How to convert a PAL DVD to a NTSC DVD using TMPGEnc Plus 2.5x

[manono]

Am I correct that this translates to an aspect ratio on the screen?

It does, but not directly. How they are resized depends on whether they were encoded for 4:3 or 16:9.

When you compress the PAL to NTSC and we don't lose information, then would guess that the aspect ratio gets distorted?

Well, 720x576 and 720x480 are already "distorted". When resized they become "normal" again.

NTSC 720x480@4:3=640x480 (480x4/3=640)
NTSC 720x480@16:9=854x480 (480x16/9=853.33)
PAL 720x576@4:3=768x576 (576x4/3=768)
PAL 720x576@16:9=1024x576 (576x16/9=1024)

Maybe this will help:

http://www.doom9.org/aspectratios.htm

Edited later thanks to Pinstripes23 spotting the typos.

[Pinstripes23]

PAL 720x576@4:3=768x480 (576x4:3=768)
PAL 720x576@16:9=1024x480 (576x16/9=1024)

Manono just a little correction it should be 768x576(4:3)...and 1024x576(16:9)

[manono]

Oops, sorry, and thanks for the correction. I'll fix it now.

[Pinstripes23]

Oops, sorry, and thanks for the correction. I'll fix it now.

NP

You're usually right and I had to do a double take to see if you actually wrote that.

[Biel]

Hello there. I sucessfully converted my PAL DVDs! =D
Thanks for the people who helped me.

I did some things diffrently. Here's what I did.

The .m2v seemed to be screwed after the DGpulldown process. Adobe Encore wouldn't accept it and DVD-Lab would export a screwed DVD image. Muxman would crash without any reason. I tried using TMPG 3.0 to fully convert the video file from PAL to NTSC (so, I changed not only the resolution, but the framerate too)

That worked fine to me.

I dunno why, but Adobe Encore was the only software I tried that authored a problem-free DVD. DVD-Lab still exported a screwed image (audio-video sync problems, it locked on some certain frames, timestamp issues, etc.). Muxman crashed everytime, complaining that the title had a very high bitrate (problably from the DTS + PCM soundtracks).

But my way using TMPG 3.0 on everything and then authoring all together on Encore, worked perfectly.

Btw, never got to make that .avs script to work, but I got a way around it by demuxing the DVD with DVD Decrypter and using the .vob file in TMPG 3.0 Xpress.

Thanks again ^^

[jlrly]

I followed the guide and it worked for me and Ic ame out with what it said I should come out with, but when I checked the out the mpeg movie that I had gotten after DGPUlldown and TMPGEnc and both of them are shorter than my original mpeg movie that i had gotten off my DVD. And I was wondering what went wrong and if anyone could help me. Thanks

[manono]

Hi-

And I was wondering what went wrong...

Maybe nothing. How are you figuring the length? What are you using? Have you muxed the audio with the video yet? And did you get out-of-synch audio as a result?

[FulciLives]

I followed the guide and it worked for me and Ic ame out with what it said I should come out with, but when I checked the out the mpeg movie that I had gotten after DGPUlldown and TMPGEnc and both of them are shorter than my original mpeg movie that i had gotten off my DVD. And I was wondering what went wrong and if anyone could help me. Thanks

Some programs don't like DGPulldown. For instance VirtualDub(Mod) for one. If I recall I think MPEG-VCR also has issues (if using it to multiplex prior to DVD Authoring).

Just go ahead and author and then see what happens.

You can always use MUXMAN to do a quick n' dirty DVD then see if it is in sync. If so then use whatever DVD authoring program you normally use.

I use TMPGEnc DVD Author and haven't had any sync issues or playback anomalies.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[jlrly]

I just burned the files to a DVD with the audio and the audio came out fine and everything looks ok. So the shortened time must have just been Windows Media Player not recognizing it for some reason. Thanks for the help and the great guide.

[puppy lover]

There is a good PAL2NTSC bitrate calculation thread in the newbie conversion section which goes deeper in covering what to put into the bitrate calculator given you know the exact audio size and you generally have different audio bitrates between the various audio files. This newbie thread also covers the tools to use to re-author the DVD given soundless PAL2NTSC converted video and the demuxed audio files at the end of this most excellent tutorial and you need to combine them with MuxMan before burning back to the NTSC DVD format.

[Valence]

Hey guys. Thanks for the great tutorial. However Im running into some..snags.

