I’ve tried a million methods, but cant get my PAL to NTSC DVD

[Josh Evans]

Is this how I do it:

CREATE AN NTSC DV FILE FROM PAL DVD VIDEO_TS Using MPEGStreamclip.

Compress that file using compressor 120 minutes settings

Burn in DVD studio Pro, Making sure DVD studio pro is set to NTSC.

The only problem is that MPEGStreamclip keeps exporting 4:3 videos, even when i select 16:9 in options. No idea why??

[Paul Dickin]

Hi
The problem with Streamclip doing the PAL>NTSC conversion is that its just an interface for QuickTime, and QT makes 29.97 from 25 by repeating every 5th frame – not very pretty, if your smooth pans matter to you.

First transcode your PAL to a proper frame-blended NTSC movie – not NTSC DV as that has a 4.1.1 colourspace, not very compatible with a DVD’s 4.2.0.

The Nattress Standards Converter will do this in FCP, or you can do it in (more slowly) Compressor, using the preset to do this, with Frame Controls options to give you frame/field blending.
Then use a Compressor DVD preset to turn the resultingNTSC file into an MPEG-2 file for DVD SP.

In standard def anamorphic is just a flag setting, so your 16:9 transcodes will only look the correct aspect ratio in a program that compensates for this – QuickTime Player doesn’t.

[Walter Biscardi]

[Josh Evans] “My sequence is Apple Proress 422 (HQ) and is 90 minutes long. I cant work out a way to get this out and convert it to NTSC DVD. “

Purchase Graeme Nattress’ Standards Converter.

Convert the PAL timeline to an NTSC timeline.

Export an NTSC quicktime.

Use Compressor to make the NTSC MPEG-2 files.

Make your DVD.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.

Read my Blog!

STOP STARING AND START GRADING WITH APPLE COLOR Apple Color Training DVD available now!

[Andy Mees]

Actually Paul, although MPEG Streamclip does sit atop of Quicktime it isn’t just an interface for it, at least not in every regard and certainly not with regards to all its encoding algorithms … we long used it simply because it could produce artifact free DV PAL AVI’s where Quicktime could not (this was eventually fixed).
I assume you are right with respect to its ability to and method of conversion for PAL to NTSC (havn’t tested it myself) but thought it was worth noting that MPEG Streamclip is at least not always just an interface to Quicktime.

Josh, for a quick standards conversion you could also check out the free JES Deinterlacer which apparently does a fast and reasonably good job of it.

[Rafael Amador]

Hi Josh,
As Paul and Walter suggest, try to get the best possible NTSC QT movie from your PAL master before thinking of going to MPG-2.
Use “Nattress Standard Converter” or Compressor but avoid to go to DV NTSC. Keep in Prores.
Once you are happy with NTSC.mov then use Compressor to make the MPG-2.
Cheers,
Rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com

[Jeremy Garchow]

Export a self contained PAL from FCP.

Conform your 25.0 file to 23.98 using Cinema Tools. Your video will be slowed down a touch and your audio pitched down a bit. If you can live with that, read on.

Encode your 23.98 movie to 23.98 MPEG2 with audio.

Make your NTSC DVD in DVDSP and burn it. Don’t worry about pulldown.

Jeremy

[Paul Dickin]

[Andy Mees] “although MPEG Streamclip does sit atop of Quicktime it isn’t just an interface for it…”Hi
True, Streamclip suppiles its own additional ‘Save As AVI’ plug-in component. But the rest is QT, and the QT MPEG-2 Component.

[Paul Dickin]

[Jeremy Garchow] “Encode your 23.98 movie to 23.98 MPEG2 with audio. “
Hi
Do you have a frame size scaling workflow you use for this. Also frame-setting for non-progressive footage?

[Rafael Amador]

Compressor would cope with the resize and change in pixels aspect while making the MPG-2. However to get it well done you would need to set “Frame Control” ON. More Compression time.
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com

[Jeremy Garchow]

[Paul Dickin] “Also frame-setting for non-progressive footage? “

You know, sometimes I forget that not everyone works in a progressive world. Thanks for bringing that up.

You can use Compressor to deinterlace, conform and encode to mpeg2 all at the same time in that case and forget about Cinema Tools. It’s all in the frame controls. It’s a pretty easy way to get a viewing copy to a client and then send out for proper hardware conversion later but still maintain decent quality.

Jeremy