PAL DVD Issues

I'm not sure if this question is for this forum but I'll give it a shot.
My original FCP Project was an PAL HDV Project. Once I finished editing, I put the sequence in a DV PAL sequence, rendered it and outputted as a FCP file. I put that file in compressor to make a m2v PAL file. I took the file into DVD SP as a PAL project and burned it as a SD DVD on the G5.
The DVD tested fine on a several DVD players.
My problem is that I sent the DVD to Europe and they are experiencing major 'strobing' issues. I know there is some jitterness with HDV on motion scenes, but they are seeing constant strobing on their PAL DVD players. Am I doing something wrong. I took the DVD to a post house in Los Angeles, and it plays fine in their PAL systems. It actually play fine in my NTSC DVD player as well.
There isn't much motion in the film, mostly interviews.
Any clues of why this would happen?

It was originally shot in PAL 1080i50 on a Sony Zu1. I am assuming that is true PAL.
I made a DV PAL sequence first because the rendering time and conversion time to m2v files is much less.
Is the DVD burner that are installed on G5's capable of burning true PAL DVD's? I have one of the original G5's.

Similar Messages

HD to Pal SD 16:9 DVD issues

Hi all,
I have searched the forums for days and can’t find the best solution; I’m having trouble creating a Good PAL 16:9 SD DVD from a HD Source. The issues I’m having is the DVD looks washed out and very soft, also the graphics look bad with lines through them like they are not resolved properly.
I have being making DVD’s with compressor for about 5 years and I would be happy if I could get the same quality as when we used to shoot in DV.
Below is my process:
Shoot
Sony EX3 Camera 1920x1080i50,
Edit Timeline
1920x1080i
Prores 422,
Pixel aspect ratio: Square pixels
Field dominance: Upper
I have tried all solutions on the forums such as turning on Frame control(combination of different setting), down converting in FCP first, down converting in Compressor first, tried CB instead of VBR.
After days of testing, the best result I have had so far is to out put HD from fcp then get MPEG Streamclip to do the down convert then use compressor to make the DVD. This fixes the problem with the titles but not the soft focus issue.
Also I’m checking these DVD’s on a full def Sony LCD and SD CRT. It does look better on the SD CRT but most of my clients have LCD’s.
One thought I had is that my original footage uses square pixels but compressor changes it to 0.7031 Pal 601(16:9) I’m not sure what affect this is having on the quality of the DVD?
I'm using FCP 7.02 and Compressor 3.5.2
I would appreciate any help.(Plus I can’t wait til my clients get Blu-ray!)

I've been having similar problems, and it appears as if us in PAL world seem to get hit harder with this, leading me to think that the problem is in the Upper Field Dominance of HD being sloppily converted to Lower Field Dominance of PAL DVD. Those in NTSC world start in upper and finish in upper field dominance.
For the record, I'm using HDV 1080i 50 footage from our Z5's recording to flash card, ingested using Log and Transfer (with the Sony memory unit plug for FCP installed).
Many people have put forward their suggestions for HD to DVD workflow. Almost all of them are from the US and don't have to worry about moving from one format to another with different field dominance. No one has been able to tell me where the change takes place... they just know it happens somehow. If you are going from FCP to Compressor to DVD SP, I think DVD SP is changing the dominance as it preps for PAL DVD. I don't know how hard the conversion is, but I don't like the idea of DVD SP doing it.
I tried changing Compressor's settings to output in lower field dominance, btu all I got was unwatchable flicker.
I tried a demo version of BitVice and it yielded the same results as Compressor (just poor quality when field dominance set to "Same as source" and unwatchable flicker when set to lower). This adds weight to my theory that the problem is in the field dominance conversion which I think is being done by DVD SP. Maybe if an expert on this field dominance can confirm or rule out my theory, I can move past this bump in the road.
Has anyone tried moving projects over to the Adove suite and outputted via Encore?
Cheers
Dav

