Producing NTSC dvd's from PAL projects

Hi
I'm in Australia (PAL) but would like to produce dvd's that can be viewed in the USA.
If I produce a NTSC version of my PAL filmed project in idvd, will it work in NTSC dvd players in the USA?

when you set iDVD to NTSC/29.97 and import a PAL iMovie, iDVD will convert your material and creates a NTSC videoDVD ...
... my experience, going vice versa, NTSC >>PAL, told me, that the underlying QTengine doesn't show a good result.. so, the long way for a probably better result is:
export your iM as 'QT/Full Quality' ..
download and use for free JES Deinterlacer
open your iMexport, choose 'Project, conversion' and let JESDI do the conversion..
drop THAT new file into a NTSC iDVD project..

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NTSC DVD production from PAL media

I have had issues producing DVD for the U.S in the past.
In New Zealand we can play both PAL and NTSC on probably 99% of the DVD players in the country. Same in Australia I believe.
Seems that the U.S has mostly NTSC only DVD players and it is difficult to find a PAL or dual standard player. (Is that correct?)
Is there a better (simpler, faster, less steps) way for me to produce DVDs for the U.S (NTSC) than the way I am doing it.
Edit in PAL project and out put movie.
Import PAL Movie into a NTSC Project. Small scale adjustment usually required
Export Movie (NTSC)
Encode NTSC Movie to MPEG (I use Main Concept ENcoder - standalone version)
Open mpeg in NTSC Encore Project and burn disks
Note: I encode to mpeg outside Encore because Encore never seems to like encoding the avi (PAL or NTSC) in the NTSC Encore Project. It is fine with the mpegs

>it is difficult to find a PAL or dual standard player. (Is that correct?)
It is.
>Is there a better way for me to produce DVDs for the U.S
Maybe try DVFilm Atlantis.

Switch NTSC DVD slideshow to PAL

Good morning,
my wife and I recently received a DVD Slideshow made on a PC in the NTSC format from our Wedding photographers.
My family lives in Europe and cannot watch NTSC format. Is there a way to make a copy of my slideshow but in the PAL format?
Thank you very very much.
P

Hi
Usually - NTSC-DVDs plays well in PAL players - but not the other way around.
So here is my notes on PAL to NTSC. Just think the other way around.
PAL to NTSC or NTSC to PAL
A. Copying commercial DVDs - No Not possibly at all - Not even legal to discuss.
B. Home made DVDs (DVDs without copy protection)
C. Movies from iMovie or FinalCut
• Save as full quality QuickTime .mov and convert this with JES_Deinterlacer (free on internet)
NTSC ---> PAL.
• Most often not necessary - Most stand alone PAL DVD-players playback NTSC
(if TV is old in BL/W)
PAL ---> NTSC.
• If played on Mac - not necessary AT ALL
• If on NTSC DVD-player - CONVERSION IS NEEDED - nearly no Stand alone NTSC-DVD-players
playback PAL at all.
To do this You need to convert the PAL DVD to streaming.DV or full quality QuickTime .mov
• I use Roxio Toast™ to do this (There are no free converter)
• JES_Deinterlacer (free on internet) to convert to NTSC
• Set up an NTSC project (29.97fps or 30) in iDVD and import then burn
I burn to
• Verbatim DVD-R
• Set down burn speed in iDVD to x1 or x4 recommended by many
• Secure a minimum of 25Gb free space on internal boot hard disk before burning (IMPORTANT)
PAL is 25 fps and an analog TV standard of 625 lines
NTSC is 29.97 fps and 520 lines
NTSC (29.97fps) 520 lines - about 640x480 pixels (square) 720x480 rectangular (narrow) pixels
PAL (25 fps) 625 lines - about 768x576 pixels (square) 720x576 rectangular (narrow) pixels
to use a photo 702x480 resp 576 then add 9 pixels on each side to add together as 720
If iDVD hangs on PAL or NTSC.
Bengt W wrote
Deleting iDVD pref. file - should return You into NTSC mode.
Yes iDVD can switch to PAL - BUT as You see with a rather lousy result.
a. Need to convert to PAL - most often not - Most PAL-player can playback NTSC
and on a fairly new TV in color. (old TV in Bl/W)
(Other way around - from PAL to NTSC most often a must - few NTSC-player can use PAL)
b. IF MUST - then use JES_Deinterlacer to do this conversion - so much better and free.
My list on this (or rather PAL --> NTSC - just think the other way around)
Allosaurus writes
Thank you SDMacuser. I dumped all the plist icons with no result, and was getting pretty plist off when it occurred to me to delete all the previous dvd.proj files. Bingo. That did the trick. So thank you for all your help and the additional information you provided.
Yours Bengt W

