NTSC to PAL?

WestbrookNH · Post by **WestbrookNH** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 4:53 am

When we were in Brazil, we learned that almost all of the DVD players and TVs sold there are capable of real-time conversion of NTSC, PAL or PAL-M formats to the format of the output display, whichever it may be.

This is partly because half of Brazil uses PAL-M and the other half uses NTSC, but it's also because most of the movie DVDs are made in the US or Europe. Almost all of the DVD players sold in Brazil appear to be region-free, as well.

We have made an NTSC Region-free DVD slide-show of family photos, and we have sent it to our friends in Brazil, who were able to watch it just fine.

Now we would like to send it to some relatives in Italy, but we don't know if the DVD players in Italy are as versatile as the ones in Brazil. Italy uses PAL.

Looking at Region-2, which includes Italy, it seems that almost every nation there uses a different format. Given that most of those nations are in close proximity and can pick-up eachother's broadcasts, I would imagine that their playback equipment would have to be as versatile as those n Brazil.

Should I just go ahead and send my NTSC-encoded Region-0 DVD and hope for the best, or should I convert it to PAL first?

Can anybody offer some inisght?

Ci sono alcuni Italiani leggendo questo?

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Post by **lancecarr** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 5:13 am

First the question Of "Regions." This is totally inapplicable in this case. The concepts of regions ONLY applies to commercially produced DVDs as an anti-pirate device. It has nothing to do with anything you would produce yourself.
That leaves the NTSC/PAL question. "Generally" most PAL players will be able to handle NTSC discs and I think you would have a very good chance of your friends in Italy being able to view NTSC discs no problems. Below is a link to a tutorial on converting PAL to NTSC but the concepts remain the same for NTSC to PAL.
The good news is that you have made a slideshow presentation and by simply re-rendering your NTSC original file into PAL you will get a good product. The main problem with conversion using VS or any other general editing program rather than a specialised program is with the way motion becomes a little jumpy. In your case it wont be a problem.
In the tutorial it says not to convert MPEG to MPEG but I think in the case of a slideshow it will be ok.

http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic.php?t=11847

WestbrookNH · Post by **WestbrookNH** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 5:33 am

Lance,

Che informazione maravigliosa!

Thanks for the good input!

I think I'll just send the DVD as is. If they can't see it on their TV, they can always run it on a computer.

'Brigado ...

GeorgeW · Post by **GeorgeW** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 5:42 am

Since you are mailing the NTSC DVD, maybe you can add a 2nd disc (as a test for future projects).

In the VideoStudio Create Disc module, hit F6 (or preferences in lower left corner), and change TV System to PAL. The project menus/chapter marks (if you have a slideshow as an mpeg file) should adjust properly. You then just re-compile your dvd and burn it to disc. If you do create this disc, please let us know if your relatives in Italy can tell the difference...

Regards,
George

daniel · Post by **daniel** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 1:13 pm

Hi,

Living in a cross-standards country, I would advise against believing europeans to be able to see an NTSC disc.

While the players don't care at all, the TVs do!
If you play an NTSC disc on a PAL TV (like in Italy), the chrominance signal will not be interpreted and you will get monochrome (a.k.a black & white) picture.

I know due to relationships between USA and UK (two countries separated by a common language as they say) all UK TV can play NTSC signal, but mainland europe was PAL (or SECAM) and strictly that.

This is I think irrelevant for recent TV sets, and certainly for plasma/LCD sets, that are not really manufactured in europe...

I have had Thomson and Philips TV and they don't give color on NTSC discs, my current TV still doesn't.

WestbrookNH · Post by **WestbrookNH** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 1:49 pm

Wow, thanks for all the input.

Now I'm thinking I should just create a PAL version and send that.

Some of the people receiving this are older, so they won't be technically savvy, and may not even have a computer. I would like it to just play nicely on their TV when they put it in their DVD player.

If I create a disk using a PAL encoded MPEG file, will I be able to see it on my computer? I want to be sure that it burned correctly.

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Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 1:57 pm

As George said, why not send both?

WestbrookNH · Post by **WestbrookNH** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 2:06 pm

Black Lab wrote:As George said, why not send both?

That might confuse the older aunties.

Explaining it to them would be another exercise in Italian translation, but this time I would have to search Italian technical forums to get the correct terms. Too much work!

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