• Apple Final Cut Pro Legacy

  Having problems converting to PAL for international distribution

  Posted by Jacques Star on November 5, 2011 at 7:33 pm

  Greetings fellow editors.

  My creative team is preparing for a PAL conversion of our latest program.
  Here are the specs, which are making me pull my hair out, because I can’t get the proper settings in Compressor or final Cut

  Video:
  Frame size: 1920×1080 pixels
  Frame rate: 50i
  Stream type: MPEG2 Video Stream (Main Profile @ High Level)
  Field dominance (interlacing): Upper Field First
  Bitrate: 40000kbps
  Chroma format: 4:2:0

  Audio:
  Stream type: WAV, MPEG1 layer 2
  Channels: 5.1 or Stereo
  Stream format: 48KHz, 16bit
  Audio bitrate: 384 kbps or greater

  I tried in compressor at first. I clicked the MPEG-2 elementary stream, but there was NO 50i setting available, it was ghosted. I had to choose 25, which is progressive? I could also not choose the field dominance, (since progressive was the only setting?) This was very confusing.

  Then, I tried a Quick Time Conversion export out of Final, Cut, but the pixel resolution for MPEG-2 was WAY below 1920×1080. I can also export a straight Quicktime movie, but the only setting I can find is MPEG-4 (which they said was acceptable) I can’t change the frame rate, but the editing timebase I can choose 50, and I can choose 1920×1080. Still, I cannot change the field dominance to upper field first.

  However, none of these exports are exactly to spec. Can someone please help me out here?

  Thanks,

  Jacques Star
  Sound and Picture Dept.
  https://www.liquidassets.tv
  https://www.jacquesstarvideoproductions.com

  Jacques Star replied 14 years, 10 months ago 4 Members · 4 Replies
• 4 Replies

• 

  Neal Broffman

  November 5, 2011 at 7:41 pm

  this can help you:
  https://nattress.com/Products/standardsconversion/standardsconversion.htm

  A hardware solution like a terenex will give you the best conversion, though.

  Neal Broffman
  One Production Place, Atlanta, GA
  http://www.oneproductionplace.com
  Latest project:
  Series of profiles for the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships For New Americans.
  https://vimeo.com/channels/pdsoros
• 

  David Roth weiss

  November 5, 2011 at 7:54 pm

  Jacques,

  In my opinion, not one of the many software solutions for PAL conversion works well enough for discerning eyes. I’d recommend that you search this forum and try all of those that are recommended. If you try them and find that none ultimately suits your very nice looking U/W material, give me a shout. I use a proprietary method that produces superb NTSC to PAL conversions at a substantially lower price than a hardware conversion at a facility using Teranex hardware.

  David

  David Roth Weiss
  Director/Editor/Colorist
  David Weiss Productions, Inc.
  Los Angeles
  https://www.drwfilms.com

  Don’t miss my new Creative Cow Podcast: Bringing “The Whale” to the Big Screen:
  https://library.creativecow.net/weiss_roth_david/Podcast-Series-2-MikeParfitandSuzanneChisholm/1

  POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

  Creative COW contributing editor and a forum host of the Business & Marketing and Apple Final Cut Pro forums.
• 

  Rafael Amador

  November 6, 2011 at 9:14 am

  [Jacques Star] “I tried in compressor at first. I clicked the MPEG-2 elementary stream, but there was NO 50i setting available, it was ghosted. I had to choose 25, which is progressive? I could also not choose the field dominance, (since progressive was the only setting?) This was very confusing.
  “
  Compressor has no presets for Standard Conversion and MPEG-2 at once.
  You need to do it in two steps.
  a) Convert the NTSC to PAL.
  b) Create the PAL MPEG-2.

  [Jacques Star] “I tried in compressor at first. I clicked the MPEG-2 elementary stream, but there was NO 50i setting available, it was ghosted. I had to choose 25, which is progressive? “
  25 refers to “Frames”. If you are dealing with interlaced stuff, unless you set “NONE” in the Frame Control (Output Fields), the clip will keep interlaced.
  25i and 50i is exactly the same. There is only one standard for interlaced stuff. Some manufacturers use the term “i25”, others i50.

  Try the conversion first with a short clip, because as Neal and David said, the results may not be good enough.

  [David Roth Weiss] “I use a proprietary method that produces superb NTSC to PAL conversions at a substantially lower price than a hardware conversion at a facility using Teranex hardware.”
  And I’m still waiting (since few months) for you to tell me about after your tests 🙂
  rafael

  http://www.nagavideo.com
• 

  Jacques Star

  November 6, 2011 at 9:01 pm

  Okay,

  Can anyone please give me some links to some good converter hardware?

  Thanks!

  Jacques Star
  Sound and Picture Dept.
  https://www.liquidassets.tv
  https://www.jacquesstarvideoproductions.com

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