How to convert PAL DVD to NTSC DVD?

[SoCalMK]

I was wondering if anyone can point me to an software that will enable me to convert a PAL DVD to NTSC DVD. I looked on the many posts in this forum, but many of them merely suggest to buy a multi region/format dvd player. This is a business related question at my internet cafe for a customer so such considerations aren't in play here. My friends have started to point me in certain directions, but I was hoping people here could suggest what they think is the easiest software to accomplish this task. Thank you in advance for any help that can be offered.

[dafreak]

tools needed:
dvddecrypter
dvd2avi
tmpgenc
tmpgenc dvd author or ifoedit

rip the dvd to hd

open vob files in dvd2avi
choose demux all tracks
save project to your hd.

open the d2v file using tmpgenc
convert the file to 23.97 fps using 3:2 pulldown
on the advanced tab, use do not frame rate convert.

use goldwave to or other audio editing program to change the audio from 25 to 23.97 fps.

multiplex your resulting files using tmpgenc dvd author or ifoedit.


that's the basic rundown of how it should be done.
<==== search the GUIDES for more details.

[FulciLives]

I have done it with many PAL DVD discs but by no means is the process an easy one.

I don't mean to sound like an ass BUT you really need to have a good grasp of using programs like CCE and AviSynth along with BeSweet etc.

If you aren't already an "expert" on these programs then that is fine but you need to be good enough with a computer that you are willing to "play around" with stuff and get your hands "dirty". This type of conversion is not for a computer novice.

If you feel up to the challenge I can give you some advice but there is no simple easy one click two click three click your done program that can do what you want to do.

Programs you will need:

1.) Cinema Craft Encoder or TMPGEnc though I suggest CCE BASIC over TMPGEnc and since both are the same price that should make it clear which to get.

2.) AviSynth 2.08 and AviSynth 2.5x (whatever the newest version is now should be fine I think it is 2.54)

3.) Newest BETA versions of BeSweet, BeSweet GUI and AC3Machine. Please note I said newest BETA versions. You might also need AC3 Delay Corrector.

4.) DVD2AVI version 1.76 ... do not trust newer versions although I hear that the very newest version is A-OK but it might not work with AviSynth 2.08 (not sure about that).

5.) A DVD authoring program such as DVD-Lab or TMPGEnc DVD Author etc.

6.) VirtualDubMod (newest version)

7.) DVD Decryper for the initial ripping of course.

Other than your MPEG encoder and DVD Authoring software everything I listed is freeware and you should be able to find it either on this here website or on the doom9 website. If you can't then google it.

Start here ...

http://www.geocities.com/xesdeeni2001/StandardsConversion/

If you think you understand that or think you can at least sorta understand that and do that with some coaching (but no hand holding) then post back here and I'll do what I can to help.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

P.S.
Don't forget to download the SmoothDeinterlacer filter from Xesdeeni's website. Most of the other software there though is out of date me thinks although you will need MPEG2DEC.dll for AviSynth 2.08 version. Also forget the garbage he says about using that WSOLA program. We will not be using that.

One final note ... I noticed Xesdeeni has DVD2AVI version 1.76 on that page so be sure to get that as well.

[SoCalMK]

Thank you both for your help. I have a question for you FulciLives. Am I to understand by your post than that you don't agree with the method posted by dafreak? Or at the very least you don't think it is the best method?

[FulciLives]

Thank you both for your help. I have a question for you FulciLives. Am I to understand by your post than that you don't agree with the method posted by dafreak? Or at the very least you don't think it is the best method?

Well I'm not attempting to "rip" on defreak but what he posted is a very bare bones version of what to do.

First of all ... that method will only really work if the original PAL DVD is progressive video. Most seem to be but not all are. If it is interlaced video then you have to go a completely different route.

Also most people wouldn't understand defreak's "directions" without more details not to mention there are several "pitfalls" along the way such as the colospace settings you use in DVD2AVI or the fact that TMPGEnc is a poor choice since it uses the RGB colorspace and getting the audio just right with GoldWave is something I could never get just right so I use BeSweet but BeSweet has several "pitfalls" as well if you don't know how to set it up just right etc.