PAL DVD playback issues

Hi all,
I have made a 16x9 PAL DVD. Pretty simple disc - two menus, and a 24 minute video clip with chapters referenced in stories.
The menus are pict files setup with overlays for the button highlights. They are set to 16x9:pan/scan.
The client reported that the DVD did not play in a PAL player and TV. Played OK in a computer. He described the problem that the menu would not let them select any buttons, and that the menu was cut off top and bottom.
Before I sent the DVD, it played fine in my macbook pro, and on a windows laptop. But I don't have a PAL DVD player and PAL TV to test that config.
I burned another DVD today and tried it in a different mac. I saw the menu cutoff issue, and it also appeared that the overlay did not line up correctly so the menu did not work. This was the first time I played the DVD in this mac. Once I reset the view to normal size, it displayed and played fine. I also tried it again at full screen, and that worked as well.
So it appears that it does work, but there is an issue on first play where the menu is not displayed correctly on initial load.
Anyone have any suggests on how to get the first play to work? I'm assuming this is also what's affecting the DVD player / TV combination.
Also - any suggestions on setting up an affordable way to test the PAL DVDs here in the states other than a computer playback?
Thanks,
Bill
DVD SP 4.2.1
MacPro 8 core, OSX 10.4.11

Hi
He described the problem that the menu would not let them select any buttons, and that the menu was cut off top and bottom.
What size did you use to build your menu backgrounds and overlays?
Anyone have any suggests on how to get the first play to work?
It uses to be so simple as selecting what item do you want to run first in DVD Inspector in DVDSP. What element is your first play? The Menu? You cuold try building a very short track (3/5 secs), with just black image and use that as first play (or a simple slideshow with a single black image). I have heard around the forums about some issues with some specific players with a menu as first play.
Hope that helps !
Alberto

So I converted NTSC to PAL using nattress, but DVD issue now. Please read

So with Shanes help last night I managed to make the .mov PAL formatted. Now I went into DVD Studio Pro made my menus made sure it was PAL ready and started the burn process.
Yet it failed and the reason that DVD said is " Final PAL (Video):Invalid Video Asset"
Can anyone help me burn a proper PAL DVD?
Thanks

You might post at the DVDSP forum, too, but please return here if you get a helpful answer and close the thread.
I've never tried to do PAL, sorry, but I do know that DVDSP must be set up to work in PAL before you can use PAL assets. That, of course, is all in the manual.
Hope you get better advice.
bogiesan

How to produce a progressively encoded PAL DVD?

I've been tearing my hair out trying to get a conclusive answer to this. I'm trying to learn how to produce a PAL DVD that is encoded "progressively" and is not interlaced.
First I posted about it here in the Compressor forum, and then over at Ken Stone's forum.
To summarise , here's what I've been doing:
1. Export from FCP using Compressor
2. Apply the DVD preset
3. In the Inspector window, click the Frame Controls tab
4. Set the Resize Filter to Better or Best
5. Set Output fields to Progressive
6. Set Deinterlace to Better or Best
7. Uncheck Adaptive Details
8. Hit Submit and give your job a name
9. Import .m2v and .ac3 to DVD Studio Pro
10. Author and burn DVD
However, this is not producing a proper progressive encode - inspecting the .m2v asset (using VidoSpec) tells me that it is "lower field first."
Can anybody please advise? This is driving me crazy, and each time we issue a DVD reviewers pick up on the fact that it is not "flagged for progressive". Is this something that needs setting up as an option in DVDSP?

I need to read up about this topic also. I release Retail DVDs and have always shot in interlaced mode and released that way up until now
Now I am doing my first proper feature. I am advised to shoot progressive scan.
I am assuming from this thread that to produce commercial DVD that will play on all TVs and with all DVD players I will need to encode the final film to DVDStudio pro in Interlaced mode. (in other words in order to be played on all TVs the DVD needs to be interlaced not progressive scan. But to achieve a "Film Look" I need to shoot progressive. (I have not yet considered whether 24 fps or 25)
The film is aimed at a wide film fest, probably using a digital print, but I doubt we will get as far as transferring from High Def video to film (because of the expense) But I imaging the major market for the film internationally will be on DVD.
I am hoping to use a DOP, so hopefully will get more technical help there.
Best
Ian
Corolo Film & Video

