Adaptive method for Y-C separation in video signals

An adaptive method and system for processing luma and chroma signals from lines of a video signal. The invention includes an adaptive comb filtering algorithm that determines whether to average lines of video data based on the signal content. If two lines are dissimilar, a simple notch/bandpass system is used. The invention provides improved adaptive comb filtering performance at vertical transitions between high-luminance-detail areas and between other areas such as solid colors or flat gray or white fields by dynamically determining whether to average the chrominance information of the current video line with the chrominance information of the previous line, next line, both of such lines, or neither of such lines. In one aspect, the invention includes determining whether to average a current chroma value of a current video line with corresponding chroma values of the previous line, next line, or both of such lines, or neither of such lines; computing an output value for the current chroma value in response to such determination; determining a luminance correction from the current chroma value and the computed output value; and applying the luminance correction to a luma value corresponding to the current chroma value to correct any changes to the luma value.