I will be selling a DVD...

[b-string]

I am new to this forum I want start by apologizing in advance if a similar question has been asked before. I could find anything by searching.

Monday I will start selling (worldwide shipping) a home-made instructional DVD from my site.

I will provide the following technical specifications about the DVD

DVD +R , all regions, NTSC.

Most modern DVD players will support this format. However, if you have an older player (or if you for some other reason are unsure if this format will work for you), I strongly recommend ordering the CD-rom insead.

My questions are:

1) Is this information relevant and correct?

2) Have I choosen "the most globaly supported" format? (I have done some research, still I am not quite sure...) Is there a better format to choose (maybe I shoud be shipping both pal and ntsc..?)

Help very much appreciated!

/Kristofer

[guns1inger]

If you believe your primary market to be NTSC then it is valid. The information you have provided is correct, in that NTSC will playback on most systems, whereas PAL support in NTSC countries is not a well developed. -R is probably better supported on older systems, but anything produced in the last 3 years will probably play +R or -R without blinking.

From a customer service perspective, if there is the possibility of supporting both PAL and NTSC formats at minimal inconvenience to yourself, I believe you should strongly consider doing so. It shows that you are truely global and care equally for all markets, and aren't just pandering to the US market. If, however, your research shows the US market to be your primary target, the choice of format may well be a sound business decision.

[b-string]

Thanks guns1inger, that's just what I wanted to know. I am now into shipping both ntsc and pal, just one question though:

What do you think would be the most user friendly way of asking which format the buyer wants his dvd in?

Would the best something like:

Ntsc (American format) CLICK HERE

Pal (European format) CLICK HERE

What I am trying to ask is if people generally know the difference..?

thanks again

/K

[Cunhambebe]

Hey, I'd like to know how to get one of these DVDs
Now, you can add something else, maye a warning like this one....this is an NTSC DVD and all computers can play it.
Cheers!

[lordsmurf]

You should use DVD-R and not DVD+R for highest compatibility.

[b-string]

Hey, I'd like to know how to get one of these DVDs
Now, you can add something else, maye a warning like this one....this is an NTSC DVD and all computers can play it.
Cheers!

Have a look here if you are interested in the DVD:

http://www.freelicks.net/DVD.htm

Is it true that all computers can view ntsc?

[jimmalenko]

http://www.hkcinema.co.uk/Articles/dvdregioncodes.html

NTSC / PAL / Secam TV Signals:

(please check TV and DVD user manuals for more information)

NTSC (National Television Standards Committee) is a standard signal for North America, Japan, Philippines, Korean and parts of South America

Secam (Sequential Color Memory) is used primarily in France, Eastern Europe and Russia

PAL (Phase Alternating Line) is used everywhere else in the world, including the United Kingdom

What does this mean?

All DVDs are made either NTSC or PAL standard. To watch NTSC in a PAL region there are three options, either have a multi-system TV, a NTSC/PAL DVD player or a signal converter.

Most TVs in the US are NTSC only and therefore a NTSC/PAL DVD player / converter is required to watch PAL DVDs. This means that a simple 'Region-Free' player is not enough - it must also be able to convert the PAL signal

Many PAL TVs are capable of displaying a NTSC signal and therefore will not require a NTSC/PAL DVD player / converter to play a NTSC disc. A 'Region-Free' player should be adequate to play NTSC discs which do not have RCE

Maybe you could rewrite words to that effect on your site, or alternatively ask the content owner for permission to use it as worded.

[gadgetguy]

Or ask for permission to link to it with a title like "Which version should I order, NTSC or PAL?" (Although it might not be a good idea to depend on someone elses site.)

[Cunhambebe]

Thanks for the link, I'll check it out..Yes, all computers can play NTSC, PAL, PAL-M, PAL-N, etc.
Hey jimmalenko, please tell me why the USA looks bigger than Africa in that map...lol ... http://www.hkcinema.co.uk/Articles/dvdregioncodes.html
Cheers!

[b-string]

Just one more thing..

My research tells me all secam countrys can view PAL. Is this a correct assumtion?

In that case I will be sending a PAL version of the DVD if the buyer lives in a secam country..

Thanks again for your tremendous support..!

/K

[lordsmurf]

SECAM was only VHS and broadcast.
From what I know, it's dead with DVB, HDTV and DVD.

All SECAM are now PAL.

[Sabro]

From my understanding (mainly from posts around here), DVD-R tends to more compatible then the DVD+R.

In addition, when burning...setting the bitset to DVD-ROM tends to help as well.

Sabro

[b-string]

Hi again!

I have started selling the DVD and I suspect I have missunderstood something...

Some of my costumers have not been able to view the DVD+R with their computers. Their dvd drives are more than three years old.

From this forum topic I concluded all computers could view all formats. Does that include DVD+R AND DVD-R also?

Thanks

[nwo]

Maybe you could let the buyer pick the option of the dvd format

+ PAL
+ NTSC

- PAL
- NTSC

Which works best with there PC or DVD.

Like a tick box.

[ybeard]

Hi again!

I have started selling the DVD and I suspect I have missunderstood something...

Some of my costumers have not been able to view the DVD+R with their computers. Their dvd drives are more than three years old.

From this forum topic I concluded all computers could view all formats. Does that include DVD+R AND DVD-R also?

Thanks

Think for a second... Do you view with a DVD drive or do you view with a video card and a screen of some type? NTSC/PAL are video standards, not DVD standards. +/-R are dvd format standards. A -R or a +R DVD is the same regardless of whether they are in a country that supports the NTSC standard or the PAL standard for video. The drive is simply the medium that your information is stored upon.

[jdizzy40]

I think you are confusing DVD Format with video format. Am I correct? You seem to be using them as if they were the same thing. DVD -R will be your best bet, not DVD +R.

[MOVIEGEEK]

I would use DVD-R for now and in the future when your business is growing get the disc's pressed by a professional.Pressed DVD's will play on all players and look more professional with silkscreen logos.

[guns1inger]

Unfortunately, older DVD-ROM drives in computers may also be restricted to single formats. In the early days different vendors supported different formats. Some were resolutely pro -R and would not read from (and later write to) +R disks, and vice-versa. Eventually they learned that the consumer did not want to be dragged into another VHS/Beta war, and they began producing drives that could read both. If your customers have older drives, this may well be the case.

[b-string]

Unfortunately, older DVD-ROM drives in computers may also be restricted to single formats. In the early days different vendors supported different formats. Some were resolutely pro -R and would not read from (and later write to) +R disks, and vice-versa. Eventually they learned that the consumer did not want to be dragged into another VHS/Beta war, and they began producing drives that could read both. If your customers have older drives, this may well be the case.

Thanks again Guns|inger, that's just what I needed to know!