Convert to PAL

Heysues wrote on 1/8/2003, 4:01 PM
Created a nice little DVD video for NTSC
Friend overseas would like a copy so need to get into PAL format?

Project uses still photos and DV NTSC 720*480 video.

To convert for PAL dvd, is all i have to do is rencode the mpeg file using
PAL profile?
Thing is - there's a couple of different PAL profiles
PAL -DV
PAL - square pixels
PAL - Standard...

When i changed the VV project settings to PAL stanard - the aspect ration
didn't display right on my preview window (taller then it was wider)
With PAL SQUARE pixels, aspect was ok but the video in preview looked really small..

I don't have PAL setup so i have no way of testing to figure out what to use.
Any suggestions for the proper PAL settings?

After i get the right setting, i would assume i can just bring the PAL mpeg into
DVD workshop and burn away? (ie i don't have to worry about region coding or anything like that)

thanks!

Comments

vonhosen wrote on 1/8/2003, 4:30 PM
You won't have to worry about region settings.

NTSC should play in a PAL player (that'll save you a lot of work). It's PAL that doesn't play on most NTSC players & TVs
shaunn wrote on 1/8/2003, 7:57 PM
how do you know that ntsc will be played by most pal players?
vonhosen wrote on 1/9/2003, 1:26 AM
I'm in the UK & the majority of players & TVs sold here play NTSC (PAL60 pseudo NTSC)
shaunn wrote on 1/9/2003, 6:49 AM
Well of course. The TV that will play Ntsc are multi system TVs. But 90% of them out there will NOT. Try playing an NTSC VHS tape with a NTSC VCR with a PAL TV. It won't work

But one thing I have been trying to find out is that if all the DVD or VCD players out there are multi system and will play any system (pal or Ntsc) you put into it. Will all players convert on the fly the signal from DVD NTSC to PAL TV?

Summersond wrote on 1/9/2003, 9:32 AM
I think what Vonhosen is trying to say is that an NTSC DVD (digital format) will play in most PAL DVD's (also digital), unlike a VHS tape which is analog and a completely different animal altogether. The circuitry for a digital signal is totally different than that for an analog signal being processed.

my 2 cents worth.
dave
vonhosen wrote on 1/9/2003, 11:54 AM
Exactly what I'm trying to say Summersond
Zulqar-Cheema wrote on 1/9/2003, 4:25 PM
NTSC DVD (digital format) will play in most PAL DVD's (also digital),

Not true as the formats are different, 625 lines & 50Hz in PAL land and 525 lines & 60Hz in NTSC land.
The reason it works in the UK is practically all new (last few years)TV's in the UK will play NTSC in a half psudeo sort of way. I have a VCR of 5 years old and that plays NTSC video tapes and the DVD will play back NTSC DVD's and the TV adapts(you can not record the signal on a PAL VCR) . It much simpler to make circutry in TV/VCR/DVD to work across all standards then make them specific to a standard these days. However the US does not seem to do the same and normally tapes sent there have to be converted to NTSC as they seem to lack the features we have.

Good luck
vonhosen wrote on 1/9/2003, 4:41 PM

If you play a NTSC disc in your PAL player it will do the following.
If your TV set is multi format it will output the signal & playback as NTSC
If your set isn't multi format it will output it as PAL60 which should play on most fairly modern PAL sets (provided they have v-hold)

This has been my experience of playing NTSC disc in PAL DVD players on variety of TV sets.
Heysues wrote on 1/9/2003, 11:42 PM
First, i'm going to send him a copy of my NTSC DVD
We'll see how it works.

Still wondering though, what would be the best PAL mode to encode in
(square pixels, standard.. etc etc) if say, god came down from heaven and said
THOU SHALL NOT DELVIER IN NTSC

I'm worried aspect is going to somehow get screwed up... I got NTSC DV video, put together with some still photos in my project

Say i print it all to tape (NTSC DV) so.... If, a month down the road, he calls me and says it doesn't work, can then recapture the video - bring into VV, then encode into PAL mpeg - will i have to worry about any aspect ratios getting screwed up?

There's a couple different templates for PAL encoding and i'm not sure what does what? square pixels, standard pal..?

why can't we all just have the same format :(