PAL/NTSC conversion for DVDs

Hello All
I recently had some work involving standard conversion of DV PAL material and then burning said material onto DVD. Everybody trying it knows that this is time consuming and doesn't always produce the desired results - for obvious reasons (Methods used by me were the two documented on Dan Slagle's Unofficial iMovie FAQ).
I then had the really "fantastic" idea to tweak the DVD with myDVDedit, by simply setting the IFO parameters to NTSC 720x480. Tested the burned DVD on two different set-top NTSC DVD players - and discarded the whole thing as "silly BS"
Searching through the Net I just found out, that somebody had the same idea using IFOedit (the PC equivalent to myDVDedit) and that the results were mixed, but there were a lot of users that shouted: "great, this works".
Getting a bit confused now, as i had thought this over after my own experiment and had come to the conclusion that it couldn't possibly work.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated
viva la mela

Hi mish,
that is such a .. <searching correct english word> hillarious (?) idea, I give you a star for that ;-)))
changing some flags on a ready-made dvd... wow! nice try...- but as Fred said, NTSC<<>>PAL conversions are no trivial tasks... you run into many problems, e.g. where do you get the additonal 5 frames per second you need for a transfer from PAL to NTSC? how to make the audio fit to these new pictures? and, I HAVE to do this silly joke: NTSC has a very different color concept (Never The Same Color) then PAL.. and for sure a different res...
the name is irritating, but all mighty JES Deinterlacer is doing a fantastic job in converting video standards (ok, for a free software solution...) give that a try!

Similar Messages

PAL - NTSC Prores for DVD authoring

Hi
Ive 100 mins of concert footage shot on Canon t2i. 25fps PROGRESSIVE.
I need to author and duplicate a DVD using DVD studio pro, this will be pressed and released commercially.
Im trying to get the best quality and work method.
After loads of reading, so far, this is my work route.
1. Convert Prores files from PAL - NTSC using Comp 4.
Im keeping the same size, 1920 x 1080, just changing the frame rate to 29.97.
In frame controls I have ..
Resize - BETTER Deinterlace BETTER ( though can this be set to FAST as the footage is PROGRESSIVE)
Rate conversion BETTER
2.Take these NTSC Pro res 1920 x 1080 and convert in COMP 4 to m2v. Using 2 pass VBR. (???????)
It looks OK...just paranoid... just want to know if im missing a trick....????

A couple of thoughts:
If you're sending out this to a replication house, I'd check with them before you do anything in Compressor or DVDSP to make sure you know all their specifications.
Also consider sending your movie to a post house that has the hardware to do standards conversions. You can do it in Compressor (or another compression apps) but hardware doe a conversion better job than software, Asj the replication people for their recommendation.
What you outlined for steps in Compressor seem pretty reasonable. A few recommendations:
For best quality, set the Resize filter to Best. And Compressor will see that your video is progressive so that setting can just be the default.
Yes. Use two pass VBR – unless the replication house says otherwise. (Check with the replication people about optimal bit rate settings.)
For Audio set Dialogue Normalization to -31.
magenta1 wrote:
It looks OK...just paranoid... just want to know if im missing a trick....????
Not paranoid…just smart.
Best of luck.
Russ

NTSC - PAL colors conversion for betacam

I need to get a video file that is NTSC (no compression 8bit) into PAL (no compression 8bit) to edit it in Final cut pro 5.1.4 and to put titles from Motion, to finally put it on a betacam tape. To be shure that the conversion (NTSC-PAL) is well done, I gave the NTSC file to a professionel conversion compagny. (I tried to do it myself with compressor and with the plug-in natress, but was not completly satisfied with the result).
Now my problem is that the conversion company didn't compensate the modification of colors during the conversion. So now I have a file in pal (no compression 8bit) but the colors are lighter then the original file in NTSC.
Can someone tip me on a way to modify the colors in Final cut pro of my file in PAL? I know how to use most of the filters, but I don't now much about doing it professionally. I was hoping that there could be a filter or a plugin that is made for my kind of problem, and I'm afraid of making a mistake because I never prepaired a file for a betacam tape before. Do I have to be carefull with the percentage of black or of white? Do I have to work in RGB or YUV?
My second question is: the video PAL that was converted from NTSC has lines where there is quick movement when I look at it in Final cut pro or Quicktime. (the original NTSC file didn't have them) Should I use a filter to desinterlace it or will these lines disapear any way on the betcam tape? But I'm puting titles with Motion, so those titles don't have lines... How will they mix with the video?
Thanks for your help
Louie

