(Fustrated!) What am i doing wrong

[sknox]

Ok here's my problem, i have a friend that has Pal avi's and want's me to convert them to NTSC and burn them them to DVD.
After trying for 4 days i don't know what to, the file is an avi in Pal format. The file info from Quicktime tells me this

Format: 608 x 336, unknown MPEG Layer 3, Stereo, 48,000 khz

FPS: 25

Data Size: 698.11 MB

Duration: 01:31:27.0/25

I'm using ffmpegX vers. 0.0.9x r2

The quality of the avi is very good, i have tryed so many different settings im out of ideas
My last attemt in ffmpegX i thought i was getting close to a solution, but after 6 hrs +,after so many trys and searching this forum.
here's my settings

Dropped the avi onto the Source format window
(from AVI),
Video: mpeg4, yuv420p, 608x336
Audio: mp3, 48000Hz, stereo, 32kb/s

Target format
To DVD
Video ffmpeg mpeg2, 720x576 4000kbps, 25 fps, no crop

Video tab
Video Codec MPEG2 [.MPG] (ffmpeg) encode video checked
Under Bitrate Calculator
92 min keep in 1 DVD 4GB 4000MB

Video parameters
Video size 720 x 576
Autosize DVD
Framerate PAL 25

Audio Ac3 encode audio checked
448 bitrate, 48000Hz
Channels 5:1, mode CBR

Image filters Deinterlace checked

Options
High Quality
Decode with QT letterbox
Encoding profile dvd, author as DVD (VIDEO_TS)

Ok had to change a few things, such as Pal to NTSC 29.97
Here is where i have tryed various settings, bitrate calculater says 4000 kbit/s that can't be right and 4000MB can't be right, i assume that if i left it at 4000MB the bit rate default would try to take the 92min file and fill the entire file over the whole DVD.

What should all the fields be changed to and tell me a short explaination of what and why so i can figure future projects myself.

I'm pretty sure it has to do with some combo of the Rate, Time, Best, Size buttons.

I know this post is a little lengthy, but i would rather give out to much of explaining everything, but i would rather give out more that not enough.

I thank everybody in advance for reading such a long post.

sknoxx

[elgemo]

Hi my friend.
I think you take the things too hard and dont look the simplicity.
First you should try a little program (freeware) JES Deinterlacer that you can download from (for example) macupdate I dont know if Videohelp Got it.
Another chance is try a demo of Cleaner 6 or higher from descreet or buy it, that program convert anything to anything.
Wherever the resolution of the file look pretty odd for a PAL standar must be previously recompresed.
Try for any of this ways an tell me later.
Sorry if my english is not quite right.
Regards.

[Frobozz]

You need to change the resolution to 720 x 480 and the frame rate to 29.97 for it to be NTSC. Also, that's an unusually high AC-3 rate. 224 should be more than enough given the very low rate of the original. With those settings an average bit rate of more than 6 mb/s will fit the single-layer disc. The 480p will get converted to 480i.

What is easiest, in my opinion, is to drag the AVI to the Toast 7 video window, choose NTSC in Toast preferences, and click the burn button (or choose Save as Disc Image) using Toast's automatic setting, For higher quality turning on Half-Pel in the Toast custom encoder window.

[rumplestiltskin]

I'll second the Toast recommendation.

However, you may use ffmpoegX to do an intermediate transcoding to DivX or XviD (and do the framerate conversion there), and then use that result as the source to finish the "to DVD" conversion.

[Case]

Ok had to change a few things, such as Pal to NTSC 29.97

1/ Change Framerate to 'NTSC (29.97)'
2/ Change Autosize to 'DVD 16:9' (as your source file is roughly 16:9)
3/ The previous setting would also change the Video size to '720 x 480' automagicly.

bitrate calculater says 4000 kbit/s that can't be right

4000 kbps is default, and a pretty good value: 3367 is not enough, and 4117 may be more than enough.

4000MB can't be right, i assume that if i left it at 4000MB the bit rate default would try to take the 92min file and fill the entire file over the whole DVD.

No, 5791 kbps (pressing the [Rate] button) would fill out 4000 MB. A lot of people would consider filling the entire file over the whole DVD, a good thing, heh.

[mhar4]

Remember, too, that many DVD players will do standards conversion anyway on disks with no region codes, so you might not need to convert it from PAL ro NTSC at all.