Field Order -- Frame based, LFF, UFF?

[erdna]

The camcorder is a Sony XR500. It doesn't have a progressive mode setting. I even checked my UFF and LFF SD DVD's using a TBC which enables me to freeze any frame, and within this frame, I can select field 1 or field 2. I can clearly see two different fields in the frame freeze, with the known interlace artifacts on the moving objects, also the two fields (with the field1/2 TBC selection) are clearly not taken at the same time. My understanding is, that (as long as nobody else has another explanation) that the information about the field order (in the mpeg video info header) is interpreted and used for all interfield codecs (HDV and AVCHD), and overrides whatever setting is being selected in an NLE.