Hi mish,
that is such a .. <searching correct english word> hillarious (?) idea, I give you a star for that ;-)))
changing some flags on a ready-made dvd... wow! nice try...- but as Fred said, NTSC<<>>PAL conversions are no trivial tasks... you run into many problems, e.g. where do you get the additonal 5 frames per second you need for a transfer from PAL to NTSC? how to make the audio fit to these new pictures? and, I HAVE to do this silly joke: NTSC has a very different color concept (Never The Same Color) then PAL.. and for sure a different res...
the name is irritating, but all mighty JES Deinterlacer is doing a fantastic job in converting video standards (ok, for a free software solution...) give that a try!

Problems with PAL/NTSC Conversion

I have a PAL Sony handycam camcorder and Final Cut Express HD installed on my 2004 iBook G4 (both purchased in North America, if that makes any difference)
- I capture both PAL recorded footage (from my camera) and NTSC recorded
footage (from other cameras) in Final Cut
- Whenever capturing I alter the settings in “Easy Setup” to “DV PAL
firewire basic” or “DV-NTSC Firewire Basic” depending on if I’m using PAL
or NTSC footage at the time
-After capturing, when I drag captured clips from the Browser window down
into the Sequence timeline, every clip has to be rendered in the timeline.
This is very time-consuming (rendering can take up to 10minutes for what
might be a 2minute clip); and this happens regardless of my “easy setup”
settings or the regional code of the footage.
-In addition, after a clip has been rendered once, and I then make an
alteration (usually a cut) the clip has be re-rendered
-Also – when PAL footage is rendered and then exported usually frames are
dropped and the image appears choppy.
- Furthermore (and I suspect this is related) the program will not print
to video; and I have tried using both PAL and NTSC cameras. Therefore I
have to export all projects as quicktime files and then burn DVDs.
- Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Marc Griffin

Hi(Bonjour)!
One important thing: FCE sequences's settings have to match your clip's settings.
If you mix PAL material in a NTSC sequence, your material will need rendering and vice versa.
Secondly: PAL format is a 25 FPS material, and NTSC is a 30 (29.97) one.
So when you convert PAL to NTSC, there is a frame rate mismatch, thus the choppy playback.
Your camcorder cannot record PAL material if it's a NTSC model. You need a plugin that converts PAL material to NTSC.
There is a nice plugin pack from Nattress that performs PAL to NTSC conversion with various pulldown options (ie scalling 30 fps to 24 fps by blending frames selectively).
See:
http://www.nattress.com/Products/standardsconversion/standardsconversion.htm
Final Cut Studio 2 (Final Cut Pro 6) will support multiple resolutions sequences (shipping in may), it's a new great feature.
Michel Boissonneault

Output to NTSC format for DVD

Hi,
I am from the UK, I filmed some DVCAM footage in PAL format, but bringing it into FCP to output onto NTSC and onto DVD for a Canadian conference / Broadcast.
Can i simply change my project and capturing settings to
get the footage to run at NTSC (even though it was filmed in PAL?)
And if i want a UK edit of the film do I need to recapture all my clips at PAL settings or can this be done via the DVD output???
cheers
Chris

Sadly no its not that simple not so much because the image sizes differ but more because of the difference in frame rates.
Your options after you input edit and master in PAL
Convert to NTSC using a transfer house
Convert to NTSC using Compressor (can be slow)
Convert to NTSC using Nattress' plug-ins (will cost you money but they work)
http://www.nattress.com/Products/standardsconversion/standardsconversion.htm
Convert to NTSC using JES Deinterlacer (free and works)
http://www.xs4all.nl/~jeschot/home.html#DEI
This will give you an NTSC Master to compress for DVD

Best quality conversion for DVD with audio?

This has to be easier than it seems. I have an hour long video I want to compress with the best resolution for DVD, but Compressor help tells me I "must convert the video into MPEG-2 (SD and HD projects)," but this is video only.
I just want to compress this 60GB video losing as little quality as possible and throw it on a DVD with audio, but I just can't make sense of Compressor to find the best way to do this.
Thanks for your help!

