PAL to NTSC conversion

[Richmeister]

Over the past few days I have developed a splitting headache trying to figure out just how to convert my PAL DVD to an NTSC one. I have did some very intense research on this matter and have come to the conclusion that there is no possible way (as of right now) to convert the ENTIRE PAL DVD to an NTSC one with all the features that a DVD has such as extras and the like. I would love nothing more than for someone to prove me wrong and perscribe me some software that is capable of turning an entire PAL DVD to an NTSC one. But right now I'm pretty desperate and would like to know the absolute simplest way of converting just the video, if nothing else to NTSC. I am a newbie to all this DVD coding stuff, so that's why I am posting this.

[thevoelk]

Simplest way for the movie:

1) Rip to one large VOB, movie only with DVD Decryptor.
2 )Demux into audio and video streams with TMPGEnc. Save the .m2v and .ac3/.mp2/.wav.
3) Convert the PAL .m2v to an NTSC using Canopus Procoder 2 using the Procoder 2 Wizard.
4) Reauthor the output NTSC m2v with the original PAL audio.
5) Burn and watch.

I've never done it before, but I'm assuming that if you rip the extra as separate VOB titleset files, the same would work. You'll lose the menus, but if you're creative enough you can probably make something just as good as the original.

[Stormin Norman]

DGPulldown : 25 -> 29.97

[Richmeister]

Which file do I select when I use DGPulldown? It says it needs to be an elementary stream.

[RDS1955]

I've done the DGPulldown.. it works but for me it's had questionable results..once converted to Pulldown, the MPG's converted back to DVD Structure would'nt play even on my Cyberhome 300 player if the frame aspect was in a PAL size still..It'll change the information in the structure so that it reads the NTSC standard, but it won't change the actual frame sizes..So what I've done is rip the VOB's to my HD, rename em to MPG's, and use a program called DVDSanta V.40, loaded the MPG's into it and picked the NTSC format choice and redone it that way..No Menu, but it's the fastest means I've found...You can even load the end results into TMPGEnc DVD Author and design your own menu's if you want to have a menu...

[Richmeister]

Oh, so you just ripped the VOB files and put .mpg after the name, correct?

[RDS1955]

Oh, so you just ripped the VOB files and put .mpg after the name, correct?

Yup, rip the movie to your Hard drive, rename all the .VOB files to .MPG..it'll pop up a little warning message telling you that "changing the file name will do this or that", but click OK, and to check it, play it in PowerDVD or Nero or VLC.. VOB format files are basically MPG format in nature....

[Richmeister]

Alright, I ripped all the major VOB movie files to the hard drive and attempted to rename them to MPG. The renaming didn't work. It still recognizes them as VOB files instead of MPG. I also tried to put them in DVD Santa and it said that it couldn't add the files.

[Richmeister]

I removed the .MPG ending and it added the files, but for some reason DVD Santa is telling me that the length of my DVD is 00:03:56. Isn't it only recognizing 4 minutes of video? Something is definitely not right here.

[RDS1955]

Hmmm... Ok, When you rename them, can you see the file format names??? ie.. VOB, IFO, BUP, etc...???.. If not your problem may be in your windows settings,you have to display the file formats, in order to change them properly...Thats the only thing I can figure out as to why you may be having problems renaming them..

[Richmeister]

Okay, how do I do that in Windows?

[RDS1955]

In Windows Explorer, click on Tools, then Folder Options...

A small window will open, click the "view Tab, scroll down until you get to the indicated points, click "Show hidden files and folders", then Unclick "Hide extension for known file types."... Click apply to all folders.

[lordsmurf]

Read the sticky:
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=267229

[Richmeister]

Thanks a bunch. I enabled my file extensions and now I will try this thing again.

[Richmeister]

I converted the files and tried to load them into DVD Santa. I had 4 MPG files that made up the movie. I excluded the menu video (if I was supposed to do that, I don't know) and some other stuff that wasn't the movie. I have 4 MPG files that are about a gig a piece. Now, after I successfully loaded 2 of the files into DVD Santa it gives me an error message on the last two telling me that the file duration couldn't be determined and therefore did not add to the file list. I have half of my move in the program already, but I just need that other half.

[Richmeister]

Do I absolutely HAVE to use DVD Santa? Can I use Nero or some other program like that? Or would it be just as problematic? Could I join the files together and try to convert them that way? Or would it give me another error message?

[RDS1955]

No, you do not absolutley have to use DVDSanta..but it's the fastest means of accomplishing what you want in a basic way..Don't understand why it won't do your 4 MPG's.. I just did a PaL conversion today and I changed the main movie VOB files to MPG and it worked for me..You can try what thevoelk stated previously in this thread, or check out the "sticky" that Lordsmurf posted..

I've never used it before for converting MPG's but VSO's DivXtoDVD supposedly can do the same thing that DVDSanta does, that is convert MPEG's to a DVD with multiple files..