DVD Player has started playing PAL DVD's on external PAL display very badly

I have my Early 2006 iMac connected to an external HDTV (Mini-DVI->HDMI)
Using display options I can switch the external display easily between NTSC and PAL refresh rates.
It used to be that apple's DVD player could play a PAL dvd just fine on the display but now the frame rate drifts in and out of sync as though it no longer understands that the TV is set to 50hz.
Although I used to use DVD player all the time I haven't done so for quite some months so I don't know when this started happening although I have a feeling that it was with a recent OS X update.
I say this because a few months ago all of a sudden the same thing happened with Elgato's EyeTV, but they issued a patch sometime later and it fixed the v-sync issue for their app.
I'm also wondering if it may be a de-interlacing issue rather than a v-sync issue but I'm not sure, I've tried various DVD's.
I have tried deleting ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.DVDPlayer but this hasn't helped.
If it's relevant, my iMac has an ATI Radeon X1600
Any ideas why DVD player has started having trouble with 50hz displays and how I might fix it?
Failing that, is there a good (hopefully free) dvd player alternative which is better at handing external displays of varying display modes?
p.s this was the most appropriate forum I could find.

I suggest that you create 15-second silent audio slug that you can use to move the audio the same amount you have moved the video.
John Link

Best workflow for footage in 1440x1080 and vid rate 23.98fps going to a PAL DVD player in europe

I am new at this and still getting a grasp of the technical details. I've made several trips to Germany over the last three years and each time have shot using different settings. Right now I am editing the footage from the first year where I shot 1080i and 24p (Canon XHA1). I've already sent some DVDs with films I edited from this trip, but not sure I've achieved the best result that I can in terms of image quality. What i think i've been doing so far is to edit in the original NTSC, and then when i get ready to burn the DVD to send to my relatives in Germany, I have set the Project Info settings in iDVD to PAL. But from reading the boards I am getting the sense that there are multiple ways to do this, each with varying results. Obviously, I'd like to have my German viewers view a DVD with the best quality picture, and am wondering what is the best way to go about this. I've also read on the boards that most PAL dvd players will play NTSC, which makes me wonder if burning the DVD with iDVD set to PAL is necessary. I've already been told by one of my relatives who has viewed the same film here in america (burned as NTSC) and in Germany (one I sent burned as PAL), that the PAL versions did not have as good a picture quality. Any suggestions?
Also, if you knew that your primary audience was going to be PAL viewers, and you are shooting with an NTSC camera, what would the ideal settings be? On my canon xha1, my frame rate options are 60i, 30f, and 24f. My 'comp out' options are 480i and 080i/480i. My understanding is 1080i50 would be better for PAL, but 25fps is not an option on my camera.
Thanks,
Paul

Well it must be 24 over 29.97 then because it is working with it. I have been able to create timelines and export quicktime movies, etc. The item properties (in FCE Browser) of the clips definitely say 23.98fps-- as I would expect because I know I had the camera set to 24p. However, the frame rate of the sequences i've been editing on say 29.97. This is without me having made any conscious effort to manipulate any settings for the sequences at the outset-- I didn't even know the sequences had settings for this when i started. I just began dragging and dropping footage out of the browser and it must have automatically set the sequence to 29.97. Who knows what I had the Easy Set up set to when i brought the footage over from my camera two years ago. I knew even less then. Are the settings on Easy Set up critical when bringing the footage onto your computer from your camera? What processes are the Easy set up settings governing?
Even with all of that said, you would recommend burning the DVD as an NTSC? An NTSC in a new PAL DVD player will look better than an NTSC burned as a PAL? I suppose I could send them both versions and see which one looks better.
Thanks for you help Tom.
P.S.
On the true 24p issue, I did find this:
There are many posts out there about the Canon XH A1 not having "true 24p".
I think much of that misinformation out there maybe stemmed from (correct me if I'm wrong):
Canon Frame Mode on the standard DV cams was a "simulation: of the 24 frame look.
The Canon HDV 24p actually records each single frame progressively, but using an interlaced method.

Severe pixellation PAL DVD format, Premier Elements 11

Hi I am facing severe pixellation problem on a moving object, when rendered in Elements 11. The source was Sony mini DV captured as AVI through Premier and then rendered as PAL DVD output. Strangely, this shows up when the disc is played on DVD player. Same problem when the MPEG file is played through windows media player or VLC player. Strangely if the clip is imported into Premier 11 then the pixellation disappears. Pls help. The video is uploaded at the following URL:
http://www.sandakphu.com/video/Traintest1.mpg and can be downloaded from following URL http://www.sandakphu.com/video. Pls look at the yellow vertical hendles on the moving train.

