PAL to NTSC using Nattress on FCP problems

[Rafael Amador]

Although the name is PAL, the PAL-M is much more closed to the NTSC than to the very PAL.
(Is basically an NTSC system with Phase alternacy) so is easier and you will get a better picture transcoding from NTSC to PAL-M than from PAL to PAL-M. Fallow your client requiere.
Cheers,
Rafael

[David Roth weiss]

[littlefighter] “I’ve digitised the clip into a PAL project then exported it as a PAL quicktime and imported this and placed it into an NTSC sequence. I’ve applied the Nattress G converter (using settings shown on their site) and rendered it (took 70 minutes for a 3 minute clip) then exported it using Compressor to an NTSC m2v.”

Go back and re-read the Graeme’s PDF file because, or so it it seems from your explanation above, that you missed the very important final step #8 from Graeme’s instructions.

“8. the original PAL clip that was edited to the NTSC timeline must now be dropped from
the project browser onto the Source Clip image well in the filter. The plugin will use
this video clip for all the image data for the conversion. This is the important step
that makes this plugin different from any other, and is vital to it’s successful
operation.”

Hope this helps…

David

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles

POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY™

A forum host of Creative COW’s Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.

[Graeme Nattress]

PAL and NTSC don’t exist in digital video, really. They’re analogue formats. All production work in Brazil is done in NTSC and it’s at the point of broadcast where it goes out as PAL-M, similarly in France with SECAM, production work is in PAL, but at broadcast it goes out as SECAM.

PAL-M is 60hz, 525 line, so it’s only the colour encoding that’s PAL like. The rest, the majority, is NTSC like.

(I’ve resonded with help in an email on the converter issue, but the above is good to have in a public forum).

Graeme

– http://www.nattress.com – Film Effects and Standards Conversion for FCP

[Hilleke Doevendans]

Thanks David and Graeme,

I had dropped the clip in but hadn’t included it in my process above.
As Graeme mentioned he’s helped me out via email and the problem is solved. I missed a setting which I should have changed. The end result looked lovely.

Here’s Graeme’s tips, if anyone’s interested…
Things to check:

1) that the NTSC sequence really is NTSC – that it’s 29.97fps

2) that you drop the same PAL clip into the source well as you dropped on the timeline and they have the same in point.

3) Filter is set to PAL to NTSC. Nesting should be off, rest of settings are probably ok.

4) Don’t export direct to compressor from FCP. Export a movie out first by File -> Export -> Quicktime Movie, keep current settings, make self contained.

[Nina Baschi]

Hello, I’m in the same situation (PAL to NTSC conversion for a DVD). Greame, could you give me the link to this pdf file explaining all the steps? I didn’t find it here.

Thanks a lort,
nina