Converting German DVD!

[OhDoom]

Where to start with this?

I have a video I bought in berlin. Do I need a program to rip/convert it or are there other options. Saw some threads on player codes. not sure how to work them or if my players are compatible. Please help!

[noemi7]

best option would be to check first if your equipment plays it, lol

[guns1inger]

You have two possible issues

The first is region codes. This is easily fixed by ripping the DVD to your HDD with DVD HD Decrypter and creating a new copy. You may have to reduce the size using DVD Shrink or DVD Rebuilder in order to fit on a single layer DVD, otherwise burn to a DL DVD blank.

The bigger issue, and most likely to bite you, is that the German DVD is probably PAL, and your NTSC equipment may not play it back. If this is the case, it is simpler and easier to buy a cheap second player that does play PAL DVDs on NTSC equipment. Chances are this will also be region free and all your problems are solved in fell swoop.

[orsetto]

It may seem silly to suggest you try to play it on your existing setup, but you'd be surprised how many people DON'T try, they just assume it won't work. In fact many players and recorders, even models that specifically declare in their manuals they are "region locked" and "don't convert PAL to NTSC", will actually do exactly that if you ignore the warnings and try anyway. For instance, I have three JVC DRMV5 VHS/DVD combo recorders, all bought at different times at bargain basement prices, and the DVD recorder section in all three plays and converts to NTSC a variety of Region 2 PAL discs I've purchased from overseas vendors (titles that are not available at all in USA). On the other hand my Pioneers won't play Region 2 PAL at all: they throw garbage on the screen. Go figure.

[OhDoom]

so how do I approach that? Im not sure I understand the tutorial.

[orsetto]

so how do I approach that? Im not sure I understand the tutorial.

Don't know if you're replying to my suggestion or someone else's? If you need me to clarify my remarks above, I meant you should just try to play your German DVD on your current DVD player and television and see if it just works normally. Sometimes you get lucky and the player will automatically convert the PAL recording and play it as NTSC on your TV- its just like watching any other DVD. I have a couple different recorders and players, each one says in its instruction manual that it "does not" play PAL or Region 2 discs. Yet half my machines will play those discs as if they were American. You never know until you try.

If you have already tried this and it doesn't work, and you are asking how to "hack" your player to be region-free, others on the forum might answer if you provide the brand/model of DVD player you have. They can't advise you until they know what you're using.

If you are asking more info on how to convert the DVD in a computer to make an NTSC copy of a PAL disc, thats another story. It can be done with some effort, but you may need to buy new software to do this: I'm not sure if any "freeware" can handle PAL-NTSC conversion? There are threads here in the forum about the necessary software and procedures, you may need to search a little harder for details.

[chipsndukes]

haven't posted in a while, orsetto's comment is true, some (was my experience) NTSC players will play PAL anyway, but the method I used with my NTSC only Toshiba was the "DJ Rumpy Patch" method.

https://forum.videohelp.com/topic221928.html

It is a cheat, it's not for a purist, and frankly, I don't use it.
But to be able to watch one DVD on a known NTSC only player, it may just work and is worth a shot.

Only downsides are that the menu and pointers are usually messed up and i think the subtitles maybe out of place too.

I don't remember, but give it a try if you want.

Chipsndukes

[hech54]

Where to start with this?

I have a video I bought in berlin. Do I need a program to rip/convert it or are there other options. Saw some threads on player codes. not sure how to work them or if my players are compatible. Please help!

Just to clarify what is going on here...a "player code" refers to a "region hack" which is available to
SOME DVD players. It instructs the player to ignore the DVD's region code.

Region Codes and the other issue mentioned (PAL and NTSC) have NOTHING to do with each other.
IE...hacking a DVD player is NOT a guarantee that this apparent PAL Disc you bought in Berlin will play...
especially in your situation (a PAL disc in America).

America is NTSC
Berlin (Europe) is PAL
Hurdle One

Region Codes applied to most factory made - store bought DVDs
Hurdle Two

You might....just might....be forced to settle with watching this disc
on your computer until you get your head around the Region Code - PAL/NTSC issues.
Computers don't care about PAL/NTSC....the only issue you may have with watching
this disc on your computer is the Region Code issue....but that can hurdle can be removed
with some freeware applications or copying the disc to a DVDR. Copying a disc removes
the region code.

[OhDoom]

thanks for everyones help. When I was refering to the misunderstandings regarding tutorials, I meant the threads of hacks to be used on regualr players in order to play PAL. I will post the two models of players I have at home if that helps. Otherwise, I was hoping there was some freeware out there to convert. ?? thanks again

[hech54]

I meant the threads of hacks to be used on regualr players in order to play PAL.

Again....99% of the hacks listed here do NOT involve making an NTSC player output a PAL signal....the hacks here are mostly about REGION CODES. If the player was not built to output PAL....there is nothing you can do to change it.
Sometimes this feature is buried in a menu....but that means it always had the ability to convert NTSC to PAL....you just didn't know it.

[jman98]

Look at the guides here on doing PAL -> NTSC conversion. It probably can be done with freeware (the method that chipsndukes talks about uses freeware) or a clever person might be able to figure out a way to get (wink! wink!) "evaluation" copies of commercial software that don't happen to expire. If you don't understand what I'm talking about, I'm not going to spell it out for you. Do note that if you actually re-encode the video to NTSC that menus are notoriously difficult to re-encode. Most people just make a DVD without menus if they have to re-encode the video from PAL to NTSC.

You could also get a DVD player that can convert PAL to NTSC and play in region free mode. Philips makes a variety of cheap DVD players that can play PAL video and convert it to NTSC display for your TV and can be
"hacked" to go into multi-region mode by pressing some keys on a remote control. If you think you will have an ongoing need to watch PAL DVDs, it's really better to just get a converting DVD player than to convert the video to NTSC via software (very time consuming). If you try to watch a PAL DVD on any DVD player, do be sure that the DVD player video output is set to NTSC and NOT set to PAL or AUTO or ANY. Many players default to AUTO and this won't work for you. AUTO is really designed for European customers, but here in the USA you need to explicitly set the TV output of your DVD player to NTSC, which will force the player to convert it on the fly to NTSC.

[tinker]

Like everybody say. To convert PAL to NTSC with menus and all is a long undertaking. Unless you really want to get involved in DVD conversions and authoring, it may be better to get player which will do the job for you.

http://www.oppodigital.com/dv981hd/dv981hd_features.html

Or other possibility is to find a shop which will convert it for you.

[OhDoom]

Thanks all.

[akrako1]

just a warning... playing a PAL dvd thru a component connection (progressive) actually crashes my Philips HDTV. Yup, crashes. The screen goes blank, and the power light flashes a number of times. It will not respond to anything, and needs a hard reboot (cut power), before it will start functioning again. Weird. But it is a crappy Philips HDTV, but I still wouldn't think it would actually crash. Oh well...