NTSC to PAL as .MPEG in Compressor 3.0.5

We're using FCP 6.0.6 with Compressor 3.0.5. We are to begin making PAL versions of our show with the following specifications:
Format: Mpeg-2
Stream Type: Program Stream Main Profile @ Main Level
Video Bit Rate: CBR 8 Mbps
Image Size: 720 x 576
Video Standard: PAL
Frame Rate: 25 fps
Frame Type: Interlaced
Field Dominance: Top Field First
Chroma Format: 4:2:0
GOP Structure: Closed GOP; sequence headers on every GOP
GOP Formate: IBBP
GOP Length: 15 Frames
Audio Mode: 2 channel stereo
Audio Type: MPEG Layer II
Audio Bit rate: 192 Kbps
Frequency: 48 khz
Audio Level: Cant' peak above -10dfs Aim between -18 and -10
The file we are converting is a 720 x 480 DV/DVC Pro NTSC .mov file. I can adjust all my settings in Compressor so as to meet these specifications, but it comes out with an image size of 720 x 540 and I can not understand why. I can get it to 720 x 576 if I change the format to an .mov, but it absolutely has to have an .mpeg extension. Our file is to be uploaded on an ftp site.
Any assistance would be much appreciated!

Are you viewing this in Quicktime Player? If so, you might want to have a look at this: http://support.apple.com/kb/TA23436

Similar Messages

NTSC to PAL - Export straight from FCP or use an mpeg file?

I was reading this
http://www.macworld.com/article/49306/2006/02/marchcreate.html
however it does not mention what to bring into compressor.
Should I export my ntsc sequence straight from FCP into compressor, or should I drag an ntsc mpeg file I aldeady made into compressor? Ive been trying the latter but can't do much as each step gives me the spinning beach ball for anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes. Thanks much.

Yes, you should export directly from FCP Using Compressor. Exporting to a heavily compressed MPEG-file, and then converting that from NTSC to PAL makes no sense. You would want your video to go through as few conversions/generations as possible.

How to edit together NTSC, PAL, and Mpeg Formats

for this Museum installation that I am compiling I have to get footage from a variety of sources and media, mostly VHS and DVD. The final output would be as a Mpeg2 to be played on a server. What is the best compression to use for editing? DVpal, was my first guess, but then I also have some NTSC material which would have to be edited together with PAL stuff. How do I convert one to the other. Should I use an uncompressed format for quality, or edit in the Mpeg2 format I hope to export.
Thanks very much for your help on this confusing subject
Peter

If your final output will be in PAL then it would likely be best to edit using DV-PAL as was your first guess, especially as most of your footage will be coming from low resolution sources anyway. Of course, higher quality will always be better, but if its not for projection and/or broadcast then the relatively lower quality of DV or DV50 woud be ample.
For capture from VHS you would definately benefit if you could run it through a TBC (timebase corrector), see if you can get hold of one.
For converting NTSC to PAL you can go with a cheap convertor (you'll get a cheap looking conversion) or you could just render it out from FCP (you'll have long render times and a cheap looking conversion) ... you could use Compressor, which would get you a much better conversion, but if you have any kind of budget, then invest in Graeme Natress's very affordable Standards Converter plugins - they'll give you top quality conversions that would give a very expensive hardware based converter a run for its money ... and they render faster than Apple's bulit-in conversion too.
Good luck
Andy

Settings for Pal DV MPEG 4 16:9 25i with compressor

Hi,
I will neee some help. I need to sumit to a local TV in Spain a video on PAL DV MPEG 4 16:9 with 25I.
Enclosed pic of the actual setting

Yes you can make it PAL 16:9 25i but not in MPEG-4. There is only a very specific set of MPEG-4 part 10 that will make standard definition interlaced at a high data rate. It cannot use the DV codec. I think only x264 will do it, and I don't know anything that will output that MBAFF encoding structure, maybe Episode, or as Russ said, Sorenson. It's a completely bastardize format that as far as I can see serves no useful purpose. Can't imagine why they want that, unless it's for some specific playback device that they're using to transmit from. Would be nice to know what this device is.

