1. A motion compensation module for use in a video encoder for encoding a video input signal, the motion compensation module comprising: a motion search module, that generates a motion search motion vector for each macroblock of a plurality of macroblocks by contemporaneously evaluating a top frame macroblock and bottom frame macroblock from a frame of the video input signal and a top field macroblock and a bottom field macroblock from corresponding fields of the video input signal, wherein the motion search module calculates a cost associated with the motion search motion vector based on an estimated predicted motion vector that is based on neighboring macroblocks exclusively from at least one prior row of the video input signal; and a motion refinement module, coupled to the motion search module, that when enabled, generates a refined motion vector for each macroblock of the plurality of macroblocks, based on the motion search motion vector.