[Noahtuck]

#1: you dont have to rename the VOB's...
#2: everyone replying seem's to be leaving out a major part of the conversion for it to work correctly without converting the audio

[FulciLives]

DGPulldown is probably the "best" method next to actually slowing things down from 25fps to 23.976fps but that can be tricky when you have 5.1 AC-3 and DGPulldown looks as good to me as the slow down method anyways.

All this DVD Santa business is nonesense.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[lordsmurf]

All this DVD Santa business is nonesense.

Yep. Artifacts.

[Noahtuck]

DGPulldown is probably the "best" method next to actually slowing things down from 25fps to 23.976fps but that can be tricky when you have 5.1 AC-3 and DGPulldown looks as good to me as the slow down method anyways.

All this DVD Santa business is nonesense.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

I also have done many PAL to NTSC conversion's.. and they are leaving out a major aspect of using the DGpulldown method... which has worked GREAT for me
You were the one that brought this to my attention and i posted how i did it.... and it has worked GREAT for me after a slight change and eliminating one program, but it's not for beginners or those that don't understand or know the power of all the options that TMPGEnc Plus has in it or to offer

I have done MANY PAL to NTSC conversions with 4 programs...

DVD Decrypter (to rip)
TMPGEnc Plus (to De-Multiplex the audio & video then convert the Video only)
DGPulldown to change the flags in the video....
TMPGEnc DVD Author, to put the audio and video back together...
8)

No changing of .VOB's to another name

[RDS1955]

DGPulldown is probably the "best" method next to actually slowing things down from 25fps to 23.976fps but that can be tricky when you have 5.1 AC-3 and DGPulldown looks as good to me as the slow down method anyways.

All this DVD Santa business is nonesense.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

I've used the DGPulldown method and for the ones I've done, I get a jittery playback...DVDSanta may not be the best, but it is the quickest.. I did a 4.7 Pal DVD to 4.7 NTSC DVD conversion for a movie over 4 GB in size in just over 2.5 hours today..From ripping to burning...I play it on a Panasonic large screen TV Display and It may have artifacts, but I don't notice them.. ... If it's a movie that I want in Pristine condition, then I follow the route of using an editing program and dealing with the time to do it and get it done....

[FulciLives]

I've used the DGPulldown method and for the ones I've done, I get a jittery playback...

Then you are either not doing it correctly or you have a really mucked up interlaced PAL source. I tend to think it's the former. Why? based on the comments you made in an earlier post in this here very thread you clearly have not grasped the DGPulldown method.

If you can convert PAL to NTSC within 2.5 hours using DVD Santa or whatever then I shudder to think of the results.

Here is a link on the "old" method (pre DGPulldown) ---> CLICK HERE

Here is a thread about DGPulldown with a "mini-guide" ---> CLICK HERE

It's horrible to give advice on something you clearly have no clue about. Stop doing that. You just make it harder on other people who, unlike you, might be able to figure it out.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[thevoelk]

If you do it through Canopus, you don't have to worry about the audio. I do it probably once a week, and I have yet to ever see audio of of sync. Or the jerkiness that you typically see if you use something like TMPEnc..

[FulciLives]

If you do it through Canopus, you don't have to worry about the audio. I do it probably once a week, and I have yet to ever see audio of of sync. Or the jerkiness that you typically see if you use something like TMPEnc..

You can get proper results with TMPGEnc Plus but the audio will need to be adjusted if you set it up for the "slowdown" method.

You can also use TMPGEnc Plus and set it up for use with DGPulldown and therefore NOT need to adjust the audio.

However the way most people try to "force" TMPGEnc Plus to do PAL to NTSC is wrong.

But once you know how to properly set it up it ain't hard-at-all to do.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[thevoelk]

Which is why I said to use Canpous, the wizard is idiot-proof. If you do it right, you don't need to touch the audio since the movie will be the same length. I never thought of audio as having a frame rate either.

[FulciLives]

Which is why I said to use Canpous, the wizard is idiot-proof. If you do it right, you don't need to touch the audio since the movie will be the same length. I never thought of audio as having a frame rate either.

But it is commonly believed that the way Procoder does PAL to NTSC is not the best ... at least not when using a progressive PAL video. For interlaced PAL it supposedly does a very good job.

I've never used Procoder but it has been suggested by many that DGPulldown is the superior method except for possibly interlaced PAL sources like that from a PAL camcorder. As I said supposedly Procoder handles that very well.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[thevoelk]

You're porbably right. The easiest way doesn't imply the best way, and the best way doesn't impliy the easiest way. To be honest with you, most of the PAL stuff I have to convert is either old chem/bio test footage from military work done in Europe, or a DVD a friend/neighbor/employee-on-post that has bought a PAL DVD while deployed and doesn't understand the whole region code/television standard.

I think we're both forgetting what's probably the best suggestion by LS in the sticky, buy a player that does the conversion for you, and either a) hack it to region free, or b) make a backup of the original, and be satisfied you can watch it.