HD NTSC to PAL Debacle

Dear Compression sages,
I'm attempting to convert my NTSC DVCpro HD 720 Quicktime to PAL to make a PAL DVD in DVDSP. So I need a PAL mpeg2. My trouble starts here.
In compression I followed all the settings to convert to PAL. The resulting mpeg was a little rough in terms of quality, but it was the best I could get it. It seemed to play alright.
But to my horror when I dropped the clip into the DVDSP timeline I discovered that all the subtitles I had made in my NTSC DVDSP project gradually went out of sync. The DVDSP project had been fully converted to PAL, every menu. But this gradual de-syncing of the subtitles confused me. And this is not the kind of project that I can easily move the subtitles over. 26 min, heavy on the lines, 5 subtitle tracks.
I checked the audio sync and it seemed to be in sync, but I couldn't be clinically certain frames weren't being dropped towards the end. I did some research and discovered that many people had been having trouble with conversions from NTSC to PAL. Out of sync audio issues, frames being dropped, etc.
In desperation I consulted a friend, who recommended I use a FCP plug-in to do the conversion called Nattress Standards Conversion. He said he had had frame dropping issues with other transfers, but that the NSD plug-in had worked great.
I downloaded the plug-in, and attempted to follow the instructions (bellow) only to find that on step 9, it did not recognize the proper aspect ratio of my HD footage, giving me 4:3 instead of 6:9. I tried switching a few settings, but to no avail. Everytime I dragged and dropped the origional source clip into the filter interface the clip in the viewer altered to 4:3 ratio. Blast, I thought. Probably some little setting I will never discover.
So here I am, back on the compression forums. Has anyone successfully used compressor to convert NTSC HD to PAL without getting drop frames or subtitles gradually going out of sync? How on earth do I do this conversion without horrific results?
NTSC to PAL conversion for Nattress:
1. edit the NTSC clip to an PAL timeline
2. nest the NTSC clip to allow the plugin to scale the converted clip. Because the pixel
dimensions of NTSC video are smaller than PAL, the clip will appear shrunk down in
the timeline canvas viewer. This is normal. The nesting of the clip will allow the
plugin to correctly scale it to PAL pixel dimensions. (select clip and go to the Se-
quence Menu and select Nest Items - make sure the pixels dimensions of the nest
are PAL sized)
3. apply the G Converter plugin to the nested sequence in the PAL timeline. Make sure
the plugin goes onto the nest itself, not the clip that it contains.
4. open the nest in the viewer (control click on the nest and select "Open in viewer" or
select nest then press return)
5. select the ﬁlter tab in the viewer
6. set the correct settings for the desired conversion. In this case, we select Source
Pixel size to be 720 x 480 (NTSC), lower ﬁeld order for source (in this case a NTSC
DV clip) and destination (PAL DV timeline).
7. if you desire the PAL output to be de-interlaced, this can be performed in one step by
selecting progressive output
8. if you would like to experiment with the conversion algorithm using "Smart De-
Interlacing" then this can be selected in the De-Interlace options. The Tolerance
control affects the smart de-interlace and it's effects can be seen by selecting "View
Smart Mask" in the De-Interlace Options.
9. the original NTSC clip that was edited to the PAL timeline must now be dropped from
the project browser onto the Source Clip image well in the ﬁlter. The plugin will use
this video clip for all the image data for the conversion. This is the important step
that makes this plugin different from any other, and is vital to it's successful operation.