Easiest way to produce NTSC DVD from PAL encore project?

I have a PAL Encore project with 25fps assets and subtitles. What's the easiest way to make an NTSC DVD from this project? Encore won't let me edit the quality settings to change from NTSC to PAL. These settings are greyed out. I take it they are dictated by the assets. Can anyone suggest how to make an NTSC project easily from this Encore project? I don't want to go back to the original footage. I want to just convert it from these Mpeg-2 files in the Encore project.
Any help would be much appreciated.

What Richard said. I'll add three things.
Encore won't let me edit the quality settings to change from NTSC to PAL. These settings are greyed out. I take it they are dictated by the assets.
They are dictated by your selections when you created the project. And NTSC vs PAL are not settings that can be changed in the project settings once created.
Regarding reusing menus. The files accessed by the Encore library for DVD projects are different for NTSC vs PAL. They have NTSC or PAL in the filename, but you don't see this from inside Encore. (They do not vary for Bluray menus.) You can take your NTSC project menus, "save as file," and then "import as menu" into a new PAL project. They will be the "wrong" pixel size and aspect ratio, but Encore may correct the par. I have never tried this. But if you get oddities doing it this way, in the new PAL project, add a PAL menu, edit in photoshop, and copy the button groups and such from the NTSC version of the menu to the PAL menu. That might work.
What I see in most of these "convert PAL from NTSC" threads is that virtually all NTSC disks play on current PAL equipment. Many users asking your question decide not to convert. that is especially true, because Richard's "export as NTSC" is not as simple as it seems.

Ntsc dvd from pal project

I am working in an off-line HD PAL project (at DNxHD 36) on Avid Media Composer and I need to create a SD DVD to send to the US. I exported my sequence as PAL QT and now I've brought it into Compressor on my Mac but I'm a bit overwhelmed by the format conversion options. Any ideas about what to use would be gratefully received. I have DVD Studio Pro + Toast 8 too.
Thanks

In Compressor 2 (at least the one on one of my machines) in settings->Apple-Advanced Format Coversions you will see options for PAL/NTSC and you can start there and convert to the high end NSTC then encode to m2v. You should see some HD Uncompressed formats that should work to make a good self contained movie then encode that to m2v. I found the two step process as oppossed to sending straight to NTSC m2v (or really PAL) seems to work a bit better quality wise.
Definately test on short sections if you can to tweak because the converions can take a long time depedning on the machine and length of material.

From PAL project to NTSC - easy way?

Hello,
I made a nice PAL DVD9 with 4 menu's and some submenu's and tons of little transition movies, and 10 shorts (animation) and some extra's (trailers, making of). The DVD's now at the replicator, has been tested and will be pressed.
Now I have to do an NTSC version. We've rerendered all of our motion menu's, and converted other video assets.
Now, do I really have to physically remove all video assets from the assets menu in order to make the disc an NTSC disc, then import all NTSC video assets and figure out where they were supposed to go (43 menu's and tracks!)?
Isn't there an easy way out? I removed all the PAL MPEGs so now they're missing and offline, but DVDSP4.2 still doesn't allow me to change the project to an NTSC one. I can however replace (relink) the missing MPEGs for the NTSC versions I encoded! But I take it there will be trouble at the mastering fase when I deliver a 'PAL' disc with all NTSC video..