Im pretty much at my wits end here. Ive spent 4 days trying to get this to work.

Ive tried using CCE, but I just cant get it to work. It wont resize it to NTSC compliance, even when my script is correct.

So I found this, and it seemed to work...at first. Well, thats a lie, it did work but something happened.

See, the source is a PAL DVD9. So I want to convert it to a NTSC DVD9.

I do the bitrate calculator thing, and the movie alone, with the audio, will allow for the highest bitrate possible, which is 9000 or 9800 or whatever.

So I encode it, making it NTSC compatible both in resolution and in frames per second.

The problem is when I go to author it. I join the audio with the video, and its around 7gigs. So I go to output (this is in TMPGEnc Author V. 3) and I get my VOB files.

But when I check the files, its only 3 gigs. It should be 7. I watch a part of the movie and the quality just went to crap.

I have no idea what went wrong. Its NTSC compliant, but it looks like crap.

Im trying for the fourth time with CCE right now, its encoding, and seeing if I can get this to work.

This is just...frustrating.

[manono]

Hi-

It wont resize it to NTSC compliance, even when my script is correct.

Uncheck the "For DVD" box near the top of the CCE main screen. If you have it resized in the script to 720x480 and are encoding to 25fps, then CCE will resize to 720x576 with that box checked. Oh, and what's your script? This is for someone converting an AVI, but the screens might help. Pay special attention to the unchecked "For DVD" box near the top of the first pic:

https://forum.videohelp.com/topic328361.html#1695973

But when I check the files, its only 3 gigs. It should be 7. I watch a part of the movie and the quality just went to crap.

Then it reencoded the whole thing. If it took more than 20-30 minutes to author, you screwed up. Don't ever let your authoring app reencode what you already encoded. Perhaps the MPV wasn't DVD compliant. Did you run the 25fps MPV out of CCE through DGPulldown set for 25->29.97fps?

[Valence]

Yeah I did. Although I ran it through when I didnt have the For DVD unchecked, so when I tried to Author it, it would say it wasnt NTSC complaint, therefore I had to use the other method.

Although I did find it odd that it took 2 hours to Author it...hmmm.

THANK YOU for the CCE help...If only I knew about that stupid check box ahead of time...

Ill decode this tonight and finish up tomarrow. Ill tell you how it goes. Thanks.

Almost forgot, heres my script:

LoadPlugin("C:\DVD\dgmpgdec149\DGDecode.dll")
Mpeg2Source("C:\DVD\Reign.d2v")
LanczosResize(720,480)
ConvertToYUY2(interlaced=false)

[manono]

The script is OK, as you already know.

so when I tried to Author it, it would say it wasnt NTSC compliant

If it was 29.97fps, then it must have had the PAL resolution, 720x576. Good luck the next try.

[Valence]

Alrighty, script works fine. Although, it did want to reencode it, but I downgraded TMPG to 1.6 and everything works fine.

Thanks a bunch guys.

[007craft]

Great guide, used it to make 1:1 Pal-NTSC copies of 3 of my fav movies that did not have NTSC releases, and 1 that had no WS NTSC release.

BTW, I found a quick easy method for subtitles guys. Download subrip and use this guide

http://www.afterdawn.com/guides/archive/rip_subtitles_with_subrip.cfm

At the end tho, select 29.970 frames from the drop-down box instead of 25.000 like the guide says. There you have it, Subs converted in like 10 mins to NTSC frame rate and in .srt format. If your DVD has like 10 language tracks, just save the matrix file when you do the first language and the other languages should go by much faster. Keep saving to the same file and by the 4th language, it should have all the characters mapped.

Now to Author, I used DVD-lab pro. After reading the help in the program for an hour or so, I learned how to use it. I was able to re-construct original still and motion menus (motion menus need conversion to ntsc first) for my DVDs then add buttons onto the menus. This basically allowed me to rebuild the entire menu like a 1:1 copy. Anything I cut from the DVD I just PS out of menu stills as well. Adding subs and language tracks is easy, and theres even options to delay or speed up both audo and subs in case your having any sync issues with your conversion. BTW, to get menu stills off the original DVD, I used VOB Blankers preview mode to save a .bmp of each menus background.

So yeah, try subrip and DVD lab pro. DLP looks like OMG COMPLICATED when you first open it, but once you learn how to use it, you realize how in detail you can make your dvd structure and menu system and how its not that difficult at all. Ill never use TEMPEnc DVD author again, as DLP has 10000 more options.