I downloaded the plug-in, and attempted to follow the instructions (bellow) only to find that on step 9, it did not recognize the proper aspect ratio of my HD footage, giving me 4:3 instead of 6:9. I tried switching a few settings, but to no avail. Everytime I dragged and dropped the origional source clip into the filter interface the clip in the viewer altered to 4:3 ratio. Blast, I thought. Probably some little setting I will never discover.
Email Graeme Nattress with your problem. He does a good job supporting his plugins.
x

Project Setup: NTSC or PAL

In connection with a recent post I made:
When you begin a project in DVD Studio Pro, you have the option to set the project as NTSC or PAL.
What would happen if I shot/edited an NTSC video, but selected the DVD studio pro project to be PAL? Would the burned DVD then be capable of playing on a PAL dvd player?

Unless I'm mistaken, I do not believe that you can import a NTSC video into a PAL DVDSP project. Even if it is possible, it's not a good idea from a quality standpoint.
So, yes, use Compressor to transcode your file from NTSC to PAL. That said, I would try to avoid doing that directly to an MPEG-2 encode. In other words, convert from (say) DV-NTSC to DV-PAL with a very healthy dose of Frame Controls - set every option to Better - and see how you like the results. Then convert your DV-PAL file to MPEG-2 for use in a PAL DVDSP project. But Compressor is not fast when it comes to transcoding of this type.
If you can - because you'll likely need to run this overnight or over the weekend. - I'd recommend the use of job chaining. In case you haven't done that before, select your DV-PAL encode setting in Compressor's Batch window and then select *Job > New Job from Selected Output* via the menubar. That will bring up a new job - a whole new box - that you can slap the appropriate MPEG-2 & Dolby settings on to. This way, you'll have your converted file - should you need to (re)encode and any point - as well as at least one attempt at converting it to MPEG-2. If you're happy with the quality, you've killed two birds with one stone...

Converting NTSC to PAL with chapter markers

Hey guys,
I have just a quick question.
I am making a home made video. I did all the editing in FCP and made a great DVD in iDVD. I would like to do the same thing in PAL format so I can send it to my parents in Europe. My original footage is in NTSC. I did my own research and tried using compressor to change format to PAL.
I tried several different settings (PAL DV, Mpeg 2 PAL) but the outcome movie is always missing chapter markers.
I also tried to import the PAL movie (after conversion in Compressor) to FCP and added chapter markers but did not work.
Does anybody know how to convert the format from NTSC to PAL and keep the chapter markers at the same time? I would like to mantain as high quality as possible.
Thanks for your help.
iMac G5 Intel Core Duo Mac OS X (10.4.8)
iMac G5 Intel Core Duo Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Well, this seemed to work. However, being completely new to converting to PAL, I was surprised to see the "jumpiness" that goes along with the frame rate drop. Looking at it taxes the eyes as it seems like its dropping frames every so often. I realize, through more research that this is due to the 25 FPS nature of PAL plus the fact that I'm converting and not just authoring from PAL material. Having said this, is there a tried and true way of "smoothing" this jumpiness that anyone would share?
A friend of mine suggested that when I place the file into DVDSP, I choose the TOP field in the encoding tab, prior to burning the disk. In the past I have always left the FIELD menu set at Auto. He says that setting it to TOP might help a little.
He also told me that a lot of the software based converters don't do the best of jobs. Although acceptable results may come from tweaking the settings, the best way to convert NTSC to PAL (with the most pleasing results) is by using a very high end converter (not a computer). Although you have to weigh out the circumstances such as how many disks will eventually be converted compared to available budget, is it worth spending a little extra for a master that will ultimately see 1,000 copies?
I'm planning on showing my client the burn with field dominance set to TOP, on Monday. Hopefully she'll find it acceptable and I'll be able to move on with this project. Thanks for all the help!
Steve
Power Mac, G5 Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Ntsc to pal issue

hello.
Every time i put .mov thru compressor ,when loading in dvd studio pro , i get the error stating ntsc project can not be added to pal project