Dear Steve
Thanks for taking time to respond. Actually the pixellation is coming on the DVD being played thru TV as well. In some cases the picture is very choppy and severe. I repeated the capture using Windows Movimaker - and created a DVDin third party software, no problem there. Secondly, I converted the AVI file into MPEG HD 720 P and then created a DVD using a third party software - no issue tere either. The pixellation and choppy video is showing up specifically when I am writing into PAL DVD format from premier 11. I suspect there is a interlace setting somewhere that I am missing...

Trouble burning a PAL DVD

Hi, I am having issues with trying to burn PAL DVDs.
We have a distributor that requires PAL DVDs as screeners with & without TC burn.
They required we take our masters (HDCAM, 1920 X 1080, progressive, 23.98 fps) & send it to a post house that could do an Alchemist conversion & make 1080 50i, 25 fps masters on HDCAM.
This was done & we have captured the tape to FCP in a PAL project. Exported out & files went through compressor using DVD Best quality - 90 min template.
Confirmed that files are correct size & speed in inspector.
In DVDSP i set the project up as PAL.
There are no menus - just the program with 5-6 chapter markers.
PAL DVD was created as region free.
When we check the DVD on a region free deck the playback is very jerky.
Have tried playback tests with commercial PAL DVDs & they play back fine.
Anybody have any idea what I might be doing wrong?
Using a 12 core macpro with FCS 3
If you need more detail please let me know .
THANKS.

Russ: Converting the standard is not an option through Compressor as they absolutely need the timing to be the same. I am the post person, so it is not my call. The producer's have determined that this what they have to do (right or wrong). I can do a test with the master file in compressor to see if I get better results, but it is something that I cannot deliver.
Nick: Again it is not my call. I have pointed it out to the producers & was told that is not acceptable to them. So it is my hoop to jump through. I have told them about the NTSC DVDs vs PAL & their response is that is not acceptable. We don't need worry about DVD replication anymore as all of our sales will become either digital, or delivery through this means by the distributor from the HDCAM 50i masters & using the PAL DVDs as reference.
Michael: We are monitoring the video from FCP with an AJA KONA 3G card to a broadcast monitor thru SDI (dont remeber the exact model - think it is a panasonic monitor). I will try your test as well, but I think that if I can't get the DVDs to work the way they want them then they are going to get the post house that made the 50i masters to make the PAL DVDs for them as well. They would rather not do this as all I am told is it is expensive, so they would rather not. If it comes to it, and it might based on our deadline, then they will go that route if they feel forced to.
Thanks to all three of you for the suggestions.

Testing a PAL DVD

I’ve used the Nattress: Standards Conversion filter for a current FCP project and it’s worked amazingly. I then used COMPRESSOR with the setting: "DVD Best Quality 90 min – 4:3" to create the MPEG-2 for use in DVD Studio Pro. I selcted PAL version and burned the DVD. Is there anyway to test if the burned PAL DVD is working properly, as I don’t have a PAL DVD player?
I was shocked actually that the DVD played in my NTSC DVD player and on my Mac – is that supposed to happen or have I burned it incorrectly?
I selected PAL in DVD Studio Pro so I don’t think that is the issue.
Any suggestions?

Indeed - but mixing PAL and NTSC on the same side of a DVD creates an 'out of spec' disc. In fact, other DVD tools used to claim to let you do the same - the early release of DVDLabPro on a PC heralded this mix and match as a feature, and in fact you could theoretically accomplish it I think, but I would have to wonder why you want to. DVDLabPro no longer allows you to, and I think it's probably wiser to stay within the DVD spec when creating discs that you want to be compatible
Suffice to say that if you are using PAL assets, and have set DVDSP to be a PAL project then it will probably turn out as a PAL disc (or vice versa if you use NTSC)!

Rec's to convert PAL DVDs to NTSC?