[Pinstripes23]

Now to Author, I used DVD-lab pro. After reading the help in the program for an hour or so, I learned how to use it. I was able to re-construct original still and motion menus (motion menus need conversion to ntsc first) for my DVDs then add buttons onto the menus. This basically allowed me to rebuild the entire menu like a 1:1 copy.

You can keep and use the original buttons in DLP. You just have to rip the subpics first with subrip and convert them to NTSC. Then in DLP there is an option to load external subpics.

[007craft]

You can keep and use the original buttons in DLP. You just have to rip the subpics first with subrip and convert them to NTSC. Then in DLP there is an option to load external subpics.

Wait im confused. Your saying that subrip can also rip menu buttons and then I can use those buttons again in DLP? Isint subrip just for ripping subtitles?

[Pinstripes23]

Subrip rips subpics. That's what subtitles are, basically text images layed over the video. Buttons on a menu are subpics layed over the actual menu background. They "show up" when your mouse pointer or dvd remote control goes within a hotspot surrounding the button.

[ecc]

Great guide. I used it once with TMPGE but haven't decided whether to purchase it or not. I have done a few conversions with HCenc by using an Avisynth file instead of the d2v file as the input.

HCenc accepts both d2v and avs but HCenc doesn't have most of the filters and resizing options built into it (at least not in the gui) but I can crop, resize, and deinterlace if necessary in the avs file, load that into HCenc and encode it (overwriting the m2v file). The dialogue box warns you of the resolution/framerate mismatch but will process it anyway. Then, as per the guide, I open it up in DGPulldown and convert the framerate and then author a DVD.

Has anyone else tried this method? Has anyone compared the outputs with TMPGE? HCenc has three quality speeds so its a nice free alternative to TMPGE when the trial period is over. I'm new to Avisynth so this gave me the opportunity to learn it.

[FulciLives]

I wrote this guide in an attempt to create a SIMPLE GUIDE for the PAL DVD to NTSC DVD process.

However I stopped using TMPGEnc Plus eons ago and now I use AviSynth with CCE but lately I have been using HCenc more and more and I really like HCenc.

Some find AviSynth hard-to-use but if you are comfortable using AviSynth and HCenc then by all means do so as it is superior to TMPGEnc Plus.

I still like CCE over HCenc most of the time but when encoding really long movies I find that HCenc works better at lower bitrates than CCE although if I am able to use a "decent" bitrate (one that isn't "too low") then I still prefer CCE over HCenc but that's really just splitting hairs.

HCenc is an amazing encoder period but the fact that it is freeware makes it all the more amazing.

In fact I was going to write a new guide on PAL DVD to NTSC DVD using AviSynth and HCenc but never got around to it.

So yes feel secure that AviSynth and HCenc is one dynamite combination!

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[dvines]

I followed your guide but when I get to the source range in TMPGEnc when I move the slide it doesn't show the whole movie it shows about 20min. Do you have any idea what is wrong? Thanks

[FulciLives]

I followed your guide but when I get to the source range in TMPGEnc when I move the slide it doesn't show the whole movie it shows about 20min. Do you have any idea what is wrong? Thanks

Create an AviSynth AVS script and load that into TMPGEnc Plus instead of loading the D2V project file directly.

The script can be very simple. All you need is something like this:

LoadPlugin("C:\DGIndex\DGDecode.dll")
MPEG2Source("C:\RIPPED_DVD\VIDEO_TS\movie.d2v")
ConvertToRGB24()

The first line is simple just be sure to use the correct directory path to your DGDecode.dll file (found in the same folder as DGIndex).

The second line is also very simple just be sure to use the correct directory path to your D2V project file.

The third line stays as above if you determine that the source is progressive. If you find out that it is instead interlaced then change it to this: ConvertToRGB24(interlaced=true)

Loading the AviSynth AVS file into TMPGEnc Plus sometimes works better than loading the D2V project file directly. Also you can load the AviSynth AVS file into VirtualDub(Mod) to test it and see if it is progressive or interlaced etc.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[007craft]

I wrote this guide in an attempt to create a SIMPLE GUIDE for the PAL DVD to NTSC DVD process.

However I stopped using TMPGEnc Plus eons ago and now I use AviSynth with CCE but lately I have been using HCenc more and more and I really like HCenc.