Based on a quick Google for Sony HVR-A1J, you're using a Japanese gray market version of the A1. Japan is a NTSC (29.97 frames per second) country.
If you are allowing FCP to reconfigure Sequence settings to match the video clips (which you typically should do) it is creating a NTSC sequence. Basically, if you want to create PAL DVDs of decent quality you need to shoot with a PAL camera.
In your current situation you need to convert NTSC (29.97 fps) to PAL (25 fps). The Final Cut Studio package can only do a 'fair' quality job, for best quality you'd need to send it out to a professional conversion facility.
Find the DVD Best Quality 150 minute preset in the Apple>DVD folder, click on it to highlight, click on the + button to create a duplicate, open the new copy, double click on the MPEG-2 preset, under the Encoder menu (click the 'gear' button for manual control) set the video format to PAL, under Frame Controls menu click the 'gear' button and turn Frame Controls On, set Resize to Best, select Rate Conversion: Best, Set Duration to 95.904% of source, click the Save button.
NTSC to PAL is not a beginner level process. Cross check the suggested settings above with the Compressor Manual to better understand what you're doing and why.
Oh, and get a video camera that shoots at 25 fps.

NTSC from Pal

Hi
I am using background encoding on DVDSPRO.
Will this convert PAl to NTSC for me? It is after all converting the footage to an Mpeg format for me in the process. Will this Mpeg2 be NTSC?
Chris

You should convert the footage to NTSC from PAL using conversion options in Compressor and/or Final Cut plugins (such as nattress.com)
Do a quick search for "PAL NTSC" on this board for some more information, this comes up often
or click this
http://discussions.apple.com/search.jspa?threadID=&q=PAL+NTSC&objID=f952&dateRan ge=last90days&userID=&numResults=15

Conversion from NTSC to PAL

Hi there, can anyone help me with that old chestnut of converting NTSC in FCP to PAL via Compressor and then onto DVD SP to burn PAL DVDs. By exporting the NTSC film from FCP using Compressor is it just a matter of setting the Inspector to PAL (as well as setting the Frame Controls to custom) even though the source file is NTSC, or does it need to be converted to PAL first. My first attempt indicated around 120 hours for processing. Is this the only option or is a plug-in required? I have tried reading the Apple manual several times but I find it just doesn't explain things clearly enough. There should be a section on standards conversion not just a vague reference here or there. Maybe I'm a bit thick. Has anyone else had this NTSC to PAL issue? Any help appreciated. Cheers.
Al.

The use of Compressor 2 in format conversion should be restricted to short pieces (5-10 mins or less) because, yes, it takes forever. That is, unless you've got time to burn (or no money left in the budget).
The only advice I can give you is to set all your Frame Control setting to Better and not Best. Best increases rendering time about three-fold without that much of an encoding improvement. However, it still won't be quick.
(And no, you do not have to do a straight PAL -> NTSC conversion, then convert that NTSC movie to an MPEG-2)

Where can I check to see if project has been imported in NTSC or PAL?

I have been importing DV tapes from both NTSC and PAL DV camcorders and I think I may have made a mistake on a take and recorded an NTSC tape in PAL. I can't find anywhere that tells me if my projects are in PAL or NTSC. Does anyone know how I can check?
Thanks
Kevin

[email protected] wrote:
...I tried what you said but it only gives me the option to see codecs under 'more info' when I view the info on the thumbnail files and then it still doesn't tell me if it is Pal or NTSC. When I right click on the file in the finder the only info I get is that it is a DV Movie....
.... ooops..
in case you own QTpro or the free tool Mpeg Streamclip, open file, hit Apple-I and read in the info framerate/fps: 25=PAL, 29.97=NTSC..

NTSC and PAL

Under iDVD preferences and the Projects tab it asks a few things that I know nothing about:
1) Video Mode: NTSC or PAL. What are those and when would I use one over the other?
2) Encoding: Best Quality or Best Performance? Which is better to use and if I use Best Performance do I want to "Enable background encoding"?
Thanks. -Jeff

there are no NTSC DVDs, there are only DVDs that have 29.97fps, 720x480 MPEG-2 video to maximize video quality on an NTSC analog output
... and THAT makes them NTSC DVDs.
Jeff asked: ) Video Mode: NTSC or PAL. What are those and when would I use one over the other?. Jeff, the are video standards used in different places around the world. If all your DVDs are intended for use in the US, just select NTSC and don't worry about it.
PAL and NTSC are analog modulations
... that differ mostly in the way the chrominance signal is treated (besides the image size and frame rate).