Thanks for the response. I did try this, save for the Create DVD Job Action, but it just creates one audio and one video file. I'm trying the Create DVD job action now, so hopefully that will work.
Here is a screenshot of my batch. Does this look correct?
Thanks again.

DVD NTSC conversion to DVD PAL

I had a DVD NTSC converted to a DVD PAL, and when I play it on my Mac DVD Player the image is dropped below center, and looks slightly narrower. I thought any format DVD played on the computer?Was I wrong, or is it a bad conversion?

Duplicate post: http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=12107352#12107352

Pal-ntsc conversion via 23,98fs slow-pal technique

Hi to all,
I've been trying to convert a prores 1280x720 clip recorded at 25fs (for a pal output) into a ntsc compatible clip that will be used on an ntsc dvd and also for an ntsc h264 quicktime file.
I fell on an article explaining the "SLOW_PAL technique"(http://www.macworld.com/article/49306/2006/02/marchcreate.html) by converting the clip to 23,98fs in cinema tools before applying a 3:2 pulldown in FCP. The result is pretty stuning but my question is, once all this is done, i end up with a 23,98fs file.
Do i need to convert that into a 29,97 file to make sute it will work on an ntsc dvd plateform? If i do i lose all the smothness i just gained....
thanks in advance, and hope i'm clear....
tee.

No you don't need to convert to 29.97
export qt self contained current settings
drop that export into compressor and set up you DVD compression and your h264 compression
author the DVD in DVD Studio pro
the player will supply the pulldown
h264 will play fine on any device that will play h264

PAL NTSC conversion and downsizing form HD to standard

I have a project that I need to send off for 3 competitions in the next week one in Pal, one as a Mpeg NTSC and the third (preferably) as a NTSC .mov file. The project is made up of clips rendered in 3D and others shot in Sony Pal HD. I am rendering as standard size wide screen. The PAL is OK, but the NTSC version MPEG (I havent tired the mov file yet) that I made by nesting the PAL in a NTSC sequence, has unusual cool green colour shifts and flickering in WM or VCL media player that did not appear in my Premiere monitor, which was fine. The flickering is especially noticeable with time ramping (and some layering and keying.)
Is it possible to covert to NTSC in Premiere cs3, or do I need to send it to a service bureau? Does the downsizing to standard affect it as well?

Download the following:
1.)
hd2sd for AviSynth 2.5 <- unzip these files into your AviSynth/plugins folder
2.)
dv2film for AviSynth 2.5 <- unzip these files into your AviSynth/plugins folder
3.)
Lagarith lossless codec
HD PAL Timeline -> SD PAL .avi
Follow the steps outlined in
my guide but, instead of the sample script provided there, use this script template:
AviSource("c:/path_to/signpost.avi")
hd2sd(OutputColorSpace="YUY2", OutputBFF=true)
1.) Open the script file in VirtualDub
2.) Choose the Lagarith codec from the Compression menu
3.) Also select "Fast Recompress" from the Compression menu.
4.) Select "Save AVI" from the File menu
5.) This will result in a 720x576 interlaced (lower field first) file with lossless compression. Import this file into whatever program you like to convert to MPEG, Quicktime, DVD, etc.
HD PAL Timeline -> NTSC PAL .avi
AviSource("c:/path_to/signpost.avi")
dv60i50i(interlaced_out=false)
hd2sd(OutputColorSpace="YUY2", OutputBFF=true)
Repeat the steps above, saving this a lossless intermediary AVI file which you can then use to convert to whatever type of file you need.

PAL - NTSC Conversion question

I have some PAL DV footage at 25fps which I need to convert to NTSC to match some existing NTSC footage. The NTSC originated footage, when played in Quicktime diisplays the following info:
FPS: 23.98
Playing FPS: 24
I need to convert the PAL footage to match the NTSC frame rates, annd also I'd like to converted footage to appear that it is NTSC roriginated (i'e, with the slower framerate as opposed to 25fps).
I've made a few tests using the Frame Controls "Set Duration" options in compressor, but the results always seem end up at the wrong frame rates. Which setting should use? And can somebody explain what all the settings mean?
24@25
23.98@24
23.98@25
[email protected]
29.97@30
[email protected]
Message was edited by: Marc Morris
Message was edited by: Marc Morris
Message was edited by: Marc Morris

