As Mimirsan suggests, the interlaced 50i wrapper used in the stock GH1 PAL 1080p25 mode is nowhere near the headache to deal with as the 3:2 pulldown used in NTSC 1080p24. If PAL deinterlacing isn't a problem for you, I recommend trying the 75Mbps GH1 Peak Reliability Patch. The 1080p25 mode in this patch turned out to be far more resilient than my Native 24/25p patches:

http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/334/75mbps-gh1-peak-reliability-patch-v2-update#Item_11

@Nic - Once it's hacked, any GH1 can be operated in either PAL or NTSC mode, regardless of what region it was set to when purchased.

Nic
As long as you have a decent SD card you can use pretty high bitrates reliably & stable with 50i
With GH1 and 50i you can just deinterlace with your edit program and looks great if done properly

So AVCHD PAL [Full HD] 1920 x 1080, 50i is the only setting that offers stability..

1. Does that mean that I will have to stay on 17Mbps if I want stability in PAL 25p mode?

2. the transformation from 50i to 25p in post, how is that done? Just by deinterlacing? I work with Final cut, and use MPEG streamclip from time to time

@NIC
GH1(13) with Blackout-Powell Patch and you have no Problem

This is still a very confusing topic that has been created here regarding the 25P & PAL issue on the GH2..
I am a GH13 user, most of what I shoot is 720P50...
What I would like some one to tell me on the GH2 camp is can I get superior bit rate and hack improvements shooting 720P50 PAL on a GH2 if I purchase one...I am holding off as I don't want to get one if there is no advantage..
Also one more question, can I still get HMI out shooting 720P50 with a hack installed....

Cheers

@feha: "1920x1080 on GH2 = 50i == 25p interlaced"

Sorry, that's not correct. The GH2 does not produce 25p video in PAL 1920x1080 mode, it produces 50i. That's why many PAL users are using the GH1 instead.

The GH1 in PAL 1920x1080 mode produces 25p video. By default, the camera wraps the 25p video inside an interlaced stream, but it remains 25p. In practice, it is merely a technical detail, since all video editors are able to automatically deinterlace the wrapper and work with the file as a 25p video.

Interlacing often causes confusion because it is an archaic relic of the pre-digital era. If its pitfalls create a practical problem for you, it's wiser to learn explicitly how it works than to seek out second-hand advice.

@Nic

Easiest way to put it, is FPN and Vertical Streaking show up in underexposed areas.

Basically Vertical Bars in my footage.

You can search vimeo and see lots of examples of it.

HI LPowel, thx for your response. I have to admit that there are a lot of new terms here and technical details that I will have to study in order to understand, and reading your link about the Reliable In-Camera Playback Patch poses a question, there is says that that patch offers:
40Mbps FHD mode - AVCHD 1920x1080 24p/25p video (interlaced),

and my confusion here is that I thought that the "p" after 25 means that it is progressive footage, but here it says that the footage is 25p interlaced. That seem to me to be a contradiction, but I probably don't understand the terms correctly...

As you probably can guess from my language I am from Europe, and all my questions refer to the possibility of 25p in PAL

So does that mean the GH2 hack firmware is not applicable to GH2 PAL version? LPowell mentioned in an earlier post that we won't get 25p in 1080p, which means images will continue to be acquired at 50i? But when I tested the images recorded off my PAL version, the frame rate read 25p - is that faux 25p, via a wrapper?

I can't wait for Vitaly to finish his good work, but appreciate if he could also shed more light on the implications of his work for PAL owners like me

1.if you have it native 25p it will still crash if you lock it down on tripod pointing at high detail...no matter what bitrate you use.
2. vetical streaking is FPN...this is lines that appear vertically over the image in high iso's (usually over 800...but some have it even at 400) unlike noise this cant be really cleaned up...you can reduce fpn by playin with exposure but will be still evident.
3. see 2 lol

Thanks. You're not making my choices any easier. LOL