Converting between PAL/NTSC formatted DVDs

[ccteng]

I am looking for a DVD copying software which can convert between PAL and NTSC formatted DVDs in a simple way. Currently I perform the job by using a tedious procedure:
- rip the VOB files.
- Merge the VOB files, demultiplex and convert the AC3 audio into MPEG audio and mulitplex again.
- use Canopus Procoder to convert the combined VOB file between NTSC/PAL formats ( This is the best software I found for converting between NTSC/PAL formats. It performs resolution and motion interpolations. TMPGenc will do the job too, but ended up with jerky motions ).
- Do the DVD authoring again ( without keeping the orginal menu and chapter items ).

I appreciate any information on a better way to perform the job. Thanks for help.

[Gurm]

Dude, that's about as clean as it gets. If someone writes a one-click PAL->NTSC conversion program, they'll make a million dollars.

- GUrm

[stillmars321]

try this software. $145 but sounds easy. Please post results if it turns out ok.
here's the site... http://www.dvfilm.com/atlantis/

[Gurm]

1. It only does AVI's.

2. It will **** UP YOUR AUDIO. It claims to not modify the audio at all, and as we all know you have to upsample the audio!

3. Sounds pretty useless, and REQUIRES Quicktime Pro! ARGH!

- Gurm

[stillmars321]

why don't you just buy a code-free dvd player that automatically plays PAL and shows on your NTSC TV ot Vice versa? They are pretty cheap nowadays. The PAL<--> NTSC converter is built into the DVD player. You can get one for $109! Easier than fooling around with all that conversion software.
Here's the link... http://www.dvdoverseas.com/store/index.html?catalog86_0.html

[ccteng]

Good suggestion.... But I have more than one of those. I am making the DVDs for someone whose DVD player doesn't have the PAL/NTSC capability ...

[lns777]

1. You probably have problems using TMPGEnc because you may need to change A/B fields sequence .

2. There is kind of "easy way" that I am using when I need to do it fast:

- Use DVDDecrypter to rip movie to your hard drive (create IFOEdit chapter list and multiply each chapter point by 1.1988 for PAL to NTSC or devide by the same number for NTSC to PAL - you may use Exel )

- Use NeoDVD 5 Plus software to convert your VOB's. This program works very fast and allowes you to select one of 3 quality modes (different bitrate) It also will give you a chance to convert your audio to AC3/MPEG/LPCM

- Each VOB will be a chapter on the new DVD.
Now you may DeMux it with VobEdit and put it back together with IfoEdit and your converted chapter list. Or you may use it just the way it was created. You may also take advantage of NeoDVD animated menues.

If converted movie does not fit to your DVD-R then you may use DVD2One or DVDShrink (DVD2One does better quality compression)

Even this way is mach faster than using TMPGEnc, it will take 2-3 hours for average size movie.

Good Luck

[ccteng]

1, I know the A/B field trick. It is a different kind of jerky motion when using TMPGenc to convert PAL/NTSC format. I did a detailed study on the issue. TMPGenc simply inserts frames ( or remove frames ) to match the converted frame rate while mantaining the overall video length, without doing any frames interpolation. The result is much different ( better ) with frames interpolation which is done with the Canopus Procoder.
2, When doing format conversions, does neoDVD perform frames interpolation ?

[SatStorm]

Use DVD2DVDR...
For some people work.

I do PAL / NTSC in a totally different way...
I load each VOB on Virtualdub-mpeg2 (with AC3 Support), > inverce telecine (using adaptive fields), split audio / video, change with avifrate 23.97 to 25, see the new video lenght, load wav to a sound editor, time/expand audio to the new video length. Then, I load the (25fps) avi and the wav to virtualdub, I do the resizing and frameserve to my encoder.
Best method ever, without using avisynth...

[allvol]

One thing to think about is that when most PAL (25fps) DVDs are created, they just speed the movie up from NTSC-FILM (23.97fps). You'll find that PAL movies are shorter than their NTSC counterparts.

Now, what to do if you want to change the PAL movie back to its original length?

Demultiplex the VOB file into .mpv and .ac3 files.

I haven't tried it yet, but what about a program like PULLDOWN or DVDPATCHER to change the .mpv header framerate information from 25fps to 23.97fps. Then you could use the virtualdub mentioned above as a frameserver or TMPEGenc or whatever you want to cut the size to 720x480. Hopefully, the encoder does not have to interpolate framerate adjustments because the movie has already been adjusted to the proper length.

Then the .ac3 file will need to be converted to wave and stretched to match the video file as discussed in a previous post above.

Does anybody think this method would work?

[lns777]

NeoDVD is primarily video capturing software that allow you to capture from the capture card or from the file (avi, mpg, m2v, vob). So it does not convert your video file but does on-the-fly hi quality recapture(3 quality modes etc...). Unfortunatelly it is not wide screen movie friendly and audio converter has very high bitrate 384 (192 will made your audio track 2 time smaller, but this may be done using audio conversion tools).