Do NTSC DVDs Play on PAL Systems?

[hadenp]

I have a friend in Denmark, for whom I'd like to make a (home movie) DVD. I know how to make NTSC disks. For me, the process breaks down into two separate processes i.e. 1) Creating the content (mpeg) files and 2) Authoring the DVD by assembling the content, creating the video disk structure (eg .VOB files) and finally burning that content to DVD.

So my questions are....

1) Do I need to re-encode my .mpg files for PAL?
2) Does the DVD authoring/buring program output PAL specific video files?
3) Since I don't have a PAL DVD player, how can I test that the finished disk will be playable? Is there a simulator program that will play the PAL files from the computer?

4) Finally, I recently found some reference that PAL can play NTSC disks. Can anyone else verify that? Of course that would be simplest, but I still want to know how to make PAL disks -so questions 1-3 are important to me too!

Thanks.

[reboot]

To be totally compliant:
1) Yes.
2) Yes, sort of. Authoring a project with menus and such, as you would do in dvdlab or tmpgenc dvd author, requires you to set the parameters to PAL or NTSC.
3) Not that I know of.
Your best bet, is to find out the make/model of his player, and check the players list here for NTSC compatibility.
If you encode/author the dvd as NTSC with AC3 audio, it should work in most players. The player will convert the actual signal from NTSC to PAL so it will play properly on his TV.
FYI, most NTSC players can play PAL too, but again, check YOUR player against the list.

[stillmars321]

Rip your NTSC DVD files to your computer.
Use DVDSanta to process files, set to output PAL DVD files
Burn

[lenti_75]

MOST dvd players and tv's in europe DO READ and display ntsc.

if you have to converto to pal, you loose quality. the best encoder for this is procoder.

[hadenp]

Jim,

regarding the audio...Are you saying that if I don't encode/author the dvd with AC3 audio, it won't (or might not) work?

In the DVDs I've made so far (all NTSC) I've just let the mpg contain the audio. What's the advantage of AC3 ?

Thanks stillmars321 and lenti_75 for your thoughts.

[MOVIEGEEK]

Most NTSC DVD players DO NOT support PAL,some will if you use the IFOEdit trick(see HERE).
As to your AC3 question:AC3 will work in all DVD players,most NTSC players support MP2 audio and all PAL do.

[reboot]

I'm just saying that AC3 is DVD Compliant. See "What is DVD" link, top left.
I have yet to find a dvd player that won't play mp2, either PAL or NTSC, but there's probably some out there. Same with PCM audio.
In order to insure compatibility/playability, you would re-encode to PAL with AC3 audio. If you wanna take a chance, send him the NTSC with mp2 audio.
There's nothing worse than sending a nicely homemade dvd to a friend, and it works great in HIS player, but when he goes to show it off to his friend/aunt/grandma/cousin it won't work.
Dvdr's that I make to send anywhere out of NTSC land, I remake into PAL.
Another note, there are still plenty of players around that WILL NOT play dvdr, or if they do, it's only - or +, but not both.

[Gregg]

OK, I think this should be sticky or something. This question has been raised dozens of times and the answer once again is you don't have to do anything with your NTSC files in order for them to play on DVD players sold in Europe because those palyers /and TVs/ can play all video formats.
I have at home a Samsung S224 bought from Europe and it plays all my NTSC and PAL movies without any problems so far. I'm regularly sending NTSC movies to friends in Europe and I haven't heard a single complaint about a dsic not playing. In short burn the movies as they are /NTSC/ and don't worry!

Enjoy!

[reboot]

I have the opposite experiences. Too many PAL players that won't properly play either +R, -R, or NTSC, or a combination of the 3.

[Scyzor75]

Rip your NTSC DVD files to your computer.
Use DVDSanta to process files, set to output PAL DVD files
Burn

I try to convert from PAL to NTSC DVD and when I add at dvdSanta VOBs/IFOs from PAL DVD I just got message "Unable to load stream". Is there another way to convert DVDs?

[guns1inger]

ReBoot - you must have had a run of bad luck. I have never seen a problem in PAL players in Aus, and friends in the UK report no issues either.

[jimmalenko]

I'm just saying that AC3 is DVD Compliant. See "What is DVD" link, top left.
I have yet to find a dvd player that won't play mp2, either PAL or NTSC, but there's probably some out there. Same with PCM audio.

PCM's fully DVD compliant too, isn't it ?

[reboot]

I think it depends on who you ask.
Some sites say PCM is compliant, some say it's only sort of compliant, again depending on PAL or NTSC. It's supposedly 100% PAL complaint, but not NTSC. AC3 is for both.

guns1inger, I'm talking about some of the "darker" regions of Europe, not the UK or Aus.

[Scyzor75]

ReBoot - you must have had a run of bad luck. I have never seen a problem in PAL players in Aus, and friends in the UK report no issues either.

Can you wirte how to do this step by step? Maybe I doing something wrong

[reboot]

How to do what, step by step?

[Scyzor75]

How to do what, step by step?

Convert from PAL to NTSC with dvdSanta. Lets read some msgs above...

[reboot]

Sorry, he quoted guns1inger, which made no sense.
I have no idea if dvdsanta can do it properly, and I don't think I'd use dvdsanta to do it anyhow.
Look in the Guides section of this forum, there's quite a few on PAL/NTSC conversons.

[Scyzor75]

Look in the Guides section of this forum, there's quite a few on PAL/NTSC conversons.

I try IFOEdit metod - works fine (I can watch PAL movies on NTSC dvd player), but this metod crop screen without subtitles (Polish movies with English subtitles)