PAL to NTSC - when do i select this option whilst editing & dvd authori

johnnybravo · Member Joined: 25 Jan 2006 Location: United Kingdom

Hi all, - sorry in advance for the dummy question...
I wanted your help on something i'm not entirely clear about...I have recorded a movie in PAL and will be editing it on premiere pro 2.0, encoding it, then dvd authoring it on DVDLab Pro.

I need one copy of the final output to be in PAL ... and another to be in a NTSC format (one copy for the UK, the other for the US). At which point do i tell Premiere or DVDLab that i want the output to be in a NTSC format?

by this, i mean, when i open a new project in premiere, it asks me to 'load preset'. which asks if i want the project to be in a dv NTSC or PAL format. my first thoughts would be carry on with the project being a pal format, because the footage has been recorded in pal. once i've edited the movie, i encode the movie - where it also prompts me whether i want to encode it in NTSC or PAL TV standard. Do i now tell it i want a NTSC output? OR...do i carry on with a PAL encoding, import the m2v and mpa into DVDLAB Pro, where it also asks me if i want a NTSC or PAL Target System when i open a new project?

Many of the forums i have looked at recommend going for software which converts pal to ntsc by using VOB files...which are in turn, created when dvd authoring. would this be correct? I also want all of the dvd menu and chapter menu's to continue working as normal on the final PAL and NTSC copy i require.

Thanks in advance folks, i know it was a long message, but your advice is appreciated.

JB

jman98 · Member Joined: 08 Oct 2004 Location: Freedonia

You will have to have 2 different projects - one for PAL and one for NTSC. The menus must be different sized on each format and the chapter points will be different because the fps differs.

I can offer no help with Premiere or DVD Lab Pro as I have not used either. Format conversion are a real bitch for sure so I would ask if you really MUST convert to NTSC. Are you sure that whoever you want to send this to REALLY wants it? A lot of people say "Yeah, sure, send me a copy of your vacation video" or whatever, but in reality they will never watch it. We have guides on doing format conversions here, but I refuse to do them. My family all has DVD players capable of playing PAL DVDs so I never bother with format conversions.

johnnybravo · Member Joined: 25 Jan 2006 Location: United Kingdom

thanks for your reply jman,
im affraid, it is an essential dvd which has to be converted to NTSC - its a wedding video.

As you mentioned, i will have to have two different projects...what im unsure of is, at which point do i start the pal or ntsc project in Premiere or DVDLAB.

can anyone else, or does any one else have any experience on this?

tinker · Member Joined: 25 Oct 2006 Location: Canada

If you are in UK, I would suggest to do whole project in NTSC.
Most, if not all, European players will play both formats, but US need NTCS, unless your friend has a player which will play PAL, not too many around here.
If you edit in Premiere, you have to import PAL, most likely you will import DV AVI and process as that. It depends on you camera capture mode and output. On export you can choose mpeg file with NTSC (29.97) frame rate.
DVDLab will not convert, it need PAL file for PAL DVD and NTSC file for NTSC DVD. Choice of setting is only to encode menus in right format.
If you use motion menus, they also need to be in right format for DVDLab.

johnnybravo · Member Joined: 25 Jan 2006 Location: United Kingdom

tinker, you mentioned..."On export you can choose mpeg file with NTSC (29.97) frame rate." - this is exactly what i was after.

therefore, i can export the ntsc file, and author that file in dvdlab....and i have to do the same for the pal disc too.

Cheers for the info

tinker · Member Joined: 25 Oct 2006 Location: Canada

Yes, that is the idea.
You import file from your camera to Premiere and then after you are done editing, save project.
Export to DVD in NTSC, next export after opening same project, to PAL.

johnnybravo · Member Joined: 25 Jan 2006 Location: United Kingdom

cheers for the heads up!