Can you have pal & ntsc on the same disc

[sidewinder]

Hi, all

just like to start with a big thanks to everyone, its amazing what i have learnt just by hanging around and reading.

I've not got a problem, just out of curiosity.

i have just started playing at making some basic menus with gui for dvdauther, and i didn't realise that the mpeg i used was in ntsc, so like a fool i selected pal, but it created the dvd fine and i didn't realise untill i played it and my dvd says the menus are pal but the film is ntsc.
it seams to switch between the 2 without any problems but i didn't think you could have the same format on one disc, or is it just cos they are static menus.

thanks alan

[thecoalman]

AFAIK you can't make one that is compliant, are you sure it wasn't converted somewhere along the line?

My other guess is your DVD player is one that will play both burned as data files, to do that it would have to determine if it was a PAL or NTSC. It's just carrying that ability over to a incorrectly authored DVD. You can for example use apps like SVCD2DVD to author non compliant video which will play in a lot of DVD players. The authored disc simply tells the DVD player the video is something it's not which many players will accept.... So if it's truly is a NTSC on a PAL disc you're probably dealing with a player that will accept and play it.

Of course that's all guessing on my part...

[sidewinder]

the steps i took were,
use vob2mpg
fed the mpeg into gui for dvdauthor
created basic menu then clicked on create dvd
it did it in around 10 minutes so i dont think it was converted,
then burnt the dvd with imgburn

like i say when i put the disc in my dvd player it flags the menu as pal then when i press play it says ntsc,

its not something i plan on repeating anyway lol. just wondered

[JohnnyMalaria]

I'm pretty sure you can put PAL and NTSC on the same disc - but they must be totally separate programs (probably separate from the root menu onwards). I did this a couple of years ago successfully. Sorry, but I can't remember the exact details of the constraints.

[iant]

GUI for DVDAuthor will quite happily mix PAL and NTSC on the same disc. It's the only freeware one I know that handles just about anything. I've done a fair few of these and as long as your TV plays both formats it doesn't matter at all.
But don't be surprised if one of your friends borrows a disc and comes back with the comment "episode whatever only plays in black and white!"

Have fun,
Ian

[thecoalman]

and as long as your TV plays both formats it doesn't matter at all.

I'd imagine the DVD player would have to be dual format? From my understanding most PAL DVD players will play either PAL or NTSC and convert it to a hybrid call pal-60 negating the need for a dual format TV. Whatever the case PAL discs won't play on most players here in the states even if authored correctly.

[Noahtuck]

and as long as your TV plays both formats it doesn't matter at all.

I'd imagine the DVD player would have to be dual format? From my understanding most PAL DVD players will play either PAL or NTSC and convert it to a hybrid call pal-60 negating the need for a dual format TV. Whatever the case PAL discs won't play on most players here in the states even if authored correctly.

Exactly!!
A lot of NTSC players will not even play PAL format to even send it to a TV regardless of whether or not the TV will play PAL & NTSC.

So YES!! it does matter!!

[sidewinder]

Thanks for all the information,

All the dvd players i have had here in the uk are quite happy with ntsc output,
the one i have got at the moment is a no brand (dual) dvd recorder, it does what it says on the box and has never given me any trouble, looks like you get the short end of the stick has far as output is concerned over there.

thanks again

[thecoalman]

looks like you get the short end of the stick has far as output is concerned over there.

No need , there is no PAL material available...

[Mrsash]

I have always authored Pal and Ntsc Video using tmpg dvd author. I do have to author two discs though but it is a small inconvinience. If you guys need to know how then reply here. I will try and make a guide. In a hurry now gotta go

[guns1inger]

Technically, mixing formats is not a DVD Video because it it non-compliant. Some authoring tools won't allow it at all, some will with a warning. So long as different formats are in different VTS's, most multi-format capable players will handle it, although it can cause some odd behaviour. You will know it when it happens. I have seen

1. Loss on 16:9 flag broadcast, so PAL plays OK, but NTSC widescreen flag is not read by the player or sent to the TV. Most affects 4:3 switchable TVs

2. Loss of colour when switching from NTSC to PAL source. The video plays OK, but the colour signal is gone.

Some players get hooked on whatever format the menu or first title is, and then don't switch correctly to the other format.

[thecoalman]

, most multi-format capable players will handle it, .

Ahhh, my crystal ball was correct then.

[guns1inger]

It's the TVs you then have to worry about . . . . . . .

[AlanHK]

the steps i took were,
use vob2mpg
fed the mpeg into gui for dvdauthor
created basic menu then clicked on create dvd
it did it in around 10 minutes so i dont think it was converted,
then burnt the dvd with imgburn

I do that a lot, mostly using guifordvdauthor.

I think its menus are PAL, regardless.

I've made discs with one PAL movie, one NTSC.
Of course, if you had an NTSC-only TV, you would be in trouble, but in a PAL country you should be fine.

[guns1inger]

GUIForDVDAuthor can do PAL or NTSC menus.

[AlanHK]

GUIForDVDAuthor can do PAL or NTSC menus.

There's a "general" setting, PAL/NTSC which I've never changed from PAL, even when I use NTSC titles. Presumably then that changes the type of video it makes for menus.