NTSC and PAL clips in the same project

XXXL · Post by **XXXL** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 12:37 am

Dear all,

I gladly admit, that I learned a huge lot from this forums. Thanks to aaalllll the posters

As an enthusiastic motorcycle tourer, I am up to make a fun movie from my last trip. We used two camcorders and recorded 12-13 hours of video. Now I have to make a 60min movie out of this material

It turned out, that one of the camcorders is NTSC and the other one is PAL

The entire material is transfered to my computer already as DV files(yes, I have a remarkable HDD capacity - all details in my profile).

Is there any particular advise; before putting NTSC and PAL video clips together into the same project ?

I already done some tests and produced a test DVD. PAL clips are OK, as expected. The NTSC clips are somewhat disturbed, with several diagonal intersections throughout the entire screen (as if someone sliced the picture diagonally into several lines and tried to stick them together).

The overall quality, is still at the minimum expectable level for an amature, but I wonder if there is an other pre-treatment for the NTSC files to be converted with less damage ?

A second but less important question would be; that I have to re-capture some videos, as they don't play on WMP10. The first frame appears on the video screen of VMP10 but doesn't play, the video stays still as if PAUSE is engaged. I can move the progress indicator and get another still picture. If I re-capture the same video again, chances are high that this doesn't happen again. I can live with this but, if there is simple explanation...?

I am using VS9 (for now and considering to upgrade to VS10+)
I am using Sony TRV-110e.
Capturing via FireWire.

Thanks in advance, for all the support and advice.

Kind regards
Kaya - the XXL

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 4:03 am

You would be better of creating 2 separate discs, one with the PAL stuff and the other with the NTSC.

The main differences between the two formats are
1. Screen dimensions, NTSC is shorter in height than PAL
2. Frame rate. Video is comprised of lots of individual still images that appear quickly one after the other (Remember when you were at school and they made you create a cartoon using a flick book?)

In the PAL system 25 pictures flash before your eyes every second
in the NTSC system it is almost 30 pictures every second.

XXXL · Post by **XXXL** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 11:06 am

Thanks for the prompt reply Steve, but I can't do as per your advise.

We recorded with both camcorders simultaneously; one of them as an on-board camera and the other one as the primery camera. So, seperating the NTSC and PAL clips and producing seperate DVDs, will totaly ruin the flow and chronology of the trip. I have to have them in altering sequence.

If there is no way, to convert the NTSC file with less damage, I have to accept the fact and the low quality.

Thanks & Regards
Kaya - the XXL

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 11:50 am

You will need to follow the steps in this tutorial then:
Converting PAL to NTSC

Also note that it is easier to convert PAL to NTSC than it is to go the other way NTSC to PAL.

XXXL · Post by **XXXL** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 1:15 pm

Thanks for the fantastic information (again)

Steve,
I should have discovered this topic, by myself...

Anyway....
according this topic, I have to capture the entire PAL videos again, by AVI Type-I

However, as the sound of the PAL videos consists on monoton motorcycle sound, I will go for a test with the existing files (Type-II) and will see the results. At the end, this motorcycle sound will be suppressed with music or author, anyway.

I will also try the vise versa; convert from NTSC to PAL. If the outcome is acceptable, I'll prefer the DVD to be in PAL, although the most DVD-Player can handle the NTSC movies.

Result report will be posted.
Thanks again Steve.

Regards
Kaya - the XXL

XXXL · Post by **XXXL** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 10:43 am

TEST RESULTS

it took me several attempts, to produce an "edited" AVI file, from an existing AVI file, without any loss of picture quality. All the properties of the original file - project - final video file; must be in line with each other.

Then I converted it as per instructions in this Topic : "Coverting PAL to NTSC" http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic.php?t=11847
So I have obtained a new AVI file, but this time in NTSC format.
Although slightly blur and not as sharp as the original, the picture quality was acceptable for my current project

As a further test, I wanted to burn a test DVD, together with "original NTSC clips" + "converted NTSC clips" + "streight PAL clips".
So, I prepared a short project with all these material and wanted to create a video file for DVD.
SUPRISE ! SUPRISE !.... My VS9 doesn't have the neccessary settings to create a NTSC MPEG2 file

(any suggestions ?)
Considering this is going to be just a test; I done, something not-recommended

I burned this project, streight from the project timeline

(the CPU usage was continuously 90 - 100%... I should have turned all the non-relevant programs off, but if I add some transitions - filters - etc... this action can't be handled in my computer, anyway)

SUPRISE !... The result is again not bad and acceptable for my current project. I will need to test this DVD on several set-top players, to see if they can handle this NTSC video. Also, to see the quality differences, between "converted NTSC video" and "streight from the timeline burned NTSC video".

If the set-top DVD players, around my neighborhood play this NTSC DVD, I will prepare this current project in NTSC format. Becuase; converting from PAL to NTSC gives less loss, then the other way.

Further test results, to come....
Thanks for reading.

Regards
Kaya - the XXL