Hello, I've run into a video conversion issue and was hoping to get some guidance. So a friend mistakenly gifted me a DVD that was not NTSC/Region 1; I didn't realize this at first when I inserted and tried playing it in my Macbook, but unfortunately did after I'd put it into my home DVD player (the DVD logos loaded just fine, but when it came to the spot where the DVD menu was supposed to load, my screen started flickering and I thought both my TV and DVD player were broken).
So I have 2 crucial questions:
1) Is it possible to look at a DVD on my desktop/in the Finder (or using the DVD Player feature), and tell the difference between a PAL and NTSC one?
2) Have you ever converted a PAL DVD to a NTSC one, how difficult is it, and what's your recommended/preferred method/program?
I tried Googling the subject, but many of the discussions/methods that came up were out of dated (some by as many as 6 years...)
Thanks!!

...Uh yeah, that's the program I initially used, to try to burn the Video_TS to another disc, still came up as PAL. And I don't want to re-burn another coaster, I want to convert it.
Anyone else know?

PAL DVD to NTSC DVD CS5

I`m using CS5 Production premium and I have edit movie (1440x1080 25fps 1,3333). Pal DVD and blu-ray is ready, but now I need to make Nort American festifal copy NTSC DVD and Blu-ray. Is that so simple that I took squence to media encoder and pick up Format: MPEG2-DVD Present: NTSC 23,976p widescreen and after that I open NTSC project on Encore and burn DVD. Same thing with Blu-ray? I make test clip this way and it`s look fine VLC player, but I can`t test DVD or Blu-ray because I don`t have pure NTSC stand alone player. Does anyone know this issue? I don`t want to send copy that is not working
properly. Thank you.

Yes I know, so if that work here that should work and look same
way in pure NTSC player there? Does anyone have experience?

PAL DVD framerate not working

Hello,
I recently released a DVD in both NTSC and PAL formats. All of the footage was shot using AVCHD cameras, and edited in HD in FCP. Here was my workflow for compressing/converting:
1) Export .mov file from FCP in HD
2) Compress in compressor using 120 minute DVD compression. I compressed once in NTSC, and once in PAL.
3) I then built my DVD in DVD Studio Pro using NTSC format. Once the NTSC was completed, I saved a copy of my project, removed all video clips, and then changed the format to PAL and reimported all the PAL clips and reassigned them to their assets. This SHOULD work I would think, and for the most part it did. Most PAL customers have had no issues.
The problem I am having is kind of baffling me. I am in the USA, so I have no true way to test the PAL version other than seeing that it plays in my Mac and not in my TV and DVD player. About 80% of the customers have had no problems with the PAL DVD, but others have had issues where the framerate was severely messed up and unwatchable. Can anyone shed some light on this? It was not one country specifically... I have had this complaint from Europe and Australia. I have had no problems at all with NTSC customers.
I know that most PAL players can play NTSC also, but sending everyone NTSC is not the ideal solution. I want to fix the actual problem so PAL works as it should.
Thanks in advance!

Shooting and editing was 29.97, HD 1440x1080i. I compressed to PAL using 16:9 aspect ratio. In quicktime, everything plays fine. The m2v files are fine and the DVD plays fine in DVD Player. Only 10-20% of people have this issue, while its fine with others. The DVD is burned region free if that matters.

Exporting 23.98fps 720P project for PAL DVD

I'm trying to create a PAL DVD from a HDV 23.98fps 720P project and am having a few issues. All the footage is PAL and I am converting it to an SD file as it is for an SD DVD however exporting through FCP gives me black frames, using DVD studio pro to convert gives me a freeze frame effect (both of which I assume is through converting 23.98 to 25 fps) so I was told to use Compressor. I tried this but can only seem to render out a 23.98fps file as NTSC, whenever I switch it to PAL it automatically changes to 25fps as my only option.
Any help would be much appreciated as my deadline is looming.

Hi:
Are you sure that your footage is PAL 23.98 fps? I'm not involved with HDV but that sounds like NTSC frames.
What is the source of that footage?
Hope that helps !
Alberto

PAL DVD color shift

I burned a PAL dvd studio pro project and when I play it back on my ntsc tv there is a color shift.
it doesnt happend to other PAL dvd's though.
And the dvd in question plays fine on a computer.
what would this be?
thanks,
Jerry

Most current PAL players will do NTSC disks without issues.
Most current NTSC players puke when confronted with PAL disks. That it played at all is some victory.
x

PAL DVD Issues

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for