Possible to convert REGION 2 into REGION 1 . . . and retain all menus?

[MISS CHIEVOUS]

Note that my subject line is specifically asking whether a REGION 2 disc can be remastered to be exactly REGION 1 — not "region free." Put bluntly, I'll ignore responses that sidestep the difficult technical question I'm asking by instructing me to buy a region-free player because I will not.

Now if what I am asking is technically impossible for any of my programs to do (FAB, Shrink, Blanker, Magix, and dozens of others), so be it. Tell me please?

And finally I am compelled to ask this because I procured a very expensive REGION 2 DVD with the expectation that at least one of my editors would be able to convert it to a format compatible with my REGION 1 player. While the editing went smoothly and the disk was readable on my PC, the disk I burned would not play on my R1 player.

I'm not unduly upset — this production is a contender for becoming a collector's item; I should get most of my money back —nonetheless, it isn't an exercise I wish to repeat (certainly at current UK exchange rates!!) if what I am attempting is not technically possible in the first place.

Guidance? Thanks friends.

mc

[jagabo]

Yes. All you have to do is change the region code -- it's just a number on the disc. But you may also run into a PAL/NTSC problem.

[MISS CHIEVOUS]

Help me out here jag . . .

Let's say I'm doing this in FAB 7.
I pop the DVD in and get the range of regions.

If you're going to tell me that I make my selection at this point — ie., Region 1 — before it reads the DVD, then that is what I tried already.

If FAB 7 can convert the DVD from PAL to NTSF I would appreciate the steps, since I obviously didn't do this the right way. Again, I am not seeking a region free. I have to emphasize that.

mc

[guns1inger]

You don't need to change the region to region 1, you need to convert the video from PAL to NTSC. There is no automated way to do this and keep everything intact. You will have to strip the disc down to all the separate elements, convert the video and the audio and any stills in menus etc. (including subtitles and subpics), then re-author with all the new elements.

Or buy a player that can play PAL material.

[jagabo]

I believe this will work: rip the DVD as a VIDEO_TS folder with DVD Fab with the region free option disabled. Use a hex editor to change the 35th byte of the VIDEO_TS.IFO file from FD (region 2) to FE (region 1). Burn a DVD.



If you find a 00 or FF there the disc is region free. Change it to FE to make it region 1.

Again, you are still likely to have a PAL/NTSC problem. This guy claims to have worked out a "simple" but crude way to convert PAL to NTSC:

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/278458-DVD-Rebuilder-No-PAL-to-NTSC-option-Why?p=19...=1#post1990981

Maybe you can write to him for details.

[loster]

All burned dvd is region free. To convert from pal to ntsc requires other methods search the guides there are several methods listed.

[victoriabears]

Is your region 1 player very special to you, as that is the only reason I can imagine for sidestepping the `get a region free player`` answer - sorry but converting a PAL DVD (Forget the region issue that is easily overcome-ok) and that must be why your player will not play it,whats the brand é model / anyways , ,to a clone but in ntsc DVD is really really really time consuming and very very very very tedious, the only method that may work is:-

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/166266-PAL-NTSC-DVD-Conversion-%28patch-method%29

It has worked sometimes for me

[MISS CHIEVOUS]

Well shoot. And I just tried it again (and bombed) so it's definitely my player. Jag thank you so much for all the trouble you've gone to helping me! Screenshots and everything. Gotta love this forum.

Look, there are exactly 3 productions limited to Region 2 that I want. The one that is the subject of this thread happens to be a 1971 Peter Brooks production of KING LEAR with Paul Scofield. I want to see it because I'm sorely displeased with almost every other rendition of LEAR on DVD, all of which I own.

What if I were to just rip this R2 to a completely different animal — say, a basic MPEG or AVI or something really benign. Wouldn't my player have to take it if it's just a dumbed-down Windows-style video? Granted I would give up any navigation (a pity, but frankly not worth the purchase of a new player) since the thing would just automatically start playing.

What do you guys think? A HEX editor is completely beyond me Jag lol. However I don't mind investing in a robust software product that will do this for me automatically. I'd do that before I bought a new player — and with that in mind, could you all tell me what "thing" I would be looking for? and be specific? Some of these terms are over my head so you'll just have to point me to the section on VH where these programs live.

What is it we're talking about here — the PAL-to-NTSF thing? Does the process have a name(s)?

Thanks everyone.

mc

[guns1inger]

PAL is the format used in Australia and most of Europe, NTSC is the format that used in the US, Japan and other parts of the world. They have different resolutions and framerates etc. There is no automated process for converting one to the other. The best solution is to get a player that can play both.

[MISS CHIEVOUS]

What do you guys think of this technique?

http://www.ehow.com/print/way_5183160_dvd-pal-ntsc-conversion.html

[hech54]

No offense but....for the 1 millionth time(in the history of Videohelp.com)...STOP trying to convert
PAL format video to NTSC format video!!!!! It is NOT easy and it is NOT recommended...especially to someone
who just recently discovered this thing called "PAL vs. NTSC Video Formats". Watch the DVD on your computer
or find a DVD player(that you can hook to your TV) that can be "hacked" to ignore the region code AND that can
convert the PAL Video Format to your native NTSC Video Format.

[victoriabears]

with no offense to anyone, I live in Canada for 10 years and have not bought a DVD player yet that is not multi region/format, its pointless if you like PAL sourced material, why do folks insist on making life hard !

[lordsmurf]

Part of this is your confusion between formats and regions.
Read this: Regions and PAL / How to Make a DVD Region-Free (or Convert PAL to NTSC)

What if I were to just rip this R2 to a completely different animal — say, a basic MPEG or AVI or something really benign.

