Adding sidebars to PAL->NTSC conversion to keep aspect ratio

[markd]

I've searched the site, so please forgive me if I missed an existing answer with the search patterns I used.

My primary interest is in DVD archival concert trading and much of the best content is from old PAL broadcast captures that are not commercially available. Many DVD players will now play PAL DVDs to NTSC TVs, but many of those just chop off the top and bottom to make it fit. What I'm looking to do is take advantage of all the advice on this site to make the best possible conversion from 720x576 to 600x480 to preserve the aspect ratio, then add 60 pixel black sidebars to create 720x480 content that will play on ANY and ALL NTSC DVD players and TVs.

Does anyone know of any freeware/shareware/low-cost-commercial tools that would help me add those sidebars either before or during DVD authoring?

Many thanks,
Mark

[guns1inger]

They don't chop off anything to make it fit. PAL and NTSC use different pixel aspect ratios for playback. The playback devices adjust for this. What you are talking about doing is madness, and will not preserve the original aspect ratio, but rather give you a distorted image. 720 x 576 and 720 x 480 are both 4:3, or to put it another way, the same when adjusted for Pixel Aspect Ratios.

If you want to convert the PAL originals to NTSC, resize them to 720 x 480, encode them @25 fps, then use DGPulldown to add pulldown flags for 25 fps -> 29.97 fps playback. You can then author this as NTSC and it will playback on any NTSC device.

If you are concerned about losing parts of the image to overscan (the area masked at the edge of the picture tube or display surface), add a border. But be aware that you also lose the same amount to every show broadcast, ever DVD you watch, and every NTSC tape you have. It has nothing to do with PAL playback.

[FulciLives]

As already pointed out by guns1inger ... the math you have used is flawed.

In short:

PAL 720x576 = NTSC 720x480

Also as already pointed out by guns1inger ... you want to use the DGPulldown method of PAL to NTSC conversion especially due to the nature of the content. When you use DGPulldown the new NTSC video has the same length as the original PAL so there is no need to adjust the audio whereas more "traditional" methods of PAL to NTSC change the length of the video and therefore the audio must also be adjusted for length (and that can get tricky).

Some reading for you:

1.) THE HOLY GRAIL? ... A new method of PAL to NTSC conversion!

2.) PAL to NTSC problem

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

Good Luck !!!

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[redwudz]

markd, please don't double post. Your other post has been locked. If you wish a post moved, PM a Mod.

Moderator redwudz

[markd]

Got it. Now that I understand that the pixel aspect ratio is different between PAL and NTSC it all makes more sense.

The help and the pointers to deeper reading are greatly appreciated.

Many thanks,
Mark