Hi Roloff
Unfortunately there's no way around replacing the mpegs. Personally I replace them all manually to make sure everythings everythings hunky-dory - but I suppose if you make all of your NTSC file names identical to your PAL names you could re-link them automatically. Which ever way you do it though, all your chapter markers and connections should remain intact if you only delete the asset from the tracks and leave the track itself.
If DVDSP is not letting you change the project from PAL to NTSC then there still must be some PAL assets in the project. If you have any menus that DVDSP has encoded, you'll need to remove the mpegs that DVDSP created for the project as well. Also DVDSP will not let you make a PAL disc with NTSC assets.
Hope some of that helps.
Cheers
B

Producing DVD's from FCP projects.

The last time I tried authoring my own DVD's was in 2005 on Adobe Premiere and it was a bit of a nightmare. Since then I have been editing on FCP and I am now considering authoring some DVD's from my material. Is it in general terms as complicated as it was in years gone by? I remember DVD duplicators demanding DLT's and all sorts of problems with encoding formats etc. Am I faced with a living nightmare? By the way, the authoring is quite simple, contents, scenes....... and thats about it!

#42 - Quick and dirty way to author a DVD
Shane's Stock Answer #42 - David Roth Weiss' Secret Quick and Dirty Way to Author a DVD:
The absolute simplest way to make a DVD using FCP and DVDSP is as follows:
1. Export a QT movie, either a reference file or self contained using current settings.
2. Open DVDSP, select the "graphical" tab and you will see two little monitors, one blue, one green.
3. Select the left blue one and hit delete.
4. Now, select the green one, right click on it amd select the top option "first play".
5. Now drag your QT from the broswer and drop it on top of the green monitor.
6. Now, for a DVD from an HD source, look to the right side and select the "general tab" in the track editor, and see the Display Mode, and select "16:9 pan-scan."
7. Hit the little black and yellow burn icon at the top of the page and put a a DVD in when prompted. DVDSP will encode and burn your new DVD.
THATS ALL!!!
NOW...if you want a GOOD LOOKING DVD, instead of taking your REF movie into DVD SP, instead take it into Compressor and choose the BEST QUALITY ENCODE (2 pass VBR) that matches your show timing. Then take THAT result into DVD SP and follow the rest of the steps. Except you can choose "16:9 LETTERBOX" instead of PAN & SCAN if you want to see the entire image.

NTSC DVD doc for PAL Europe. Updated Advice on IF I need to convert & HOW?

I have read with interests several posts on playing NTSC, all region DVDs on PAL DVD players. I hope someone may have some updated advice for my situation. In brief, I would like to give out DVD copies to festival goers in France where my Doc will play in April. I thought to produce DVD-Rs on my Mac.
With a film acquired documentary(24fps), transferred to NTSC video (29.97 fps) sitting as both Avid and Final Cut Pro Media on my trusty G-4, I am now ready to export a Quicktime Movie and then encode to MPEG-2, and "author" a DVD in DVD Studio Pro.
Will an NTSC DVD now play on most DVD players and Televisions in Europe? (A contact stated their "players are bi-standard NTSC and PAL", but I'm still uncertain this means my DVD-R or replicated NTSC will play).
Should I make a PAL DVD?
IF I try a PAL DVD is it really as simple as exporting a Same as Source Quick Time Movie from Avid or FCP then using the QT MPEG-2 exporter and selecting "PAL" from within Quick Time? Then I just create a new Pal project in DVD Studio Pro?...... Even if it is that simple to create PAL from QT and my media, I don't see how my 24 fps/29.97 fps doc now magically becomes PAL 25 fps / 59.97 fps just because I converted it to MPEG-2.
Do you all recommend I try to make my own PAL DVD or should I just take my already authored NTSC DVDs and cross my fingers.
I really appreciate any newer thoughts on this topic. I'm an old pre-digital film guy so be kind.
Thanks, Rob
G-4 Quicksilver Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Yes, although the vast majority of newer European DVD players and TVs have no problems with NTSC DVDs, the only way to be sure (well, almost sure) is to burn a PAL DVD. You can't legislate for the fact, however, that not all DVD players can play all DVD-R authored disks, but that's a seperate problem!
I generally use After Effects for quick and dirty (but good quality) standards conversion. Whatever you do don't just try exporting your project via Quicktime using a PAL as this will only change the colour space and not the frame rate or frame size. If you use QT to change frame rate it will simply repeat every fifth frame to get to 30fps which will give you jerky motion.
Here's a step by step guide to doing the conversion in Compressor 2, using "optical flow" to interpolate to get the extra frames :
http://www.macworld.com/2006/02/secrets/marchcreate/index.php?pf=1