Marc,
I dont have extensive knowledge in this area although am literally doing the same conversion (PAL to NTSC) on my mac as I type this.
I also recently read in Videography magazine about a project that was assembled from archived footage and all of the footage used originated from different formats and that was the hardest part about editing.
They mentioned all the different ways they attempted to convert the footage but in the end it seemed as if they just settled for what looked best because they couldnt get an exact conversion.
If your looking for a better way I would contact a transfer house to see what they may be capable of doing. Another thing worthy of pointing out that reading how they did the conversion they never mentioned using compressor so there are probably better systems at converting the files.
hopefully this helps.
-jeremywearsvans

FCPv2 and PAL-NTSC Conversions

Hello everyone,
I have just read a bit about FCPv2. I am really interested in being able to use PAL and NTSC in the same time line.
At the moment we send out footage out for a hardware standards conversion.
Does anyone know how this new feature is going to work? Will it be good, will it need rendering, will it allow me to out put to PAL or NTSC on my DVCAM Deck?
Any thoughts on this would be great.
Thanks,
David Lee

Anyone...? I need to know why US news editors in DC have had to use Procoder... Running Avid... to convert to PAL from NTSC, Then sending it on a FTP... To places like Norway, Denmark... While finalcut could not make the conversion. The question is, will the new Studio release let me use Finalcut without having to buy a dual core..?
I Edit in NTSC on my powerbook... then I need to transcode it to PAL (MPEG 4? I believe...) and then send it to the Server in Europe or Scandinavia?
This is why all the editors use AVID and not APPLE's finalcutpro.
Another words... Compressor the old version would not work. So people could not use Final Cut... Or just recently they had to buy the dualcore... then they would have to edit in Final cut... Open Pro-coder in a Windows PC partition.... Then drag the master in... Then export, back to final cut, (or do they send it from Procoder?) I don't know. I would rather upgrade to STUDIO then have to buy a new dualcore... Can the new studio do this? Sorry if I sound like a fool....
Thanks!
Powerbook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.9) final cut pro HD
G4 Mac OS X (10.4.3)
G4 Mac OS X (10.4.3)

File conversion for DVD

Hi:)
I'm trying to export a 3 minute and 25 second edited video to burn to DVD. The video was recorded on a Canon HV20 (consumer HD) and on HD DV tapes, when I make a Quicktime movie the quality looks great but when try to burn that on to DVD using iDVD the DVD won't play. I tried exporting using quicktime conversion to make an avi file but the quality of the footage was seriously comprimised, though I could burn that avi file on to a DVD the playback quality was crap. Can anyone offer advice on the best way to convert Final Cut Express edited footage to burn on to a DVD? thanks in advance for all your help!

File>Export>QuickTime Movie.
Don't use QT Conversion.
Ian.

PAL - NTSC for Japan

Hi all, I have a question that I hope someone can answer.
I've gotta shoot a few minutes if footage that a friend of mine is then taking to Japan and showing to
someone there. Now as far as I know they'll be watching in on a PC but Im gonna try give him as many format
variations as possible to be sure. So the queston is, f I'm shooting in standard miniDV PAL, what are the
best options for me in terms of encoding I should do, do I export as PAL MPEG 2 on DVD, what kind of
effect does the PAL->NTSC conversion have. Should I do a VideoCD version.
My plan is to to a NTSC DVD, and MPEG 1 & 4 version and maybe a few others. Does this sound good enough?
Thanks in advance
Declan

The OP said he thinks it will be played
on a computer but he wants to give as many options as
possible. . . I took that to mean he'd like it to be
watchable on TV in Japan if possible. He needs NTSC.
From the tone of the post I assumed, perhaps glibly, that this is not a life-threatening project. There was never mention of TV playback. But I take your point.
PAL to NTSC via Compressor . . . "successful" maybe
but read the posts on this forum to learn about the
quality! (I'd LOVE to be proved wrong
though)!
Oh, I hadn't seen those posts. I've only run a few small tests myself, but the results were excellent to my eye. This is the method I used:
http://www.macworld.com/2006/02/secrets/marchcreate/index.php?pf=1
What kind of problems have you seen? I've had a quick look back through a few threads and most of the issues I have seen would probably have been solved with a careful setup.
I'm sure Graeme Nattress's plugins are excellent, haven't used them. I've done most of my conversions to date in After Effects, also with good results.

