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PAL Video_TS to NTSC?

ColoJohnBoy

ColoJohnBoy

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Mar 10, 2003
1,129
0
Denver, Colorado
How would one go abut converting a VIDEO_TS file in PAL format to NTSC? I tried converting the individual VOB files, but the sound was out of sync, and the DVD didn't burn propertly. Could I burn a PAL DVD, rip it into NTSC, and burn it again? Any ideas are appreciated. (Lectures about the questionable legality are not.) :)
 
You would need software that does proper conversion, PAL is 50 frames a second and NTSC is 60 frames a second. (There is also the resolution difference.)

Or you can find DVD players that have built in converters.

Basically what happens is that when conversion between PAL<->NTSC is done frames are dropped or duplicated as necessary. As well as the resolution being adjusted.
 
Bear said:
You would need software that does proper conversion, PAL is 50 frames a second and NTSC is 60 frames a second. (There is also the resolution difference.)

Or you can find DVD players that have built in converters.

Basically what happens is that when conversion between PAL<->NTSC is done frames are dropped or duplicated as necessary. As well as the resolution being adjusted.
Click to expand...

Ummm, actually PAL is 25 frames/sec and NTSC is 30 frames/sec. Also, a PAL signal has 625 horizontal lines of resolution and NTSC has 525.
Can't point you in the direction of any software that would convert between the 2, sorry.
 
I tried to do this and finally gave up. Here are the instructions I found in the tutorials for MPEG2 Works, using Mac the Ripper and then MPEG2 Works (http://mac.sofotex.com/download-126993.html):

Ripping for conversion:

Use Mac the Ripper in TITLE/CHAPTER mode to extract the title you want (the one with MF in its name is usually the main feature). (READ THE DIRECTIONS for using Mac the Ripper - you have to let the program scan the DVD in order to set the extraction correctly according to the zone, and you may have to make some choices so that it extracts properly. I didn´t do this the first time, and regretted it.)

You will get one big VOB file. Now try to open the .VOB in Quick Time. If QT opens it, then your MPEG2 component is working. If not, you have to re-install a working MPEG2 component for QT, which you can purchase on the Apple site. That component is essential for MPEG2 Works and DVD converter apps to work with MPEG2 files.

Now - if you hear audio in QT, that means that your VOB has an .mp2 audio track and you can therefore convert it with the preset button of your choice in MPEG2 Works 4, in the "VOBs with AC3 audio" section.

Converting:

Use MPEG2 Works 4 Advanced to convert from PAL to NTSC (click on "VOB" in the menu, then choose VOB PAL <-> NTSC Conversion), and use MPEG2 Works 4 Advanced - Rec section - to create a burnable DVD VIDEO_TS folder.

I had problems once I got into MPEG2 Works. It´s been so long now, that I can´t remember what had me stumped, to be honest. If anyone figures this out, please post!

The MPEG2 Works program´s creator has a site with a forum, with a tutorial section. A search there will turn up many relevant threads on PAL/NTSC conversion:

http://www.mpeg2works.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=6&sid=39487ba93196e9da7706f6c9097e775e
 
This doesn't answer your question, but why don't you just leave it in PAL? I've never seen a DVD player that can't play both formats.
 
Nermal said:
This doesn't answer your question, but why don't you just leave it in PAL? I've never seen a DVD player that can't play both formats.
Click to expand...

There are a few that can´t play both - and sometimes the problem is older televisions that can´t manage both, as I understand it.

Besides, often the problem is that people want to view the DVDs on their computers, without using up the five switches. It´s rotten that you can´t purchase DVDs in any country - I´m talking about perfectly legal purchases here - and play them on your computer, without ending up with a locked region coding. That´s why people end up using VLC and MPlayer - players that don´t care about the region coding. ;)
 
annk said:
There are a few that can´t play both - and sometimes the problem is older televisions that can´t manage both, as I understand it.

Besides, often the problem is that people want to view the DVDs on their computers, without using up the five switches. It´s rotten that you can´t purchase DVDs in any country - I´m talking about perfectly legal purchases here - and play them on your computer, without ending up with a locked region coding. That´s why people end up using VLC and MPlayer - players that don´t care about the region coding. ;)
Click to expand...

The video format doesn't cause the switches, just the region encoding does. So you can rip it and remove the region encoding and burn it back to a dvd and play it just fine without needing to do any conversions at all (assuming the dvd fits in 4.6Gb)
 
Nermal said:
This doesn't answer your question, but why don't you just leave it in PAL? I've never seen a DVD player that can't play both formats.
Click to expand...
Perhaps it's different in NZ, but in the US almost all the DVD players sold are strictly NTSC. At some point I would like to buy an all-region DVD player with built-in PAL<-->NTSC conversion, but at the moment I don't have the $300-$500 necessary.

All in all it's not a big deal. Just a minor inconvenience.
 
ColoJohnBoy said:
Perhaps it's different in NZ, but in the US almost all the DVD players sold are strictly NTSC. At some point I would like to buy an all-region DVD player with built-in PAL<-->NTSC conversion, but at the moment I don't have the $300-$500 necessary.

All in all it's not a big deal. Just a minor inconvenience.
Click to expand...

nope i got an apex AD-2500 for $90.00 that play ntsc and pal, however it isn't region free without hacking it. it will play pal vcd and dvd (region free) from asia.
 
ColoJohnBoy said:
Perhaps it's different in NZ, but in the US almost all the DVD players sold are strictly NTSC.
Click to expand...

Oh OK, over here they're all region free and play both formats. Some of them (like mine, a Philips 625) will convert NTSC to PAL on the fly, for if you have an old TV (although in my case my TV can display both, so I just let it output NTSC if I'm using an NTSC disc).
 
Nermal said:
Oh OK, over here they're all region free and play both formats. Some of them (like mine, a Philips 625) will convert NTSC to PAL on the fly, for if you have an old TV (although in my case my TV can display both, so I just let it output NTSC if I'm using an NTSC disc).
Click to expand...

http://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayers

;)

like the new avatar btw
 
superbovine said:
nope i got an apex AD-2500 for $90.00 that play ntsc and pal, however it isn't region free without hacking it. it will play pal vcd and dvd (region free) from asia.
Click to expand...

Sweeeeeet... I've purchased a bunch of DVDs from the UK that so far I've been restricted to watching on my PowerBooks. $90 is easily managable :)
 
ColoJohnBoy said:
Sweeeeeet... I've purchased a bunch of DVDs from the UK that so far I've been restricted to watching on my PowerBooks. $90 is easily managable :)
Click to expand...

FYI i never gotten the hack to actually work. there firmware available for that model, but never figured it out. most of the dvd's i get a region 0 so it isn't a problem. however, the pal to ntsc stuff works fine.
 
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