Cannot burn NTSC DVD after burning PAL DVD

Using Adobe Premiere Elements vers.10, I created a video which I need to burn onto DVDs, in PAL format for European users and NTSC for North American recipients. I successfully burned (to folder) in NTSC, and then in PAL. Produced two sample DVDs from those two folders and reviewed them. This highlighted the need for a few corrections to the project. I carried these out, burned the revised film to folder in PAL format, and then wanted to do the same in NTSC format. The computer appears to work on the task, but produces no folder and no files. I am no longer able to procude a DVD in NTSC format, either by burning to a folder or burning directly on a DVD. What is the cause of this problem ?
Thanks in advance for any help you can provide with this issue.
Paul

Paul,
I do not recall any issues, where the program gets hung up, though as a precaution, maybe clear the Media Cache in the Scratch Disks. I know that Encore (sort of the authoring "big-brother" to the authoring function in PrE) can get confused, when it has some older Media Cache files. It assumes that things have already been done, when it needs to "start over."
Also, I would create a new, empty folder, with a unique name, and direct the Burn to Disc to THAT folder. Since all that one gets is the VIDEO_TS, AUDIO_TS (empty), and then another folder, whose name I cannot recall (Encore does not write anything but the VIDEO_TS folder and IFO, BUP and VOB files), it's easy to confuse the output. Just thinking here.
Good luck,
Hunt

Stuttering NTSC .m2v encode from PAL DV

Hi, I've captured a PAL Mini-DV cassette into FCP via Firewire - which correctly sees it as Lower Field First. I needed to produce an NTSC DVD of the footage. So in Compressor I went for 'Best Quality - 90 mins 4:3' and changed the video standard to NTSC. I encoded and went on to burn NTSC DVD in DVD Studio. The final disc plays fine and my monitor regognises it is receiving a 480i 60Hz signal. HOWEVER... the conversion in frame rates (25fps > 29.97fps) has been very evident, there aren't any field issues (no tearing on fast movements) but the feel of the video is of a distinct stutter as though some of the frames are being doubled up. I guess this is in fact what Compressor has had to do but is there any way of smoothing this change in frame rates?
Thanks,
Tom
Power Mac G5 Dual 2.7Ghz Mac OS X (10.4.2) 4GB RAM, 2TB RAID, FCP 5 Studio, Blackmagic Decklink HD+Multibridge.

Since you didn't mention it, I have to ask: did you adjust the relevant controls (Retiming, Resizing) to at least Better while setting Frame Controls to Custom in Compressor?

NTSC DVD Transfer to PAL

I finished the Wedding in NTSC DVD. The client wants a copy in Pal to send to Russia. What is the best way to do?
Transfer NTSC DVD to DVD PAL direct, easiest way. Is there any other way?
Thanks a lot.

You must have set the wrong preset. Look in the "advanced format conversions"... Make your movie a PAL version Then perform the MPEG compression in iDVD. The the resulting file should work fine in iDVD. The resulting QT movie will be 720X576. After you do this THEN import the file into iDVD for the mpeg compression. The size of your file you just made leads me to believe that you created an MPEG PAL version... this isn't going to look as good I'll bet, and it probably won't import into iDVD which expects something other than an MPEG file.
You are starting with your sequence master from FCP right?
Jerry

NTSC DVD into a PAL version?

