Converting PAL DVDs to NTSC For HDTV

[Startropic1]

I'm sure the question about converting a PAL DVD to NTSC has been asked numerous times, this situation is a bit different though.

First and foremost I'm using an HDTV LCD screen, ie. digital. I use my PS3 to play DVDs, and it seems the only thing impeding the PS3 from playing PAL DVDs is the refresh rate (Hz).

Now here's the 2nd part of the project: These DVDs use subtitles and and 2nd language audio track. I may not use the 2nd language track because of how notoriously bad it is, but I'm planning on editing/revising the subtitles. So the end result will be one of 3 things:

1. Completely re-authored DVDs
2. x264 encoded mkv files with softsubs (I'll probably be doing some of these regardless.)
3. AVCHD discs

So, since we're throwing analog video display (CRT TV) out of the equation and keeping things strictly digital, is it possible to convert PAL to NTSC just fixing the refresh rate with one of the above options?

[darkknight145]

short answer........ NO!
regardless of being digital PAL and NTSC still comply to the analogue standards, it's not just the field rate.

[victoriabears]

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/313053-Pioneer-420k-DVD-player-for-canadians

and Americans, or get a Philips dvd player, no converting required.

[Startropic1]

I have to edit these DVDs anyway, the english audio & subtitles suck so I'm going to fix them up (subtitles anyway, and this was a problem with the source material not the DVD authors.)

[Seeker47]

I'm sure the question about converting a PAL DVD to NTSC has been asked numerous times, this situation is a bit different though.

First and foremost I'm using an HDTV LCD screen, ie. digital. I use my PS3 to play DVDs, and it seems the only thing impeding the PS3 from playing PAL DVDs is the refresh rate (Hz).

Now here's the 2nd part of the project: These DVDs use subtitles and and 2nd language audio track. I may not use the 2nd language track because of how notoriously bad it is, but I'm planning on editing/revising the subtitles. So the end result will be one of 3 things:

1. Completely re-authored DVDs

In regard to option 1, I could be wrong but was under the impression that one of the things ConvertXtoDVD could do is go from PAL to NTSC or vice-versa. (If so, this would involve a recode, I expect.) One thing it can certainly do is some of the basic re-authoring, particularly as regards soundtracks and subtitles. I've added / replaced subs with it. Recently, I had a downloaded clip that was originally in English, but in this version -- the only one I could find -- a narrator was LOUDLY translating all the dialog etc. into another language, drowning out the original soundtrack. Very annoying ! CX2D showed me the presence of two soundtracks. It was a bit of trial and error, which did involve burning a couple discs, and I guessed wrong the first time. (It would be nice if there was some good preview tool for just each soundtrack or sub. I have 3 players installed at the moment, and none of them shows any subs. They offer no control over the sound either, except for volume.) Anyway, I finally zapped the non-English track and was able to watch the video as it originally had been.

[edDV]

I have to edit these DVDs anyway, the english audio & subtitles suck so I'm going to fix them up (subtitles anyway, and this was a problem with the source material not the DVD authors.)

Why? Is this just for your PS3 or are you going to be distributing this edit?

Any software conversion to NTSC will substantially reduce video quality. Changing audio and subtitles to the new frame rate is not trivial. The only reason to go to this effort is for wide distribution to NTSC.

If this is just for you, I'll second the suggestion to get a $50 Philips 5990/92 which will internally convert PAL DVD to NTSC output in hardware including to HDMI. Just edit the PAL disc.

[Startropic1]

I have to edit these DVDs anyway, the english audio & subtitles suck so I'm going to fix them up (subtitles anyway, and this was a problem with the source material not the DVD authors.)

Why? Is this just for your PS3 or are you going to be distributing this edit?

Any software conversion to NTSC will substantially reduce video quality. Changing audio and subtitles to the new frame rate is not trivial. The only reason to go to this effort is for wide distribution to NTSC.

If this is just for you, I'll second the suggestion to get a $50 Philips 5990/92 which will internally convert PAL DVD to NTSC output in hardware including to HDMI. Just edit the PAL disc.

Wow, I got the DVDs today, 2 weeks earlier than expected! Anyway, I also have an xbox 360 and apparently the 360 is 100% region free because I popped in one of the DVDs and it played perfectly. The PS3 saw it was PAL and just flat out refused it.

In any case, you could say this is a fan project of sorts. These are DVDs of anime that have received some of the worste english translations in the history of english dubbing & subbing, (seriously.) Being knowledgeable of the source material, I decided to overhaul this stuff, and make some good quality english subbed encodes. The best starting point for this project was a R4 PAL release, with the aforementioned abomination of an english translation. I do intend to share my work, which I figured rendered the PAL-NTSC matter moot, since I'm getting away from analog MPEG-2. I would preferrably like to encode to x264 with ACC/AC3 audio. We're also potentially dealing with multiple audio & subtitle tracks, so I guess that narrows it down to .mkv

I just tried encoding the first episode with Handbrake, and it spat out a 24min 1GB .mkv file. I tried playing it in VLC, jetAudio, and MPC-HC, in every program the video was garbled, however sound was ok.

Not sure what I was doing wrong, but I'm using DVD Decrypter to copy the .vob files to my harddrive, and then I will try handbrake again.

[jman98]

Wow, I got the DVDs today, 2 weeks earlier than expected! Anyway, I also have an xbox 360 and apparently the 360 is 100% region free because I popped in one of the DVDs and it played perfectly. The PS3 saw it was PAL and just flat out refused it.

Not necessarily. I don't have an Xbox 360, but Microsoft is as much Hollywood's bitch as Sony, Samsung, etc. are. More likely your copies are region free PAL DVDs and the Xbox just happens to not be fussy about PAL playback. You can check the region coding with various ripping programs if you wish. Remember, playing DVDs involves region checking AND whether the format (PAL or NTSC) is supported by your player. It's not unheard of for some players sold in North America to play PAL DVDs but only if they are region free.

[Startropic1]

Wow, I got the DVDs today, 2 weeks earlier than expected! Anyway, I also have an xbox 360 and apparently the 360 is 100% region free because I popped in one of the DVDs and it played perfectly. The PS3 saw it was PAL and just flat out refused it.

Not necessarily. I don't have an Xbox 360, but Microsoft is as much Hollywood's bitch as Sony, Samsung, etc. are. More likely your copies are region free PAL DVDs and the Xbox just happens to not be fussy about PAL playback. You can check the region coding with various ripping programs if you wish. Remember, playing DVDs involves region checking AND whether the format (PAL or NTSC) is supported by your player. It's not unheard of for some players sold in North America to play PAL DVDs but only if they are region free.

The funny thing is the outer box of the set is labeled region 4, but the individual DVDs are labeled "all" (ie. region free) The company that released these DVDs is known to not bother region coding their DVDs though.

Also, after copying the DVD to my harddrive via DVD Decrypter, Handbrake was able to successfully encode an episode to x264 mkv. It was ~333MB in size, but it worked. MediaInfo doesn't really give any indication of PAL or NTSC, other than the fact that the mkv video is 25 fps.