NTSC to PAL Compression for DVD Studio Pro

I am trying to make PAL MPEG2s using Compressor. My videos are roughly 15 minutes long (I have 6 going onto one DVD). I altered one of the Presets to PAL, 16x9, one pass VBR, 4.5 to 7 data rate, best for the motion setting. And I get the typical odd chunky feeling during motion within the frame. Meaning frames look removed (or added) during movement. I looked at it not only on my MAC but on a PAL DVD routed to a true PAL monitor.
Any advice for settings I should try? I have two tests rendering - I moved up to 2 pass VBR, 5-8 data rates, better motion and best motion. I should be able to look at them this evening; but from the folks I talked to, I'm not hopeful. Has anyone figured a way to make PAL MPEG2s look good short of having PAL masters made and a large Post house do the files on their very expensive equipment?
Thanks,
Cindy S.

What version of Compressor are you using? Compressor 2 has frame rate conversion settings under the Frame Controls tab (offering various levels of quality).
In any case, you might want to try the freeware utility JES Deinterlacer since it supports fairly good NTSC to PAL conversion using either frame blending or a form of inverse telecine (to convert from NTSC's 29.97fps to PAL's 25fps). If you're using Compressor 1.X then this may be your best option unless you are willing to spend some money on an alternative, third-party solution.
You can download JES Deinterlacer from VersionTracker.com -- it comes with instructions.<small><hr width="75%"><small>If this suggestion helps in any way, a confirmation or acknowledgment would be appreciated, since that would also help others who may be having the same difficulty. Do for others as you would have them help you.<center>Thanks for sharing, Waymen.</center></small>

NTSC to PAL, anyone?

Hello There,
I'm about to buy Premier and I'm excited about it. I'm learning and you'll see that from my question.
Can anyone tell me if Premier has the ability to output an NTSC project to PAL? My camera is NTSC. My client needs a PAL end result.
Or, if that's not possible, what program will do the job and how's the quality of the result?
Thanks,
BT

Crellin Sound wrote:
Hmmmm,
Just how tricky is the frame rate conversion going from NTSC to PAL? We'll probably shoot at 24fps, but one never knows. There's a possibility that this could go to TV.
And just how much visual color difference is there between NTSC and PAL? Does the difference between 16 - 235 for NTSC and 0 - 255 for PAL really matter? Is it noticeable?
Thanks,
BT
Well, make sure you know at least what you are shooting
I just gave it a try using AME, max render quality & frame blending and the result is... let me put is this way: you'll see the difference comparing both clips, especially if the source is interlaced, for progessive its a quite a bit better. Some people would say just play it back at 25 fps, the lesser speed is visually below being perceivable, but you will get audio shifting.
Using time remapping might be better, I had good result using Apples Compressor which uses optical flow for rendering intermediate frames (which is not good for CG, by the way). After Effects has similar capabilities, but I haven't used them yet.
As long as you stay in HD you wont notice any color differences since there arent any. Both use the same color space.

FROM NTSC TO PAL

I have a sanyo xactia hd digital camera, so i want to change from 29 fps to 25 fps and i can't or i don't know how to do it. Can somebody help me?. Thanks a lot.

What camera are you shooting with? mpeg4 is not an idea editing format.
You can use compressor to change your finished sequence from ntsc to pal. Do some googling and searching here. And you might check the compressor documentation.
I use a plugin by Graeme Nattress to do the conversion. It does a great job
http://www.nattress.com/Products/standardsconversion/standardsconversion.htm
Definitely worth the investment.

NTSC to PAL as .MPEG in Compressor 3.0.5

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