So, I know I have to make all assets PAL - how? Do I simply turn all FCP 6 timelines into PAL, then export QT's self-contained into Compressor, keeping them PAL, then into DVD SP 4? Or what do you recommend is the best workflow?
Thanks greatly
K

I think I had synch issues when sending it straight out to NTSC.mov to PAL m2v a couple of times. (Been awhile since I ran through some combinations and from time to time I do switch things around to see what seems to work better.) And I have also seen different workflows which people prefer to use, there were a couple of links to various processes that people use, including Nattress's Standards plug-in (a good one BTW)
I will usually start off with setting the frame controls to "Better" for Resizing and Rate Conversion and it usually does a real good job and often Best did not add to quality and just increased the time. (There were some articles where people thought Best did worse for Better on some things.)
Studio X also sums it up well here:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1330157&tstart=105
I know there were a couple of other good links, but do not have all the links handy right now about some workflows, sorry. But a search shows how much is out there.
http://www.google.com/search?q=usecompressor+to+convert+ntscpal&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official
I am pretty happy with my current workflow and the results. Of course 6 months from now I could havee changed my mind to something else

NTSC 24p conversion for PAL project

I've got a "conversion" issue I'm wondering if I can get some help with.
I'm working on a project primarily shot in PAL DV, though there are a handful of tapes shot 24p advanced NTSC. I've already captured all of the footage (everything is at Photo Jpeg resolutions to save drive space. The NTSC 24p footage was captured at 29.97- this is how it appears on the tape). Now I'm wondering the easiest and most efficient way of working with the NTSC and PAL footage together in the same PAL timelines.
I spoke with Graeme Nattress today and he suggested recapturing and removing the pulldown with Cinema Tools which I don't really know how to do. I'm sure it's basic and do-able, but if I can avoid recapturing all of the NTSC footage, I'd like to.
So, I figure I can convert the NTSC footage to PAL via Compressor or the Nattress convertor, but as far as I understand, I won't be able to preserve the tape source timecode. This is an issue for me, since I've captured everything at low - photo jpeg- resolutions, and will have to return to the master tapes for onlining.
If I've gotta deal with recapturing or with potentially eye-matching all of the NTSC footage when we got to online, so be it. If there's another- that'd be better obviously. Any other thoughts or suggestions would be really appreciated.
Many thanks, and happy new year.
Nate Smith
System:
G5 Dual 2ghz
2 gb memory
Final Cut Pro 4.5
2 external 250 gb Lacie firewire drives

Welcome to the forum Nate!
The only way I can think of that would preserve the TC would be to edit the 29.97 footage directly into the PAL sequence... Never tried this and wonder about bugs in the area surrounding the recapture, but it should recapture OK... I'd do a test of this to make sure the workflow will work OK... I'll also add that the NTSC footage will look pretty rough in the offline res probably when played back (and rendered each time you want to use it) in the PAL offline sequence... but that may not be such an issue. If it is, then you'll have to do what Graeme suggested first, then eyball it all in the online session as you've guessed. OR maybe just put it in twice on top of itself. Lower video track being the NTSC directly cut in, and upper track being the "transformed" version of the same. Delete V2 when you recapture...
In any event, you'll still need to do what Graeme suggests for the Online session. His plugin will make the time needed to change the NTSC to PAL go a lot faster than using Compressor... and removing the pulldown pattern in Cinema Tools is a snap actually. It's just a matter of importing the shot needed, then selecting remove pulldown pattern from the file menu. Read the instructions on page 192 of CT's Help, it's really easy to do... Be sure that the footage is shot 24P and not 24PA.. if PA you'll want to recapture it removing the advanced pulldown pattern on the fly with FCP and you won't need to use CT at all in this scenario, just Compressor or Graeme's plugin to change that 24p to PAL...
HTH
Jerry

How to make a DVD 5 from a project?

I have a FCP project just short of 3 hours long and my client has demanded a DVD 5 preview copy with burnt in timecode. Can anyone advise on how I can do this?

You said,"I use a DVD recorder to create BITC copies directly from FCP's Timeline."
I used to make a master on my Sony DVD HD deck and then down convert it onto a DVD recorder, with the time code display on.A bit long winded. I didn't realise you could go from the time line, are you simply playing it back ie pressing the "Space bar"? and if so how do you burn in the time code?
I think I'd rather try and burn a DVD on the computer, I'll give it a go.

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You need to use Toast to burn HD DVDs. iDVD cannot do this.
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Producing NTSC dvd's from PAL projects

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