NTSC to PAL conversion....

[AJL14]

Hi all. I'm just completing a project (NTSC) in which I have to ship some DVD copies to the UK (PAL). First of all, from an NTSC timeline, can Canopus transcode to a PAL DVD and my SONY DVR-109 DVD recorder - can it also do the PAL recording? If so - what is the proper and best way to make the PAL DVD so I can rely on it to play without a hitch in England?

You guys in the UK or Down Under surely know the ins-and-outs of this! I've never tried it before.
Many thanks,
Alan

[biopic]

Hi Alan
Actually we always do our MPEG2 (trans)encoding with TMPGEnc because it does a better job than Canopus. (Of course that may not be the case anymore, but I haven't tried it recently.) Then you just author the disc like any other.
However, are you sure you really need to deliver PAL. Pretty well all modern players in the UK can handle NTSC, and the issue never even arises if the disc is played on a computer.
Regards

[antonsvideo]

Pal DVD's play in Pal countries :((( only

NTSC DVD's play in NTSC and PAL countries, so there is no need to convert if you don't want

in a Pal country, you can't buy a DVD player that can't play NTSC and output to Pal TV

[tomokiboy]

The simple way is use Procoder and select DVD-PAL to encode. You can't check if you don't have Pal or Mutisystem DVD player (also Pal monitor) , but you can check it play on your computer, don't worry, if you can see it on your computer correctly, it means good for PAL DVD player (99%).

If SONY DVR-109 DVD recorder can't record PAL image, try to use DVD burn software and burn it on your computer DVD RW drive.

If your project is SD, the quality will down, and some fast pan or fast zoom images will come not smooth (NTSC 720*480 to PAL 720*576, need to force bigger, 30f to 25f, some frames will combine)

[Vaughan Wood]

you can't buy a DVD player that can't play NTSC and output to Pal TV

Incorrect! My new Mitsubishi Outlander has a DVD player in it that won't play NTSC discs! (Swear)

Cheers Vaughan

[AJL14]

Hi Andrew,

Our learned Anton suggested that all PAL players play PAL as well as NTSC converted to PAL for the PAL TV sets. Whereupon Vaughn who resides in Melbourne said "not true" - his PAL player would not play NTSC DVD's. So please let me know your experience in the UK, since these DVD's are going to Ireland. Perhaps I should email my Ireland folks to see what they say as well!

Many thanks,
Alan

[redgum]

Hey Vaughan, I think you better return your Mitsubishi DVD and get your $19 back. I've got more than a dozen DVD players/recorders here all of which play NTSC without fault.

[DigitalDave]

Hi Andrew,

Our learned Anton suggested that all PAL players play PAL as well as NTSC converted to PAL for the PAL TV sets. Whereupon Vaughn who resides in Melbourne said "not true" - his PAL player would not play NTSC DVD's. So please let me know your experience in the UK, since these DVD's are going to Ireland. Perhaps I should email my Ireland folks to see what they say as well!

Many thanks,
Alan

As they say "There's always one". I have not come across a PAL DVD player that would not output from an unregioned NTSC DVD so Vaughan is really unlucky (perhaps even the chosen one).
I would always suggest making a PAL DVD, encoding with PCE or full PC 2/3 to A PAL template remembering to set 16x9 if its widescreen source and then a simple menu from whatever you author with. The encoded PAL DVD will usually look better.

DD

[tomokiboy]

i am also looking for the software NTSC to PAL WITHOUT loss quality and smoothness while fast pan and fast zoom images. Any suggestion?

[antonsvideo]

i am also looking for the software NTSC to PAL WITHOUT loss quality and smoothness while fast pan and fast zoom images. Any suggestion?

there is no such thing in the affordable range, sorry

an NTSC DVD will play way smoother in a Pal DVD player than an NTSC DVD converted to Pal and then played in Pal DVD player

[skier-hughes]

Whereas I have not come across any NEW tv sets or dvd players that will not play a pseudo NTSC signal, the big problem comes if the sets are NOT NEW.
I have a pioneer dvd player, that is now a few years old and will not play ntsc dvds. I keep this unit as it has full 7.1 surround sound and it works great.

Also, my main tv is a few years older, but still works great, so why should I swap it. This also will not play an ntsc signal.

My other newer tv's and dvd players are all fine with it.



My advice, to ensure it works, would be to convert from the timeline to PAL MPeg2 using PCE.

Using your dvd authoring software, start a PAL project, import your PAL files, make a PAL dvd.

Your burner will burn whatever it is given, it doesn't know or care about PAL / NTSC issues.

Test your PAL dvd works in your pc.

If you have a new set over there, then you may be able to play it on your setup, so you could test this way as well, but don't worry unduly if it sdoesn't work on your tv. Do worry if it doesn't work on your pc.

Box them up and send them over.

Graham

[Imagine Video]

an NTSC DVD will play way smoother in a Pal DVD player than an NTSC DVD converted to Pal and then played in Pal DVD player

This is dependant on the encode But basically true PAL encodes to NTSC much better than NTSC to PAL

Some discs I have seen are very poor

Anton is 99% correct here in the UK MOST players - even the cheap ASDA players play NTSC DVD's as long as there are NO region codes.

Infact its the older High End players that baulk at such a disc....


PROCODER 1.5 does the best PAL - NTSC conversion I thought there were issues with AV sync ON STANDARDS CONVERTED FOOTAGE with PC3???


cath

[AJL14]

an NTSC DVD will play way smoother in a Pal DVD player than an NTSC DVD converted to Pal and then played in Pal DVD player

Thanks Anton. I will certainly check with my guys in Ireland, but upon your advise, will go this route rather than transcode.

Much obliged,
Alan

[skier-hughes]

How are you going to check?
Send them a disc and ask them to play it?
May as well send them both types and see which they prefer.
Graham