PAL to NTSC renders OK on top of picture, flickers on bottom half

[Exiled_Brit]

I have an Intel P4 chip. I've turned off hyperthreading, tried several different movies. In all cases the conversion of a PAL asset (MPG2) completes OK, but the NTSC version always looks like someone overlayed a black rail banister on the bottom half of the picture -- and bottom half of the pic flickers.
OK, so what am I doing wrong?

[manono]

OK, so what am I doing wrong?

Who knows, since you've provided next to no information. You can start by telling us exactly how you did the conversion. You might also provide some before and after video clips.

[guns1inger]

I would also be interested in why you think hyperthreading is to blame, and why you have turned it off.

[jman98]

Format conversions between PAL and NTSC are often problematic. My advice is that if you only intend to do this one time or at most twice then it's probably worth doing. If you are going to do it more than 2 times then you need to buy a DVD player that can convert PAL DVD to NTSC output and not worry about it. Philips has several cheap players that can do this, although we are now getting reports that their models are getting harder and harder to put into multi-region mode. Oppo (http://www.oppodigital.com) makes some highly regarded but not cheap players that can do this and can be put into multi-region mode. I've known people who place absolutely no value at all on their spare time and spend hours each week doing this kind of thing and I guess if you are one of those people then you can do that too, but if you care at all about your spare it's really not worth doing this on a regular basis.

Having said that, definitely tell us more about what you did if you want help.
Like most new members, you have erroneously concluded that the less you tell us about what you did, the more likely you are to get help. In fact, the opposite is true. Those who give good descriptions on what they did are more likely to give help. Err on the side of giving too much information rather than not enough.

[Exiled_Brit]

Thanks to all for the prompt replies.
I deliberately did not provide copious amounts of information in the hope that the symptoms I described were well-known and that this would be a no-brainer. I had hoped it was one of those situations where you just pointed me to another forum subject and told me this was a common error with a simple solution.
Well, obviously that does not appear to be the case.
Here goes:
I may be new to the forum, but I'm not new to SVCD2DVD. I've been using it for about 4 years and created many hundreds of DVDs. But all up to now had NTSC MPEG2 as the asset.
About 9 months ago I tried to convert a PAL DVD to NTSC, but when I ran across this problem I just put it aside and created the MPEG2 files using an old version of Womble MPEG Editor. An old version, which is excrutiatingly slow -- but accurate. So that was that -- I did not pursue this.
Then about a month ago I had another PAL disc to convert. I forgot all about my first probelm w/ the PAL conversion and just pushed the MPEG2 files through SVCD2DVD foregtfully, with the same bad results. So again I called on the old Womble program.
I have now taken on a project for some friends, and I have to convert 23 or so PAL discs, with about 3 hours of material on each.
To jman98: yes I do know about hardware solutions for reading PAL discs. That isn't an option here, I need a software solution.
To gunslinger: I did not exactly suspect hyperthreading, but when I mouse over the option to enable/disable it, it says essentially that if you have problems, try disabling it. I did, no change.
To manono: I would be happy to supply a clip of before and after, but being new, I see that the uploads only allow still JPG and GIF etc, with a max file size of 6MB. If you'd be so kind as to direct me to the proper place on the forum that tells me how to load video clips I'd appreciate it.

Now for the problem:
I've used multiple different MPEG2 files in PAL format. I've tried multiple computers, up to 5 different ones, but it's true that all have essentially the same configuration. I've tried presenting only small files, I've tried with and without menus, and also as a quick dvd. The only setting that I select is the convert PAL assets to NTSC. No other options or fanciness involved. In all cases, the results are the same: the top half of the frame is stable, the bottom half flickers and has vertical black lines superimposed that also flicker.

The only single common element in the way I present the MPEG2 files is that I initially used DVD Decrypter to rip to disc. After that, I've tried converting VOB to MPG (the SVCD2DVD utility), as well as the Womble thing, which does that also.
I've also tried converting the VOBs from PAL to MPG2 NTSC using Digital Media Converter. The good part is that you can batch a lot of files for conversion, the not so good part is that it isn't stable. And it leaves in the NavPacks, which of course SVCD2DVD hates. Or at least, on my machines it's hated. The resultant VIDEO_TS files are not liked at all by WINDVD -- but it appears that burning to disc is OK, and do seem to read without problems on external DVD players. Another anomaly.
So, although I do have alternatives to get me around this situation, I just wondered if I was missing something fundamental in attempting my PAL-NTSC conversion. I have a heckuva lot of respect for the programmer of SVCD2DVD, it's been a tremendous help to me over these 4 years -- and I would like to use this tool for my project. But, if it cannot be, then it's not exactly the end of the world -- I'll muddle through. But yes, I can of course provide clips -- just tell me how big (small) they need to be and how to do, and I'll be happy to oblige.

[jman98]

I have now taken on a project for some friends, and I have to convert 23 or so PAL discs, with about 3 hours of material on each.

Friends don't ask friends to do that. The fact that your cheap and worthless friends have asked YOU to waste MANY MANY hours of your time to do this for them says a lot about both of you.

SVCD2DVD was meant originally to simply convert SVCD to DVD. The fact that it can do other things is bonus, but it was never intended as a serious PAL to NTSC tool. I'd advise you to read the guides here on doing these conversions, which will involve other tools. And you seriously need to get some new friends because real friends would NEVER ask you to do something like this. Or at the minimum you need to grow a pair and explain to your friends how they have made an unreasonable request of you.

You don't HAVE to do anything. Maybe if you are being paid for this, I guess I can kind of understand it, but I'd bet that you simply want to be helpful and you are doing it all for free. Note that any friends who are thoughtless enough to ask you to do this will NOT stop at this request, so you might as well prepare yourself to do this for a long time to come. It's up to you to decide if it's really worth it or not.

Note that menus can't really be converted, so your "friends' will no doubt bitch when they find that out. Anyone who thinks nothing of asking you to waste your time on this monstrously time consuming job will also probably never be satisfied with that you do for them. That's how it goes.

As far as uploading clips go, you have to upload them to external file share places and give html links to them. Yes, we have limits here on uploading for a reason. It's up to you to get an account on Rapid Share or whatever to use for this.

[FulciLives]

Tell your friend to buy a Philips brand DVD player as almost all models by Philips can be "hacked" to be region free and can also do PAL DVD disc playback to a NTSC TV (be it SD or HD).

The Philips DVP5990 is a popular model and BEST BUY has it for all of $59.99

- John "FulciLives" Coleman