MPEG2 files - are they just MPEG, or are they either PAL or NTSC?

[ibzomie]

I recently acquired a movie file, but it is in PAL format. I burned it to a DVD, not realizing that it was PAL, until I tried to play it in my stand-alone player. Using DVDShrink, I got rid of the foreign soundtrack and the menus, kept the English soundtrack, and backed it up. Then I loaded it into Tsunami DVDAuthor as a new project, and reauthored the resulting MPG file. Here is a GSpot screenshot of that MPEG2 file:



I burned a DVD, but my player still tells me that it is a PAL disc. Thus my question, is an MPEG2 file simply an MPEG2 file, or is it either PAL or NTSC? My thought was that by getting the movie into an MPEG file, I would be able to then reauthor the movie as NTSC.

Any help will be appreciated.

[PuzZLeR]

is an MPEG2 file simply an MPEG2 file, or is it either PAL or NTSC?

An MPEG-2 file is usually found in a program stream (PS) with the file extension of .mpg or .mpeg. It can also be in a transport stream (TS), such as used by broadcasters in a .ts file. In DvD, it's in a .vob file (with associated .ifo and .bup files on disc). And there's other containers you can use, although more rare with MPEG-2, like .mkv, .mp4, .m2ts, even .avi, etc. And it's mostly packaged with an audio format in this container, such as AC3 in your case.

It's also found raw (just video without wrapper) such as in .m2v or .mpv.

Either way, the video stream itself, MPEG-2 is still MPEG-2 and it's only a container issue, and a multiplexing/demultiplexing (mux/demux) issue to transfer to another (such as putting the MPEG-2 from .mpg to .vob for DvD playback.)

And MPEG-2 can be PAL, NTSC or neither of these specs. It's how you encode it, and the specs you use. You can make it smaller, or even larger like in HD. It's still MPEG-2

DvDs use MPEG-2, but only if it comes with a certain set of specs. And PAL DvD players and NTSC DvD players need different versions of this spec such as different resolution and frame-rate (check "What is DvD" at the top corner of this site.). A PAL DvD will not play well, if at all, in an NTSC DvD player and vice-versa. And either DvD player will quite likely reject any MPEG-2 stream that is neither PAL, neither NTSC, not in a .vob container, or not authored properly.

I hope this answers your question.

[MOVIEGEEK]

ibzombie you have three options:
1.Buy a DVD player that converts PAL to NTSC,this is the prefered method.
2.Reencode and make sure you select NTSC,this will cause PQ loss.
3.Use DJRumpy's guide to alter the IFO files,this might not work on some players.