Toast 6 insists on changing burn from NTSC to PAL. Why?

[Ladd]

The strangest thing just happened to me. Perhas old hat to folks in the group, but new to me.

I'm attempting to transcode an mpg-1 file of a TV episode to DVD using Toast 6.03. Everything seems to be set up properly (video tab, DVD-video, high quality, NTSC, make DVD menu), but when I click the "record" button, I get a warning message saying that Toast is changing from NTSC to PAL.

I've done this previously with other TV shows and this hasn't happened. Yes, the episode is of a British show (Ultraviolet), but has been shown on U.S. TV and I think, but am not sure, that the .mpg file was generated from the U.S. source.

The file plays just fine on my Mac (OS X 10.2.8 with QuickTime 6.5). I admit that I didn't think it mattered what the source was given that the file is .mpg and it's going to be transcoded anyway by Toast, but what do I know?

Assuming that there is a good reason for Toast's insistence that the file be burned to DVD as PAL instead of the desired NTSC, is there some utility or app that can transcoded this for me?

[pixeljammedia]

When you check the mpeg info in Quicktime (by selecting Command-J), select the muxed track and frame rate. Is it set at 25 fps? What is the pixel resolution? This would tell you whether it is PAL or NTSC.

As for conversion, you may want to try MPEG2 Works. It has a converter though I have never tried it.

[Ladd]

When you check the mpeg info in Quicktime (by selecting Command-J), select the muxed track and frame rate. Is it set at 25 fps? What is the pixel resolution? This would tell you whether it is PAL or NTSC.

The frame rate is 25 fps and the pixel size is 320x240

[pixeljammedia]

The frame rate is 25 fps and the pixel size is 320x240

What you have there is a PAL video at vcd resolution. If you MUST convert the frame rate then go get mpeg2works and try switching it. But before you try, burn it as a Toast VCD and see if your DVD player will play it. You will not get better resolution by converting it to a DVD, so you might as well see if it will play as-is.

[Ladd]

But before you try, burn it as a Toast VCD and see if your DVD player will play it.

I'll give that a try. It will be interesting to see if I'll bump into the PAL constraint though -- Toast was perfectly happy making a DVD, it just insisted that the output be PAL.

Update: Using Toast, if I select SVCD, I get the message that the file to be burned is larger (much larger) than the capicity of the CD-R. Switching to VCD burn, I get the same "switching output to PAL" message as before.

Looks like I'll still need to transcode the file from PAL to NTSC ...

[pixeljammedia]

Burn it once on a cd using vcd. It is PAL, and Toast is simply telling you that. Many set top players can play both NTSC and PAL without a problem. Before you go through the headache of transcoding . See if your player can handle the vcd in PAL mode. Just accept the message in Toast and try it out. Use a cd-rw if you don't want to waste a cd.

[terryj]

YES, Pixel is on the mark.
A VCD is perfect to test your settop
( lower cost per disc than DVD)
and it is the easiest way to test if
your settop can handle PAL formatted discs/streams,
without going through the long hours of conversion.

My two RCA5240's handle PAL streams no problem,
and that saved me tons of time transcoding
a 2hr mpg from Usenet once. Depending on your length of material,
you could be looking at a long re-encoding time to NTSC from PAL.
Better to test and save on the headache if possible.

[Ladd]

Burn it once on a cd using vcd. It is PAL, and Toast is simply telling you that. Many set top players can play both NTSC and PAL without a problem. Before you go through the headache of transcoding . See if your player can handle the vcd in PAL mode. Just accept the message in Toast and try it out. Use a cd-rw if you don't want to waste a cd.

Your message finally got through my thick head -- if my player can read PAL, it will most likely output NTSC which the TV expects. DOH!

I checked the brand/model of my player on the "DVD Player" forum on this board and "Multisystem PAL/NTSC Convert" is listed as one of the player's features. Looks like I'm in luck!

I'm a big fan of re-writables, both CD and DVD. I purchased my first CD burner back when they were over $500 and wore out several CD-RW disks learning all it's features and how to make CDs on my Mac that would work on PCs. So when a DVD burner entered my life I purchased a 25-pack of DVD-RWs so testing is ongoing.

Interestingly (to me), I've never made a VCD so I get to do something new!

[Ladd]

Making the VCD worked like a champ! My first one! (What a noob!)

Toast ran through the encoding process, but because there was no encoding to be done with the mpg file, the burn itself started a few moments later.

After the burn, stuck the CD into the player in the living room and the show started right up.

Thanks for all the help!

Now to figure out the easiest way to burn that single episode of Buffy (The Body) that is AVI (640x464, 23.98 fps, 3ivx D4 3.4.1).

[terryj]

Convert to Mov using Divx Doctor II ( 3ivx is their codec after all)
Drag and drop the mov file into Toast.

can't be simpler than that.....