I'm willing to go over the details for those who are willing to try and think they can manage. I hate holding hands though such as those who will attempt to try Avisynth only to then ask something stupid like how to create a basic AVS script (use notepad) or who are so clueless that they can't figure out the basic use of BeSweet etc.

Just the total newbie morons get to me. If you feel like you can tackle it then I'm game.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

P.S.
I'll be out most of Tuesday though so I might not be back on-line til very late Tuesday or sometime Wed.

[SoCalMK]

I'll check out the link you gave me previously and get back to you. Thank you.

[FulciLives]

Well we might as well get the ball rolling here so here goes ...

RIP the DVD with DVD Decrypter. I suggest you use FILE MODE and select ALL FILES (the default) unless you know ahead of time you just want to convert the "main" movie. However if there are "extras" that you want to convert as well like a making of segment or trailers etc. then select ALL FILES. Of course you should be using the newest version of DVD Decrypter.

Now start up DVD2AVI version 1.76 and load the VOB files that have the material you want to convert. Make sure you have it set up as follows:

Under VIDEO set up as follows:

iDCT Algorithm ---> Leave at default (32-bit SSE MMX)
FIELD OPERATOIN ---> NONE
COLOR SPACE ---> YUV 4:2:2
YUV -> RGB ---> TV SCALE
LUMINANCE FILTER ---> Leave at default (not checkmarked i.e., don't use)
CLIP & RESIZE ---> Leave at default (not checkmarked i.e., don't use)

Under AUDIO set up as follows:

TRACK NUMBER ---> NONE
CHANNEL FORMAT ---> AUTO SELECT
DOLBY DIGITAL ---> DEMUX ALL TRACKS
MPEG AUDIO ---> DEMUX ALL TRACKS
48 -> 44.1KHz ---> Leave at default (OFF)
NORMALIZATION ---> Leave at default (not checkmarked i.e., don't use)

Now make sure you run a preview by hitting the F5 key. Please note if the video is 16x9 or 4:3 as you will need this information later on. Also please note that DVD2AVI will almost always say INTERLACED but in reality it is often wrong and the video is PROGRESSIVE. So just ignore that.

Now do a SAVE PROJECT which will save a D2V project file along with your demuxed audio track(s) which most likely will be Dolby Digital but can also be MP2/MPA audio (aka MPEG-1 Layer II Audio).

OK so now we have to determine if the source is PROGRESSIVE or INTERLACED before going further.

Easiest way to check is to load the D2V directly into GORDIAN KNOT but if you don't have GORDIAN KNOT then that is A-OK because you can use VirtualDubMod but to use VirtualDubMod you need to create a (very) simple AviSynth AVS script.

If you are using Avisynth 2.08 then it would look like this:

LoadPlugin("MPEG2DEC.DLL")
mpeg2source("D:\MOVIE\VIDEO_TS\movie.d2v")

If you put MPEG2DEC.DLL in your WINDOWS/SYSTEM32 folder then you don't need to "point" towards it with DIR PATH info ala my example. Also make sure you put in the proper DIR PATH and FILENAME for your D2V project file. If you are using the newer 2.5x version of Avisynth then the script is the same except you will be using MPEG2DEC3.DLL intead of MPEG2DEC.DLL

Now load this AviSynth AVS script into VirtualDubMod (or the D2V directly into GORDIAN KNOT) and find a scene with motion (like someone walking from one side of the screen to the other) and step through it frame by frame to look for INTERLACED ARTIFACTS. This is the only real way to determine if the video is PROGRESSIVE or INTERLACED.

Once you get this far and determine if the video is PROGRESSIVE or INERLACED post back here and I will continue ...

