Playback of PAL DVDs in the USA

Ok,
I want to get a series that is only available in the UK right now (Spooks Season 3 aka MI-5 here is the USA)
anywhoot
When I get the DVDs how should I go about this?
I remember there is a region setting in DVD player, I dont want to mess with that - but could someone tell me more about how that works, so I am thinking I will use Mac the Ripper to legally rip the DVDs and play them back in DVD player without a region code on them, or burn to DVD without a Region. All sounds good?
P.S. Anyone here live in UK? If you have the season 3, i am looking to buy
email
[email protected]

Most modern DVD players can correctly handle both
formats.
I've not seen a consumer DVD player that connects to a TV set play PAL here in the US. I HAVE seen stand-alone players with an attached LCD screen that will play both NTSC and PAL.
Edit: An Amazon.com search turned up two players that claim to play both in the US - the JVC XV-NP10S Multi Region Code Free DVD Player and the Philips 642/ 37 Region Free - Code free DIVX PAL NTSC DVD Player
That's not many choices.

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Playback of commercial DVDs in the PAL format

I live in the US. There is a movie I would like to get but it is only offered in PAL format. Can the i-Mac play this back ? Some have referred to changing a region setting. How is this done ? My i-Mac has a superdrive.

Most modern DVD players can correctly handle both
formats.
I've not seen a consumer DVD player that connects to a TV set play PAL here in the US. I HAVE seen stand-alone players with an attached LCD screen that will play both NTSC and PAL.
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That's not many choices.

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Hi Alexander
Two ways. One bad and one very good.
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this.
This should be enough - BUT You can do more.
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You might try VLC for DVD playback. It ignores region codes and just plays the movie.
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/14738
The 5 region changes is a DVD industry rule, separate from Apple.
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http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/21573

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Hi,
I have a Canon HF10 which I have bought in the US, so it is a NTSC camera. I am living in Europe, so I would like to create a PAL dvd from the footage which I have recorded.
The footage have been shot using 1080/24p and I have imported it into iMovie. Do I need to do something extra or can I just export it and burn an dvd from iDVD?
Best regards
Henrik.

Henrik Skak Pedersen wrote:
.. The frame rate is 30 which is a surprise because I recorded it at 24.
no surprise.. the ccd of you device is read-out 24p, but the camera records upsampled in 30i ..
24p on consumer devices is mostly marketing blabla..
in Europe, a 25p more is more interesting..
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I'm trying to figure out if I need to convert several NTSC dvd's into PAL format to send to a friend's mom in Israel (she's very sick and would like to see these soon).
Since I've never converted between these formats, I've been doing lots of research and keep getting more confused. I downloaded JES Deinterlacer (i think thats what its called) but I'm not sure I need it since I read the following on an imovie FAQ website:
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I'm still waiting to hear whether they would send the tapes. I suppose I could ask them to make a Beta SP PAL clone and send that to me. But we're getting into a lot more cost here -- a high quality dub on their end and a high-quality standards conversion here in the States. Since this project will result in a standard NTSC DVD, I'm hoping that maybe going the PAL DVD route would save a bunch of bucks and still be acceptable quality. If anyone has actual experience importing PAL DVD to Final Cut Pro, perhaps they could speak to that.

Very best 1080i60 to PAL DVD workflow, please?

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I've been handed some footage shot in HDV1080i60 on a Z1. Trouble is that it was supposed to be shot in 1080i50, because we need to make a PAL DVD at the end of this..
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Hi!
I am authoring a PAL DVD for the european market and now the label wants to release it in the US. Here in PAL country we can just put an NTSC DVD into our players and it will play on our PAL TVs as long as it's region-code free.
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Does this work the other way round as well?
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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.
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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.
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PAL / NTSC. Why can I Watch PAL DVD's in the US?

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OT

How do I burn a dvd using the PAL setting for Europe?

This is an older answer:
Make a new project in PAL using custom settings. Copy and paste the contents from the NTSC project to the PAL project. Render everything.
Don't do this unless you really need to. If you're making a DVD for Europe you don't need to.
And my question is:
Why is it not needed to change it to PAL if this DVD is for Europe?
Would it not be best to use a project with PAL SD 720x576 DV Anamorphic 25i ?
What's the difference between .... x756 DV and ... DV Anamorphic
and also completely without this DV and DV Anamorphic?

Level 10(109,395 points)Tom WolskyJan 9, 2015 5:22 PM
Re: How do I burn a dvd using the PAL setting?in response to Totti 10Why is it not needed to change it to PAL if this DVD is for Europe?
You don't, unless you want to have PAL resolution. Would it not be best to use a project with PAL SD 720x576 DV Anamorphic 25i ?
Yes, if you want a PAL resolution DVD. That's why the OP is asking how to make a PAL project. What's the difference between .... x756 DV and ... DV Anamorphic
DV is 4:3. DV Anamorphic is 16:9. and also completely without this DV and DV Anamorphic?
Not sure what this means. The DVD specification is the same as DV resolution. If the OP as an HD project that has a frame rate of 23.98, the output resolution will be NTSC DV anamorphic, because DVD only accepts 23.98, 24, or 29.97 frame rates in 720x480, not in the PAL resolution 720x576. That has to be in 25fps.
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JUst to add the reason you don't need to make PAL for Europe is because all PAL DVDs can play back NTSC. Unfortunately almost no NTSC players can play back PAL.

Playback of PAL DVDs in the USA

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