Question about NTSC and PAL

macaddict23 said:

I plan on creating a standard DVD to sell domestically and internationally. Do I export/sell two versions, one set to NTSC and other to PAL? I'm using an old version of Encore, version 3.

Does Encore 3 have an "All Region Code" export setting that' I'm missing?

Thanks!

Click to expand...

Be careful here. Region Code and broadcast formats are two different things. You can for example, have a Region 0 (all regions) NTSC DVD or a Region 0 PAL DVD. These would only work in DVD players that supports those respective formats. Sometimes you can find players supporting both but it's not that common.

If you're just an individual, I wouldn't worry too much about the region code. Just set that to 0 for all regions and worry more about using the correct video format (either NTSC or PAL or even SECAM!). I don't know Encore so I can't give you details as it relates to that software but perhaps this helps you to figure out what you need to do.

Good luck!

Although a lot of dvd layers will play both, I'd create both types, just incase.

Definitely do both, we aren't quite rid of these standards problems yet. Yes newer DVD players usually take both, but you need a tv which does both too.

Region 0 NTSC should be enough. Virtually all PAL TVs are capable of playing 60Hz 525 line video as are DVD players. I haven't had a TV in 20 years that couldn't. Only NTSC sets were a problem because they couldn't play 625 line 50 Hz material. Every DVD player I've had since the first generation was able to play NTSC discs that weren't region locked and they would standards convert to the PAL output and these days all flat panel TVs are capable of supporting all standards. Whatever your material originates at (assume 60 Hz) stick with that because converting the frame rate to 50Hz is going to look pretty lousy unless your material was shot at 24fps and you can run it fast to 25fps as they do for commercial movie DVDs. Label the discs as Region 0 NTSC and you'll be fine. The shops here in NZ sell plenty of import DVDs and by law our DVD players are region free.

Here in Australia I'm always being asked to do shonky conversions because clients can't play their NTSC DVDs on boardroom or home TVs.

Thuc5dides said:

Here in Australia I'm always being asked to do shonky conversions because clients can't play their NTSC DVDs on boardroom or home TVs.

Click to expand...

Is that because the discs are region locked or because they're 60Hz? As I said, I haven't ever encountered a DVD player that wouldn't play a 60Hz DVD as long as it wasn't region locked and the TV supported 60Hz mode. Many DVD players have a PAL60 mode to provide colour to TVs that don't support native NTSC mode but do support 60Hz/525 line output. It isn't correct to say that DVDs are NTSC or PAL, they are digital and are 60Hz 525 line or 50Hz 625 line and can be progressive or interlaced but DVD players have been capable of converting to various formats that the TVs supported and some even have the ability to convert frame and line rates to give true PAL output from region 1 discs but the quality suffers as a result so PAL60 is the most compatible compromise on those players. However, modern panel TVs will take whatever they're presented with and certainly here it is very rare to see an old CRT set and even rarer for one to not support at least PAL60 mode so I would say the added hassle of supporting both 60 and 50Hz DVDs is outweighed by the vanishingly small number of potential customers who couldn't play a region 0 60Hz DVD.

Most of these jobs begin with clients asking me why their preview DVD is black and white and glitchy, I don't think it's a region problem. I agree that it's mostly old hardware, but not exclusively CRT.

Could be you kiwis just have better gear than us