As for now ... Me thinks I'm finally going to bed

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[FulciLives]

*** PROGRESSIVE VIDEO PROCEEDURE ***

What to do if you have a PAL DVD that is PROGRESSIVE video:

To convert the video you need to use the following AviSynth script. This script is for AviSynth 2.5x

LoadPlugin("MPEG2DEC3.DLL")
mpeg2source("D:\MOVIE\VIDEO_TS\movie.d2v")
LanczosResize(720,480)
AssumeFPS(23.976, true)

Just be sure to put the proper DIR PATH info and your own FILENAME for your D2V file.

Load this into CCE and process as you would any Progressive NTSC 23.976fps source video. Be sure to run PULLDOWN.EXE afterwards.

Same goes for TMPGEnc Plus use. TMPGEnc should "see" the source as Progressive NTSC 23.976fps source and if you use the WIZARD mode it should correctly set itself up including 3:2 pulldown.

Please note that if the original is 16x9 then so will the new NTSC video you encode. If the original is 4:3 then again the new NTSC will be 4:3

It is possible to convert 4:3 PAL WS to 16x9 NTSC WS as long as the original PAL has an aspect ratio of approximately 1.78:1 or "wider" such as 2.35:1 etc.

To do that use this AviSynth script:

LoadPlugin("MPEG2DEC3.DLL")
mpeg2source("D:\MOVIE\VIDEO_TS\movie.d2v")
crop(0,72,720,432)
LanczosResize(720,480)
AssumeFPS(23.976, true)

This will convert a 4:3 WS PAL DVD source to 16x9 WS NTSC

If you want to convert a 16x9 WS PAL DVD source to 4:3 WS NTSC then you would do this:

LoadPlugin("MPEG2DEC3.DLL")
mpeg2source("D:\MOVIE\VIDEO_TS\movie.d2v")
LanczosResize(720,360)
AddBorders(0,60,0,60)
AssumeFPS(23.976, true)

This will convert a 16x9 WS PAL DVD source to 4:3 WS NTSC

PLEASE NOTE: To use these AviSynth scripts with CINEMA CRAFT ENCODER aka CCE SP or CCE BASIC you should add this to the end (last line) of the script:
ConvertToYUY2()

If however you are using TMPGEnc Plus then you should instead add this to the end (last line) of the script:
ConvertToRGB()

That's about it for the video part.

WHAT ABOUT THE AUDIO?
This method of conversion basically slows the PAL framerate of 25fps to 23.976fps so you must also change the audio.

I use BeSweet for this myself.

Here is how I do it.

IF the PAL is 2.0 AC-3 then I would convert it to a PCM WAV file using BeSweet and the BeSWeet GUI

After you have your 16-bit Stereo 48k PCM WAV file you can use BeSweet and the BeSweet GUI to convert from that file to a new file doing the PAL to NTSC conversion. Make sure you use the pre-built "template" option in the BeSweet GUI for PAL 25fps ---> NTSC 23.976fps

Now you will have a new corrected 16-bit Stereo 48k PCM WAV file. At this point you can use this for your audio or you can convert it to MP2 or AC-3 audio. Whatever you want to use for the final DVD. As for myself I use 256kbps 2.0 AC-3 audio.

IF the PAL is 5.1 AC-3 then you don't want to do the above. You want to use AC3Machine instead as your front end to BeSweet instead of the BeSweet GUI and you want to convert direct from the original 5.1 AC-3 to a new 5.1 AC-3 using the FPS conversion. For the FPS conversion you would type in 25000 to 23976 and make sure that you have none of the AZID stuff checkmarked and make sure you have CHANNELS MODE set to 5.1 and make sure you use 448 for the bitrate. Also set the delay etc. I don't use any of the gain or dynamic compression options etc. when doing this.

Now you should have a seperate video file (either MPV or M2V) and a seperate audio file (PCM WAV or MP2 or AC-3) and you are now ready to import into your choice of DVD Authoring programs.

NEXT POST - What to do if you have an INTERLACED PAL DVD source video.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[FulciLives]

*** INTERLACED VIDEO PROCEEDURE ***

What to do if you have a PAL DVD that is INTERLACED video:

Here is the AviSynth script you should use. Please note that this is for AviSynth 2.08 because we are using Xesdeeni's SmoothDeinterlacer plug-in which works with 2.08 but not 2.5x (unless he has a newer 2.5x version by now).