Pal to NTSC conversion and burning disk

I had problems burning a disk with ilife 5.0, so I bought 6.0. I make a movie using only one picture using iMovie HD. I shared this movie with iDVD and tried to burn a disk. An error message can up saying "are we trying to burn a PAL movie with a NTSC disk? When I procede anyway the disk won't burn. I looked in help to convert a PAL movie to a NTSC movie. When I went through this procedure, I got a disk icon as a Quick time movie. I couldn't burn this using disk utility. What is going on here. Wy does the new iLife 6.0 make a PAL movie. I didn't tell it to do so. Does iLife come programmed to make PAL movies, which I understand are the Euorpean format. I used to make movies just fine when I first got iLife 5.0 so I know how to use the program. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

NTSC is the standard deployed in the USA and some other countries (post war countries relying on US for reconstruction). While the "rest of the world" looked for much-needed enhancement to NTSC, which gave birth to PAL and SECAM. Only NTSC and PAL is used for DVDs.
NTSC and PAL are television (chroma) standards. TV sets strongly rely on their power source for image synchronization. US countries use 110V/60Hz, while the rest of the world rely on (the more efficient) 220V/50Hz (multiplying by 2 the voltage divides by 4 the power rating of appliances). So, frame rate is 60Hz on one side and 50Hz on the other. PAL develops 100 more horizontal lines than NTSC (TV sets). Because of "interlacing" (to artificially reduce screen flicker), video source frame rate is 25 or 30.
In the end, converting PAL to NTSC and vice-versa is a very tough job: missing frames are "missing" and must be extrapolated. Extraneous frames needs to be dropped. Same for missing/extra lines. This is professionally done by using complex equipment capable of doing these interpolations equally balanced over the timeframes.
Because of the size of the US market, it is almost impossible to find multi-standard compatible equipments (TV sets, DVD players) in the US. While in Europe the huge majority of equipment are tri-standard (NTSC, PAL, SECAM), - for the video sources such as DVD players and various tape based recorders - and the TV sets also support the various flavors of these standards for the wireless transmission (sub-carriers, polarization, etc).
In the end, what is the benefit of a conversion? to send a homemade movie to a friend in a country of different format? Then, using a computer as player can be a good palliative.
This, as my 2 cents.

Sharing movies overseas - PAL & NTSC burning

OK -
So apparently I have the option to burn a movie as NTSC or PAL.
So I have to assume that the region codes on my Superdrive only matter when there is a commerically sold protected disk being played.
Figuring out the best way to produce a home movie DVD to share with friends in Europe is still a problem.
I do know that apparently TV set-top DVD burners produce video disks which have no region code difficulties. Is this likewise true for movies edited in iMovie, Final Cut Express & burned via iDVD?
More information would help keep this from being a trial & error process - if the people on the other end are not overly technical. Its hard enough to get substantive "help desk-type" of feedback to even understand the nature of the problem your recipients might be experiencing.

Hi Ernest
I know all about the PAL/NTSC conversion because I, unlike you, live in a Pal area.
You are so lucky living in USA because NTSC is accepted in all areas. In fact even though I live in a PAL area, New Zealand all my DVD's produced for world sale are in the NTSC format. Virtually every DVD player accepts NTSC but unfortunatley for me the USA DVD players do notaccept Pal
So you can safely make and send all your DVD's in NTSC and they will be playable worldwide.
As I said I live in a PAL area. 25 frames per sec and I have to change my DVD programmes to NTSC approx 29 frames per second. To get an acceptable conversion can be either very expensive or time consuming.
I have not tried the Jes de interlacer so I cannot comment but most on the forum find it acceptable.
I found the problem was to get good quality on all formats, computer, tube and LCD and Plasma at an acceptable cost and did not tie up my computer for hours.
Eventually I managed to find out how to do it but it is a long job.
One would think that the answer would be to film in NTSC but one cannot do this in a PAL area because of the difference in the electricity voltage. If I used an NTSC camera under lamps here in NZ the pictures would be unusable and visa versa.
Nowadays all commercial DVD's are just dubbed in NTSC. This is a pity because PAL gives a better picture. In the trade NTSC used to be known as Never The Same Colour Twice.
Sometimes I wish I lived in the USA!
Hope this helps
Jane

PAL/NTSC conversion for DVDs

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