Some find AviSynth hard-to-use but if you are comfortable using AviSynth and HCenc then by all means do so as it is superior to TMPGEnc Plus.

I still like CCE over HCenc most of the time but when encoding really long movies I find that HCenc works better at lower bitrates than CCE although if I am able to use a "decent" bitrate (one that isn't "too low") then I still prefer CCE over HCenc but that's really just splitting hairs.

HCenc is an amazing encoder period but the fact that it is freeware makes it all the more amazing.

In fact I was going to write a new guide on PAL DVD to NTSC DVD using AviSynth and HCenc but never got around to it.

So yes feel secure that AviSynth and HCenc is one dynamite combination!

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

I think you should write one then. I used to be an ace at all this video conversion stuff and even used to use CCE myself. But I find I only end up converting maybe like 2 times a year and I forget all the steps and how these programs operate. so I still need event his guide if I want to do it again. Please make a guide using the other programs so Ill always have it for a step by step reference.

[FulciLives]

I wrote this guide in an attempt to create a SIMPLE GUIDE for the PAL DVD to NTSC DVD process.

However I stopped using TMPGEnc Plus eons ago and now I use AviSynth with CCE but lately I have been using HCenc more and more and I really like HCenc.

Some find AviSynth hard-to-use but if you are comfortable using AviSynth and HCenc then by all means do so as it is superior to TMPGEnc Plus.

I still like CCE over HCenc most of the time but when encoding really long movies I find that HCenc works better at lower bitrates than CCE although if I am able to use a "decent" bitrate (one that isn't "too low") then I still prefer CCE over HCenc but that's really just splitting hairs.

HCenc is an amazing encoder period but the fact that it is freeware makes it all the more amazing.

In fact I was going to write a new guide on PAL DVD to NTSC DVD using AviSynth and HCenc but never got around to it.

So yes feel secure that AviSynth and HCenc is one dynamite combination!

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

I think you should write one then. I used to be an ace at all this video conversion stuff and even used to use CCE myself. But I find I only end up converting maybe like 2 times a year and I forget all the steps and how these programs operate. so I still need event his guide if I want to do it again. Please make a guide using the other programs so Ill always have it for a step by step reference.

This will have to do for now: https://forum.videohelp.com/topic316333.html

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[Bigdaddybrat]

Hi all,

Im having a real problem with the TMPGEnc and getting it to recognize the *.d2v file... first off It doesnt show in the "environmental settings" and Vfrapi tab? What am i doing wrong? how do I get this to show on the list? and work for that matter!

I would really like to convert this DVD but have been trying to get this to work for the past day with no avail!

Please help!

THANKS so much in advance!

[FulciLives]

Hi all,

Im having a real problem with the TMPGEnc and getting it to recognize the *.d2v file... first off It doesnt show in the "environmental settings" and Vfrapi tab? What am i doing wrong? how do I get this to show on the list? and work for that matter!

I would really like to convert this DVD but have been trying to get this to work for the past day with no avail!

Please help!

THANKS so much in advance!

Create an AviSynth script.

That has been covered already in this thread.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[halbert]

I know this is pretty late in coming but I have followed your process twice and am amazed at how great it works. Thanks. My problem is that my audio is out of sync with the video by about one second. I am converting a Chinese Pal MPeg-2 with LPCM 2 channel stereo to NTSC. Most of your description doesn't mention audio so I don't know where I am going wrong. I am doing this for a friend whose son got married in Shanghai. This video is of his wedding. Video is superb as is the audio, it is just out of sync when the speeches are made. Can you help me quickly?

[FulciLives]

If you can determine how far out-of-sync you can either cut the LPCM WAV file (if the audio is behind the video) or add silence to the start of the LPCM WAV file (if the audio is in front of the video).

Assuming the audio is off the same amount from start to finish then you just have to edit the start (by adding silence or cutting some audio) to get the correct "off-set" or what is often called "delay value".

MUXMAN is a quick qay to mux the video and audio together so you can see if your editing worked. This will be trail and error.

Make sure you keep the original LPCM WAV audio file in case you cut or add too much so you have the original to go back to.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[halbert]

Thanks for your quick reply. Do you think I would have better success using your AVISynth method? It seems like nothing is done to the audio portion while a lot is being changed in the video portion. I guess I would not expect the two to be in sync unless I am missing a fundamental idea.