LoadPlugin("MPEG2DEC.DLL")
LoadPlugin("SmoothDeinterlacer.dll")
mpeg2source("D:\MOVIE\VIDEO_TS\movie.d2v")
crop(0,0,720,576)
SmoothDeinterlace(doublerate=true)
LanczosResize(720,480)
ChangeFPS(59.94)
SeparateFields()
SelectEvery(4,1,2)
Weave()

Again if you put your DLL files in your WINDOWS/SYSTEM32 folder you will not have to put a DIR PATH info in for them ala my example. Be sure to put the proper DIR PATH and FILENAME for your own D2V file.

Also don't forget to add the ConvertToYUY2() option as the last line for CCE use or if using TMPGEnc Plus add the ConvertToRGB() option as the last line.

Again if the original is 16x9 so will the new NTSC video and if the original is 4:3 so will the new NTSC.

To convert from 4:3 WS PAL to 16x9 WS NTSC use this:

LoadPlugin("MPEG2DEC.DLL")
LoadPlugin("SmoothDeinterlacer.dll")
mpeg2source("D:\MOVIE\VIDEO_TS\movie.d2v")
crop(0,72,720,432)
SmoothDeinterlace(doublerate=true)
LanczosResize(720,480)
ChangeFPS(59.94)
SeparateFields()
SelectEvery(4,1,2)
Weave()

Again this converts 4:3 WS PAL to 16x9 WS NTSC

To convert from 16x9 WS PAL to 4:3 WS NTSC use this:

LoadPlugin("MPEG2DEC.DLL")
LoadPlugin("SmoothDeinterlacer.dll")
mpeg2source("D:\MOVIE\VIDEO_TS\movie.d2v")
crop(0,0,720,576)
SmoothDeinterlace(doublerate=true)
LanczosResize(720,360)
AddBorders(0,60,0,60)
ChangeFPS(59.94)
SeparateFields()
SelectEvery(4,1,2)
Weave()

Again this converts 16x9 WS PAL to 4:3 WS NTSC

Please note that sometimes resizing interlaced video can be tricky and I've never done 16x9 to 4:3 conversion (or vice versa) with this method (only the progressive method) but this SHOULD work (knock on wood).

The encoder (be it CCE or TMPGEnc Plus) should see the video as INTERLACED NTSC 29.970fps so be sure to set your encoder settings up for that kind of encoding.

That's about it for the video.

WHAT ABOUT THE AUDIO?
Well this method of conversion results in a new NTSC video that has the same running time as the original PAL video. This means the original PAL audio should sync up. The only thing you probably should do is adjust the delay value of the PAL audio file. This can easily be done with AC3 Delay Corrector. Basically you want to adjust the delay to 0 (aka ZERO) if it isn't already.

Now you should have a seperate video file (either MPV or M2V) and a seperate audio file (AC-3 unless your original PAL audio was MP2/MPA) and you are now ready to import into your choice of DVD Authoring programs.

THE END !!!

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

P.S.
A big huge thanks to Xesdeeni for figuring out how to do the conversion when the PAL source is INTERLACED video. Xesdeeni's SmoothDeinterlacer plug-in makes it possible!

[Baldrick]

converting is not authoring. i'm moving you here.

[SoCalMK]

Thank you FulciLives for the wealth of information. I admit it will take me awhile to go through all that you have written. Let me pour over the material, maybe go for a trial run and I'll post back. Thanks again.

[twinegar]

Canopus Procoder!!
It does the job without any scripting or other software.
I picked mine up at Amazon.com for under $400.00.
Canopus Procoder Express is supposed to do it but mine kept crashing so I went with the full version.

>>Load the muxed Video & Audio file...........set the output preferences and hit the encode button..........and it is fast<<<

[SatStorm]

There are ways to do anything without avisynth.

