which conversion software is better?

[neo_74]

Hi, I want to simply convert Pal to Ntsc with either DVDSanta or ConvertXtoDVD. Which is better? All I'm converting is cartoons so others can watch in their players that'll only read ntsc. i do understand this isn't the best way to convert but considering the content I'm just looking for the most reliable. Thanks for your time.

[redwudz]

The newest versions of ConvertXToDVD do a decent job with PAL>NTSC conversions. Better than DVDSanta for sure.

[aedipuss]

second the convertX, works ok here. some jerkiness but that's to be expected with any digital rate conversion. at least it usually keeps the audio in sync.

[neo_74]

When you say jerkiness, does this appear in every conversion or just the occasional one. Also is it continual throughout or just once? Thanks for your time

[FulciLives]

Here is my guide on doing PAL DVD to NTSC conversion using TMPGEnc Plus.

https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=300144

If you don't have TMPGEnc Plus you can try HCenc which is a freeware MPEG-2 DVD Spec encoder but then you would have to use AviSynth with it to do the resizing. At the end of my guide I do have links to other posts where I gave "mini-guides" on how to do PAL to NTSC with AviSynth.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[aedipuss]

as with any digital conversion frames must either be deleted or added. it's not something the average person might notice and complain about, but if you work with video then you will see them. it has to be continual throughout the video. and it will happen no matter what you use to do the conversion. it has to. convertx handles it ok while keeping the audio in sync.

[FulciLives]

as with any digital conversion frames must either be deleted or added. it's not something the average person might notice and complain about, but if you work with video then you will see them. it has to be continual throughout the video. and it will happen no matter what you use to do the conversion. it has to. convertx handles it ok while keeping the audio in sync.

Somehow I seriously doubt that ConvertX does it "correctly".

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[aedipuss]

ok so they handle it in a manner that is acceptable to the average eye. other then a million dolllar telecine setup there is no "digital" conversion method that will eliminate the problem.

[manono]

as with any digital conversion frames must either be deleted or added.

Nonsense.

other then a million dolllar telecine setup there is no "digital" conversion method that will eliminate the problem.

Nonsense.

If the original PAL DVD is encoded from a progressive source, the resulting NTSC conversion can and should also be progressive. All the frames will be there; none added, none removed, and none blended. The only difference between PAL and NTSC as far as that goes is the addition of pulldown to go from either 25->29.97fps or from 23.976->29.97fps. That does, admittedly, introduce a very little jerkiness, especially to the PAL viewer's eye, a person not usually used to viewing video with pulldown, To us NTSC people, it's virtually unnoticeable.

But I don't think you're talking about pulldown when you say there has to be jerkiness. I think you're talking about crummy all-in-one apps that go directly from 25 to 29.97fps by either adding frames, or, much worse, by blending. Most do it by blending, which not only makes it play jerky, but also destroys detail, making it blurry, especially during movement.

Any decent encoder when fed a good AviSynth script can make a proper conversion. I do it all the time, and I have no jerkiness. I'll happily supply source PAL and output NTSC samples.

[aedipuss]

study some math manono. to go from 25 frames per second to 29.97 you have to add some frames somewhere. if you take them from the next second's allotment then the audio is now out of sync as it doesn't change in length and you just shortened the video by 16%.

you just haven't got a clue.

[manono]

Do you not understand the concept? I go from 25fps PAL to 25fps NTSC. That's what's stored on the DVD, the exact same number of frames as the source playing at the exact same speed.

If I want, I can slow the video to 23.976fps and store that on the DVD. Then I also have to slow the audio. Still, it's the exact same number of frames as the source PAL DVD; nothing added and nothing removed.

Either way I do it, everything's in synch.

If your beef is with the whole concept of pulldown which adds frames (in the form of fields) to the displayed output, then I can't argue. But then you're saying every NTSC DVD ever made, and every movie ever shown on TV, is jerky. I can't disagree, but it's kind of a silly argument to make.

[aedipuss]

there is no such thing as 25fps ntsc. 23.967 or 29.97 only. period.

argument lost.

any movie that was originally telecined at 24 or 30fps will not be jerky at allon a 60hz ntsc tv, as per definition they have no added or subtracted frames.

"jerkiness" is only introduced when converting between the 2 formats digitally. that's why there are 2 different formats in telecining to prevent the problem which occurs with the different tv systems.

[manono]

there is no such thing as 25fps ntsc. 23.967 or 29.97 only. period.

Well, I make them all the time and they're perfectly compliant. I apply pulldown to a 25fps source (a PAL 720x576 DVD converted to NTSC 720x480) to output 29.97fps. Perhaps you're not familiar with DGPulldown.

But to correct you further; all NTSC DVD output is 29.97fps. There is no NTSC DVD at 23.976fps. The source framerate can be 23.976fps, 25fps, or even 19.98fps. You can soft telecine (i. e., set the flags for, or apply pulldown to) any progressive source framerate between 19.98fps and 29.97fps. As I work with silent films quite a bit, I've applied pulldown to 19.98fps (20fps silent films), 25.974fps (26fps silent films), and just about everything in between.

any movie that was originally telecined at 24 or 30fps will not be jerky at allon a 60hz ntsc tv, as per definition they have no added or subtracted frames.

What do you think 3:2 pulldown does? If the source is 23.976fps, the output is 29.97fps, and you get from 48 fields per second to 60 fields per second by repeating 12 fields every second. If it's an HDTV, then you repeat 12 frames per second. So 60Hz most certainly does play movies jerky. If you have a certain Pioneer TV that can convert to 72Hz, then it outputs 3:3 pulldown, and then there really is no jerkiness. And my 20fps silent films will also display at 3:3 on a 60Hz system. Regular old 24fps film plays at 3 2 3 2 3 2, and is slightly jerky. But like I said earlier, most NTSC people don't even notice it as we're so used to it. Evidently you not only don't notice it, but are completely unaware of it.