.  Are there any general
    (or even specific) recommendations as to what I should be looking for
    while shopping for conventional linear editing gear?

    I'm also curious if anyone has had experience using non-linear editing
    systems to edit field-sequential video.  In particular I'm wondering if
    the video compression used by such systems has any bad effects
    particular to field-sequential video.  As I understand it, one of the
    techniques used in video image compression is to store only the
    differences from one frame to the next.  With a `really good' 3D tape,
    i.e. one with lots of depth cues, I would expect larger than average
    differences between the two adjacent frames and thus the amount of
    compression experienced would be less than expected.  But does the
    process of compression and expansion create any artifacts that are
    unique to 3D field sequential video?

                                                                Later...BC


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