For example:
You can rip the vobs of your source DVD, load them one by one on virtualdub mpeg2, remove telecine, resize them, frameserve to TMPGenc , set TMPGenc to do 3:2 pulldown and re-encode to a new mpeg 2. No avisynth is needed that way, and about the audio, if you scretch it from 25 > 23.97 and let TMPGenc encode it to mp2 (using toolame for example) the final mpeg 2 will be ready to be author direct to TMPGnenc Author and stay in synch. Repeat the steps for all the vobs, load them all together on TMPGenc Author and export/burn.
And if you use CQ mode with TMPGenc plus, you can encode really fast with a modern CPU. No 2 Pass VBR is neccessary on the DVD bitrates that way. If the result turn up bigger, use dvdshrink or DVD2one to transcode enough to fit on a DVD-R disc

This is not the best way of course, but it is just okey for a back up from one system to other. The only people don't like the results, are those traders who buy from on region to sell to other... IMHO always

[SaSi]

First of all ... that method will only really work if the original PAL DVD is progressive video. Most seem to be but not all are. If it is interlaced video then you have to go a completely different route.

Fulcilives,

Why do you say that most PAL DVDs are progressive? I live in a PAL country and I can't remember coming across a progressive DVD. Even film movies are encoded as interlaced, at least that's what the MPEG streams in the DVDs say.

[SatStorm]

I believe he means the source is progressive.
the result we see (the final movie on the DVD disc) is interlaced in our screens, after the 2:2 pulldown proccess.
If you use 2:2 pulldown removal, you can reconstruct the progressive 24 fps source, so to apply later 3:2 pulldown and convert it to NTSC.

[FulciLives]

All I know is that most of the PAL DVD discs I come across play back in Gordian Knot (direct D2V import) or VirtualDubMod (via simple AviSynth import of the D2V with no filters etc.) as progressive.

I play it back ... I do step by step frame by frame ... I see no interlacing artifacts.

Yes I have run into some that are interlaced but most of the PAL DVD discs I have (and have attempted to convert) appear to be progressive.

I'd say the ratio I've run into is around 75% progressive and 25% interlaced.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[DJRumpy]

Just a few comments/suggestions...

I agree with Fulci (Fulci, where do you get those gruesome avatar images?) DVD2AVI is what I would suggest when working with a progressive source DVD's.

Rather than attempting to de-interlace, or perform an inverse telecine, DVD2AVI ignores the pulldown flags entirely, outputing the original 23.976 FPS film (if applicable). Much less chance for error, or IVTC mis-guesses. Just make sure you dont' attempt to FORCE FILM if your source is true interlaced material. Trust in Fulci ( although the avatar image makes that difficult... )

I should also note that DVD2AVI, although it often mis-guesses on PAL sources when reporting progressive or interlaced material, it tends to get it right for NTSC versions. Keep that in mind if you use it on NTSC source material.

Fulci, the latest v0.6 version of BeSweet (non-beta), will work fine for PAL to NTSC conversions. Most of the pitfalls you mentioned are in the beta versions of the gui. I should also mention, that BeSweet will often give you poping noise when converting 5.1 AC3 Audio from PAL to NTSC. You should use AC3Machine if your audio is 5.1, and you wish to retain all of the channels. The output is much better, and without all the popping noise. If your audio isn't 5.1 AC3, then definately use BeSweet.

BeSweet will also do the AC3 Delay Correction specified by DVD2AVI if you use the non-beta. If you decide to use one of the beta versions of the GUI, some seem to work properly, and some don't. Typically, if they don't work properly, the option to select the 'Set Delay' DVD2AVI offset option will be grayed out.

[RWANDREWS]

An alternative way that is NOT complicated.


I use a SAMPO DVD player that is hacked for NO macrovision, and region free. I input this via s-video & RCA audio cables to my DATAVISON 100 then to my CANOPUS ADVC-100 then to my computer & capture. Encode & author as required.

Now before you jump down my throat about quality issues, I figure that I get 90% of the quality of the original for very little effort. Well worth it for me.

