Frame Rate conversion (Newbie questions)

[Robert_Neville]

This inquiry may seem like a simpleton question, yet please bear with me since one must start somewhere. I would like to convert a PAL (25 fps) xvid AVI to a VCD that play on a NTSC DVD player. In additional, I must add subtitles to the movie.

Do all NTSC DVD players play NTSC Film 23.976 and NTSC 29.976? Please give me some insight on the advantages of using one versus the other.

This site has great guides on most conversion tasks. Using the frame rate conversion guide, VirtualDub returned an error that my disk space was insufficient. After double checking, my free disk space was 11.6 gigs. This issue left me perplexed since most DVDs are around 4.9 gigs. Why would VirtualDub require so much space for a 120 minute frame rate conversions? The actual AVI file is under 700 mb let alone 4.9 gigs. Let me know any insights that may help find the workaround for this situation (besides buying another hard drive).

What quality could one expect from an Xvid decompression to a VCD? What would be the best AVI source (Divx, Xvid, or VF)?

[Conquest10]

whoa, a lot of questions there. not all ntsc dvd players will play 23.97 fps. some require 3:2 pulldown to play properly.
the problem with the disk space is that maybe you are trying to save the avi without any compression.
xvid is a good source when the person who did it knows what they are doing. there is no real answer to which type of avi is best. though, uncompressed would be most likely at the top.

[Gurm]

DIVX and XVid are going to likely be similar, but it REALLY depends on who encoded it.

The problem with XviD is that since the developers refuse to compile it, every build you get is from some open-source tinkerer who has built it THEIR way, and it often becomes quite incompatible across versions/builds.

BUT... the latest authoritative player for it ought to yield fine results. Then again, so should DIVX. *shrug*

You're decompressing to a highly lossy, bitrate-limited format anyway, you're LOSING quality no matter what.

- Gurm

[Robert_Neville]

Thanks for your insights.

How much disk space do I need for a 120 minute frame rate conversion?