PAL Video to NTSC DVD?

[albloom]

I've run into a bit of a problem. I received an AVI that is encoded
in PAL format. Silly goose that I am, I thought that was reserved
for VHS tapes and DVDs and such the like. Quicktime plays the video
quite nicely, but I want to burn the video to DVD in NTSC format.

Toast 9 will convert for me, but the output is downright fuzzy. I
tried lots of video tools, most of which I truly don't understand.
The best I've done is to import the video into iMovie HD and drag
the saved project into Toast. I didn't use iDVD because I could not
get past that stupid jingle. As I said, I don't know much.

I'm sure there is a better way. Could one of you experts prettyplease
give me a step-by-step dummy's guide?

Thanks much.

[rumplestiltskin]

I'm sure there are more options (and others will voice their opinions soon enough, I'm sure) but you might try MPEG Streamclip and export the AVI to MJPEG-B (which will be huge but, basically, lossless) but alter the frame rate to 29.97 (which, of course, is NTSC). Set "in" and "out" points for about a minute or so of the video just for testing. Drop the result into Toast. Burn. Let us know how it goes.

[victoriabears]

The easiest way is to create a pal dvd and use a dvd player that will convert it for you, believe me.

You can get one for $60, suggest Philips.

[lordsmurf]

You can get one for $25-30, the Chinese cheapo's from Walmart work fine.

[albloom]

Thanks, Rumplestiltskin, but the result was as fuzzy as dropping the AVI
on Toast (v9) and letting Toast do the conversion to NTSC.

Victoriabears & Lordsmurf: I know, I know, I know. I have a Philips that
claims to play anything that fits in the tray. I haven't tried a personal
pan pizza yet.

[jman98]

Victoriabears & Lordsmurf: I know, I know, I know. I have a Philips that
claims to play anything that fits in the tray. I haven't tried a personal
pan pizza yet.

Then why on earth are you even trying to convert that because if your Philips can play Divx, it should be able to play the file even if it is PALish (for lack of a better term). I've done that on my old DVP-642 with PAL-like Divx files. Also, conversion will lower the quality, so I'm not sure why you think you need to do this.

[Herve]

and letting Toast do the conversion to NTSC.

Do not use toast to do a standard conversion.
Keep PAL (in toast)
Your dvdplayer seems to read PAL, so:
open your DVDPlayer settings: in standard, select "AUTO" (not "PAL", not "NTSC")
same setting on your TV (some tv need it, most are automated)

read the disk (should be ok)

PS: Toast will do a bad conversion for you:
it will duplicate one frame each 5 frames (= add 5 frames each second). The result will be jerky. Keep the standard or forget toast.
bye

[jman98]

Herve - That is very bad advice to set the DVD player to "AUTO". The original poster is in the USA. Almost no TVs sold in the USA are capable of displaying a PAL signal, which is what the "AUTO" setting will do. We have no choice but to use NTSC here and force everything to NTSC. Most HDTVs sold cannot display PAL video either. There are some exceptions to this, but that's what they - EXCEPTIONS.

[Herve]

oops, I knew that a lot of us DVDplayer were not able to display "PAL" contents (nor mpeg1-layer2 audio) , but I didn't know this limitation for tv too.
All my TV (one "expensive", 2 very cheap ones) are able to display NTSC DVD … but I'm in Europe .

So use a software to correctly convert standard:
- JES deinterlacer (free, a very good soft)
- avisynth (command line, free too)
- soft in my sign (not free)

bye

[rumplestiltskin]

This following has nothing to do with DVD but only PAL so it may not be a solution for you.

I also get PAL AVIs which I convert to H264 (and do maintain excellent quality). I then drop them into my AppleTV or my iPod and play it directly on my NTSC and ATSC TVs. In other words: I do not use DVDs any more.

[vix]

VisualHub would do this for you in a cinch

[lordsmurf]

I also get PAL AVIs which I convert to H264 (and do maintain excellent quality). I then drop them into my AppleTV or my iPod and play it directly on my NTSC and ATSC TVs. In other words: I do not use DVDs any more.

XBOX + Router + Computer + XBMC = Play most any video, no disc required.
At most, use a DVD-RW.

[albloom]

The best I've been able to do so far is loading the video into iMovie (HD,
Version 6) then sharing it with iDVD. I got a tad snarly when iDVD said I
had no DVD burner. Huh? Back to Patchburn, which I thought was not
needed lately (I have a pair of Pioneer 115's on a G4 under 10.4.11).

[sfatula]

I used Mpeg2 works 4 and found the result acceptable, barely (but super easy). Motion doesn't look so great but that is to be expected due to the differences. I tried a few other tools as well, whose names escape me.

[Herve]

Motion doesn't look so great but that is to be expected due to the differences.

Differences ?!? Just slow down the movie (acceleration is the way to convert from theater to PAL, and NTSC FILM is almost the same frequencies as theater, so you just need to slow down your PAL file).
With Progressive file, there is not so big differences (NTSC VIDEO and interlaced files are far more complex)
PS: You want smoothness? try JES deinterlacer (it's interpollation algorithm is great)

bye

[sfatula]

I did use JES as well (actually was no better than simply using the product I mentioned), but you can't invent perfect frames. PAL is 25 fps. And my equipment doesn't play PAL. It's best just to avoid having to do it, but, my wife accidentally bought something I wanted on Ebay, and, it came from overseas.