All those AVISynth scripts make my head hurt just reading them...

[FulciLives]

I am happy that the great one has posted

Also thank you for that info on BeSweet ... I was not aware that the newest STABLE version was at that point.

It wasn't that long ago that to get proper FPS change with BeSweet you had to use the BETA version.

Good to know this works in the STABLE version which I will have to try now.

Just finished doing an INTERLACED PAL DVD to NTSC conversion but the next one I'm doing is progressive with 2.0 AC-3 so I'll need BeSweet and will try the STABLE version.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[DJRumpy]

I've been using the non-beta version 0.6 for about a week. I tried it out because the beta version I was using at the time had the DVD2AVI delay rate setting disabled. Browsing around, I decided to give the release version a try. So far, no glitchy GUI, and good output. I still stick with AC3 Machine for all things AC3 though.

I still haven't figured out why AC3 Machine, which apparently hooks into BeSweet.exe, produces better output than BeSweet alone for 5.1 PAL <-> NTSC conversions. Must be one of those freeware mysteries.

They may have even fixed the AC3 5.1 popping problem, as I haven't tried BeSweet alone for that in about a year. Has anyone used BeSweet lately for a PAL to NTSC 5.1 conversion? The popping it created was only audio when you attempted to do a 5.1 to 5.1 conversion. Downgrading to 2 channel ac3 went without issue.

[FulciLives]

I still haven't figured out why AC3 Machine, which apparently hooks into BeSweet.exe, produces better output than BeSweet alone for 5.1 PAL <-> NTSC conversions. Must be one of those freeware mysteries.

They may have even fixed the AC3 5.1 popping problem, as I haven't tried BeSweet alone for that in about a year. Has anyone used BeSweet lately for a PAL to NTSC 5.1 conversion? The popping it created was only audio when you attempted to do a 5.1 to 5.1 conversion. Downgrading to 2 channel ac3 went without issue.

When the original is 5.1 AC-3 I use AC3Machine to go direct from PAL 5.1 AC-3 to NTSC 5.1 AC-3 without any issues.

However if I have 2.0 AC-3 then I convert to a WAV file first. Then do PAL WAV to NTSC WAV then convert back to 2.0 AC-3 using something other than BeSweet although I use BeSweet for the 25.0fps to 23.976fps WAV to WAV conversion.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

P.S.
My Pioneer DVD player does not like 2.0 AC-3 audio created with BeSweet but is fine with 5.1 AC-3 audio done with AC3Machine ... go figure!

[dmfan]

i'm working on this conversion too. For me the main problem is to keep original menu with all functions. I posted couple weeks ago on this, and guys helped me a bit, but still no result. I know i should use Photoshop and somehow draw subpicture then combine it with the audio/video track of original menu (converted into NTSC first). Does somebody know what steps i have to take? It's really hard to figure out myself!

thanx

[FulciLives]

i'm working on this conversion too. For me the main problem is to keep original menu with all functions. I posted couple weeks ago on this, and guys helped me a bit, but still no result. I know i should use Photoshop and somehow draw subpicture then combine it with the audio/video track of original menu (converted into NTSC first). Does somebody know what steps i have to take? It's really hard to figure out myself!

thanx

Sorry but I remember that thread and I was one of the non-helpers that said you should "give-it-up".

I think DJRumpy would agree with me. It's just WAY too much work.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[DJRumpy]

Definately. If I was that engrossed with the menu's for some reason, about the only thing I might try would be the header patch (edit the IFO's with IFO edit, and just change the output resolution to NTSC). The VOB's are still PAL, as are the menu's, but they get resized when played on an NTSC dvd player. The only wierdness I've noticed doing it, is that the menu's are too big to fit properly on the screen, so some edge buttons may be lost. The movie fit's perfectly due to the 'Automatic Letterbox' option in the IFO.

Not a pretty solution. Much easier to simply buy the DVD, or convert it to NTSC without the menu's.

[prybar]

One question

What does pulldown.exe get used for?

Other than that, this guide rocks Fuclilives!!!

