How to Convert a NTSC DVD into a PAL DVD?

[Gandalf the Great]

Hey, i have a number of imported NTSC DVD's which I wish to back up as PAL's (with menu's still intact) so that I am able to play them on my PS2. Does anyone know how to do this? Many thanks in advance!

[Duchess]

Do you need to? Most European equipments are multi standard as are most televisions. I can play an NTSC DVD in all the players I've owned and watch them on all the TV's I've owned as well. The PS2 is sold in the USA as well as Europe so I should think it would also be multi standard as it would be easier than producing several different version. Could be wrong though !

As for translating I've never actually done it but a logical route would be DVD2MPG followed by TMPGEnc to seperate the video and audio. Then the same software to translate the streams to PAL and then IFOedit to combine and form the VOB's etc.

[Gandalf the Great]

Would I lose quality by doing this?

[h8sh8]

PAL PS2's will play NTSC movies no problem (if they're the right region). So it's gotta be either your TV or the region code.

If it's the region code the PS2 should say it's the wrong region, so just do a backup as NTSC but remove the region code.

If you can get the dvds to play, but the picture is messed up (you can see a few versions of the picture overlayed and the image is flickering) it'll be your TV not the PS2. If so, you've probably already done it, but... check if your tv has a NTSC mode. Although a lot of them just change automatically between modes.

I assume you would lose quality converting to PAL, whether it's visible, or if you can hear it or not, I don't know, I haven't done it myself, so can't really help there. Some people here in Australia believe they can hear the difference in pitch between ntsc and pal dvds of the same movie that are professionally made - I can't tell myself, and I wonder if they'd even notice if they were blindfolded and not told which version it was , but anyway...

Sorry can't help with the "how" from your question

[Gandalf the Great]

Thanks for your great repleys but what do u mean by 'remove the region code'? How do you do this? Thanks again.

[Mattsensei]

Thanks for your great repleys but what do u mean by 'remove the region code'? How do you do this? Thanks again.

You use a program like DVDShrink and in the options box when doing the backup you tick the box for 'remove region code'. Also, use the program to remove unwanted audio streams, etc. There is tonnes of information on how to do all of this in the basic guides on this site. The program is free which is probably the best bit.

[andyp1]

Yes agreed , my ps2 plays back NTSC no problem.
Don't even think about converting from NTSC to Pal unless you want jerky playback.
Best way is as Mattsensai said and use DVD Shrink

[Mattsensei]

I didn't even know that a UK PS2 would play a (region free or obviously region 2) DVD that was NTSC. I just assumed that as it was a PAL machine it wouldn't play NTSC, so I'm going to backup my copy of R1/NTSC Lost in Translation to an R0 backup and check it out! I previously wanted to know how to do a proper NTSC-PAL conversion but it seems waaay too fiddly and if the PS2 will play the NTSC disk then I'll never need to do that conversion!

[Gandalf the Great]

I tried to use DVD Shrink with the dvd but a error comes up:

'Failed to open file "D:\Video_TS\VTS_01_5.VOB"
The system cannot find the file specified'

Any idea on how to overcome this would be great. Thanks.

[Mattsensei]

I tried to use DVD Shrink with the dvd but a error comes up:

'Failed to open file "D:\Video_TS\VTS_01_5.VOB"
The system cannot find the file specified'

Any idea on how to overcome this would be great. Thanks.

Use DVD Decryptor to make an image of the DVD on your harddrive. Run the program and choose ISO read mode, it's fairly straightforward. Once it's an ISO on your computer, use Daemon Tools to 'mount' the image file so your computer treats the image file as if it were a disk in the drive (i.e. it will have a drive letter, etc). Again, it's fairly straight forward. Then, use Shrink again and this time when you do 'open disk', choose the mounted image file (i.e. the new drive letter). That should work. 8)

[Gandalf the Great]

My dvd is now region free but it still refuses to play on my PS2, when the dvd is inserted into the PS2, a message comes up asking for me to insert a playstion or playstation 2 format disk. What can I do? Thanks.

[Mattsensei]

My dvd is now region free but it still refuses to play on my PS2, when the dvd is inserted into the PS2, a message comes up asking for me to insert a playstion or playstation 2 format disk. What can I do? Thanks.

I'm afraid I'm not an expert on exactly what will make a dvd play in a PS2, and what won't. I use Bulkpaq Orange DVDs (search for SVP communications on Google, they're very cheap there) and I use Shrink to make my DVD files, saving them to the harddrive. I then use Nero 6 (not sure exactly which version I have), I do New / DVD Video, and on the burn page I check the 'dvd booktype' box which I believe will 'tell' the hardware (that you choose to play the DVD on) that the disk is a dvd-rom (rather than dvd-r). Like I said, I'm not an expert but I think that's what the booktype function does. I think being able to use this function is dependent on your dvd burner. Has worked on my PS2 and 2 other PS2s of friends'. It could be down to the media you use. Check the 'dvd media' section on the left and see what reviews your media gets and if people have commented that it will play in PS2s.

[Gandalf the Great]

Ok thanks alot for all your help, its appreciated!

[rhegedus]

My dvd is now region free but it still refuses to play on my PS2, when the dvd is inserted into the PS2, a message comes up asking for me to insert a playstion or playstation 2 format disk. What can I do? Thanks.

Which disk did you put in the PS2?

[Gandalf the Great]

I have solved my problem, though not entirely. i tried backing up a different NTSC movie and tried playing it on my PS2 & it worked. Seems it was just that movie that didn't work. Thanks again for all your help.

[Neminat0R]

You know ASDA you a player for about £33 (has no display on the front) that can be made region free and has a built in NTSC -> PAL converter too. The Pacific 1002 also does all this and has a front display, that one is about £40 \o/

[Mattsensei]

You know ASDA you a player for about £33 (has no display on the front) that can be made region free and has a built in NTSC -> PAL converter too. The Pacific 1002 also does all this and has a front display, that one is about £40 \o/

Yeah. I think if I were to buy another one right now, I'd get something cheap & cheerful like this one .

[Neminat0R]

Why bother paying £45 (shipping too) and waiting for a player no one uses? Get yourself down to asda and get the Pacific 1002W (this W model now plays +R) and you can be watching NTSC DVDs tonight!

[Mattsensei]

Sounds like it's a noisy machine when it comes to playing dvdrs tho (from what I read from the review pages on this forum).

[Neminat0R]

Yeah the 1002 can be, I have had dealing with several, most were. However I have a 1002W in my room and there is no humming coming from that.

If you do get one and it hums, just take it back, but my 1002W does not hum.

[rhegedus]

Why bother paying £45 (shipping too) and waiting for a player no one uses? Get yourself down to asda and get the Pacific 1002W (this W model now plays +R) and you can be watching NTSC DVDs tonight!

A friend of mine has the same model and it's very picky about DVDR media...

[Neminat0R]

I have Tried Ritek, Datewrite V2, Bulkpaq Orange & Naked Geeks, all worked fine. My 1002nonW downstairs is picky, but other 1002s aint. Just depends on what they put into them the day they are made.

Any problems just take it back for one that works 100% you're covered for this by UK law and "fit for purpose" and all that.