How to tell if something is NTSC or PAL on the computer

[zgrm100]

I have a quick question. I have never been able to tell if something is PAL or NTSC by playing sometihng on the computer. Is there a way to tell so I dont waste cds burning the movie, and then not being able to play it on my dvd player? Thanks...

[Grimey]

Gspot

[ZippyP.]

I like avicodec as it will work with mpegs as well.

fyi, 25 fps is PAL, NTSC is 23.976 or 29.97

[zzyzzx]

It's not just the FPS, I also look at the frame size. Since you didn't specify if you were referring to VCD, SVCD, DVD, I can't give a specific answer.

[Joex444]

Simple:

PAL (VCD) 352x288 25fps MPEG-1 1150kbps CBR
PAL (SVCD) 480x576 25fps MPEG-2 max 2520kbps VBR/CBR
PAL (DVD) 720x576 25fps MPEG-2 max ~9800kbps VBR/CBR
NTSC (VCD) 352x240 23.976fps or 29.97fps 1150kbps CBR
NTSC (SVCD) 480x480 29.97fps ONLY (23.976 needs to undergo a 3:2 pulldown) 2520kbps max VBR/CBR
NTSC (DVD) 720x480 29.97fps ONLY (23.976 needs to undergo a 3:2 pulldown) ~9800kbps max VBR/CBR

For the SVCD & DVD, since it is the sum of the audio + video bitrates that is the max. For SVCD it is 2756kbps. With 224kbps audio, that leaves 2532kbps (I do 2520 to be 'safe'). However, if, somehow, you could fit a 5.1 DTS track in there, you'd need to compensate. That means you need to have video + 768 <2756, so video is max of 1988kbps. Same goes for DVD, except instead of 2756kbps I believe it is 10800kbps.... for a re-encode you aren't going to approach that, so it is rather insignificant. Also note that it is the max of the *selected* audio track + video. So, if you have a DTS, 2 AC3 5.1s, and 3 2.0 AC3 tracks, which total up to 2240kbps (768,2x448,3x192), you don't have to do the video at 10800-2240 = 8560kbps maximum, you only need to compensate for the highest bitrate track, the DTS, so you can do a max of 10032kbps....essentially 10mbps.

Now, remember that you can convert any AVI file to a PAL or NTSC (S)VCD/DVD, you just have to know what to do.

For example, a 640x272 (2.35:1) AVI 25fps with the original 5.1 track from the PAL DVD that you want to make play on NTSC based DVD players/TVs. You re-encode it to MPEG-2 with an appropriate average bitrate (VBR) and a size of 720x272 (with enough margin to make the actual video 720x480...ie, 104px borders on top & bottom) with a 4:3 aspect ratio, *or* use a widescreen (16:9) flag and a size of 720x362 with enough margins to produce a video of 720x480 (ie 59px on top & bottom). Then you are going to want to change the frame rate on the MPEG to 23.976 (option during encode), but you don't want to actually change the number of frames. In TMPGEnc, that means you select 23.976 (internally 29.97) (by using a 3:2 pulldown when playback setting instead of non-interlace/interlace on the 1st page of settings), and in the 2nd tab of settings (advanced, iirc) choose the last option "do not framerate convert." This way it isn't jumpy when you playback.

Okay, then your video is fine, but your audio is going to go out of sync. What you actually need to do is extract the AC3 from the AVI (VirtualdubMod) and then use BeSweet or some other program to change the "frame rate" on teh video. In BeSweet(GUI) this is under the Overall Track Adjustments (or some other words that are OTA when abbreviated), and choose PAL (25000) -> NTSC (23976). Ideally, you will keep it being AC3 5.1, and use a rate of 448kbps.

Author, and test on PC and burn to ±R or just burn to ±RW and test on TV.