Thanks very much

pry

[DJRumpy]

Pulldown adds Pulldown flags to your MPEG.

I know, not very helpful . The utility will make a 23.976 Frame per second MPEG play back at 29.97 frames per second. It does this by embedding pulldown 'flags' in the mpeg stream. When the decoder encounters one of these flags, it tells the decoder to repeat certain fields. This way you don't have to actually encode extra fields to get more frames per second, instead, you simply repeat certain fields.

To understand this clearly, you should understand that each frame of video is composed of two fields (A and B, Top and Bottom, or Even and Odd if you prefer..they are all the same thing). To display a single frame of video, a television, would draw only the even lines on the first pass, and then the odd lines on the next (0,2,4,6,8,etc on the first pass, and then the odd lines 1,3,5,7,9,etc) on the second pass (or vice versa. it doesn't matter which it displays first, as long as it displays both fields). It does two 'passes' a second, so it displays 30 frames a second (60 fields a second). 2 Fields = 1 frame.

If we looked at just 5 frames of a progressive 23.976 fps video, and each field of each frame was broken down into it's two component parts (A being top field, and B being bottom field), then looking at the video stream, each frame's fields would look something like this:

1A1B 2A2B 3A3B 4A4B 5A5B

When pulldown is applied, the video stream is told to repeat certain fields at certain times. The decoder is told to repeat fields at specific places, making your new telecined output look like this:

1A1B 2A2B 2A3B 3A4B 4A4B 5A5B

Notice that the fields from frame 2 have 1 field repeated, and the fields from frame 4 have a field repeated. This blending of frame #3 and frame #4 lets them create an additional frame. If you look at the actual frame numbers for the new output, you'll also notice the 3:2 pattern (11,222,33,444,55). This is where the 3:2 part of pulldown comes from.

Notice that the first frame is still pure (no mixing of fields), so that frame would appear as progressive if you examined it. Frame #2 is also 'pure'. Frame #3, however, now has a field from frame #2, so it would appear to be interlaced. The same goes for frame #4. Frame #5 is 'pure'. Our new 6th frame is also 'pure'.

Becaue they repeat 2 fields out of the five frames, these two fields give you an extra frame for every 5 frames, so 24 frames per second, get's transformed to 29 frames per second during playback.

[Zetti]

I also do it a lot and I get confused sometimes, I always try to follow Xeesdeni's guide to the letter;

Anyway,again , I invite Fulci to write the "ultimate guide from PAL to NTSC DVD", so he could just post it here and every time this question appears at the topic - I think almost daily - people should just be pointed to Fulci's ultimate guide;
I'd print it and read, read, read.....

BTW, your new Avatar is cool...cool...

Zetti

[prybar]

Okay I'm stumped.

For fear of sounding like a "total newbie moron": When i ran pulldown.exe, didn't it make my video file 29.97 fps? If it did, then wouldn't i use that option in besweet, as opposed to using 25 -> 23.976 option?

btw, thanks for the description of pulldown.exe, DJ Rumpy!!

thanks

pry

[FulciLives]

Okay I'm stumped.

For fear of sounding like a "total newbie moron": When i ran pulldown.exe, didn't it make my video file 29.97 fps? If it did, then wouldn't i use that option in besweet, as opposed to using 25 -> 23.976 option?

btw, thanks for the description of pulldown.exe, DJ Rumpy!!

thanks

pry

NTSC video runs at approximately 24fps even if the video is 23.976fps or 29.970fps

This is the whole concept behind the 3:2 pulldown thing.

So in BeSweet you use 25fps ---> 23.976fps

Perhaps DJRumpy can explain it better but all you have to know is that 25fps ---> 29.970fps is INCORRECT

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[prybar]

OK Sounds Cool

THanks again for all this help

I'm gonna try the burn tonite, once i'm back from family duties.

I'll post my results shortly thereafter.

For the record, this was my first time using CCE, Besweet, and AVIsynth.

All 3 are fairly straightforward, but i can see how easy it would be to become lost in all the features.

regards

pry