Now you're on to something. If I wanted to watch PAL material on my current big screen setup, this is what I would have to do. The Philips 3575 doesn't play PAL DVDs, but it plays PAL XVID files. Go figure.

I don't do this, of course -- too much work. I'd rather carry my hacked XBOX or HTPC into that room and plug it in.
I do most PAL watching in my bedroom, where I have a region-free player that plays both PAL and NTSC.

What do you guys think of this technique? http://www.ehow.com/print/way_5183160_dvd-pal-ntsc-conversion.html

I think it's a terrible method that the writer (hack) swiped from another site (a forum, no doubt). eHow is a "content mill" owned by Demand Studios, another site that is filled with wanna-be writers earning piss (less than 1/10th normal compensation for a real writer's minimum rate).

Be careful reading eHow. There are a number of real writers (qualified published journalists and experts) who have had their articles changed by the so-called "editors" hired by DS/ehow. In some cases, authors have reported things being changed that would be deadly if followed (kill plants, kill pets, kill people) -- for example, changing drug doses.

It's just eShit. As reliable as spam.

I live in Canada for 10 years and have not bought a DVD player yet that is not multi region/format, its pointless if you like PAL sourced material, why do folks insist on making life hard !

It's really hard to find non-PAL players, given how most all optical players are now made in China from worldwide kits, and have been for at least 5 years now.

[jagabo]

What if I were to just rip this R2 to a completely different animal — say, a basic MPEG or AVI or something really benign. Wouldn't my player have to take it if it's just a dumbed-down Windows-style video?

Only if it plays those types of files -- they are not a part of the DVD spec. If your DVD player can play Divx/Xvid AVI files try AutoGK. If it can play PAL MPG files try VOB2MPG. Then use ImgBurn to "Write files/folders to disc."

[Noahtuck]

What do you guys think of this technique?

http://www.ehow.com/print/way_5183160_dvd-pal-ntsc-conversion.html

From your link.

Your copied files are still in PAL format, so you'll have to run a program to convert them to NTSC. A freely available converter is the Ifoedit software

Which is the same thing victoriabears already linked to earlier.
It always amazes me at how some people call this a "conversion"
It converts NOTHING!!
It is just a voodoo method that fools some NTSC players into playing PAL format.

Problem 1: Region coding, IE: R1, R2, R4, ect.
Problem 2: Format, IE: PAL, NTSC.

Changing one does not change the other.
They are two completely differnt issues.

If anyone knew where you were actually located, IE: U.S., U.K., S. America, Russia, ect.
they could probably give you some good insight on what and where to buy a good to excellent dvd player that will play both out of the box.

40-50$ and you could get a Philips dvd player that not only plays both PAL and NTSC regardless of the region coding, but also Xvid/Divx, ect.

[MISS CHIEVOUS]

If your DVD player can play Divx/Xvid AVI files try AutoGK. If it can play PAL MPG files try VOB2MPG.

Jag, could you give me an alternate link for the AutoGK? I can't get any of the download sites to work -- including the author's mirrors. All I'm getting is 350k worth of garbage. Thanks.

mc

[jagabo]

The direct link at the AutoGK page here worked for me: https://www.videohelp.com/download/AutoGordianKnot.2.55.Setup.exe

[MISS CHIEVOUS]

It's FTP referrer crap. I think I have it working through IE now, thanks jag. I'll report back to you and let you know my progress with both of the strategies you've offered.

mc

[Noahtuck]

You must be really happy....

Or wish to stay that way....

[Noahtuck]

This guy claims to have worked out a "simple" but crude way to convert PAL to NTSC:

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/278458-DVD-Rebuilder-No-PAL-to-NTSC-option-Why?p=19...=1#post1990981

Maybe you can write to him for details.

Seriously... you should know better.....


From his post,

To finish what i have started, i found i was able to use these tools to convert pal dvd to ntsc dvd and keep everything as it was on original (movie,extras,menu).

DVD Rebuilder Pro 1.28.2 - Used to "Resize" to NTSC standards using the built in Filter Editor feature (AviSynth)
DVDPatcher 1.06 - Used to patch the M2V files to NTSC standards
IfoEdit 0.971 - Used to patch the rebuilt dvd to ntsc
PgcEdit 9.3 - Used to re-allign the menu buttons to NTSC

There again is that "voodoo" method that actually converts "NOTHING"!!!

[jagabo]

There again is that "voodoo" method that actually converts "NOTHING"!!!

Of course.

[MISS CHIEVOUS]

I'll append this question to my old thread since it's apparently a crime to ask about a product I never heard of before and have the effrontery to post a question about it . . .

Simple yes or no will suffice:
Can Pinnacle Ultimate Studio 14 do one of these PAL-TO-NTSC conversions? I just heard about it and thought I'd ask in the VH forums.

mc

[jagabo]

Can you put a PAL DVD in your drive, press a few buttons in Pinnacle, and make an NTSC DVD? No.

Can you export assets from a PAL DVD, import them into Pinnacle, massage them to change the frame size and frame rate (probably poorly), rebuild chapter marks, menus, etc, then create an NTSC DVD? Yes.

[hech54]

Look JC.....nobody here(me included) is asking you to kiss anyone's butt or bow down to our greatness....what we do ask is that you FREAKING LISTEN to what is being said.

There is no automated way to do this and keep everything intact. You will have to strip the disc down to all the separate elements, convert the video and the audio and any stills in menus etc. (including subtitles and subpics), then re-author with all the new elements.

There is no automated process for converting one to the other.

STOP trying to convert PAL format video to NTSC format video!!!!! It is NOT easy and it is NOT recommended

[victoriabears]

In an attempt to kill this subject once and for all, please consider the following;-

If your player is region one but plays PAL, then you need the DVD to be region free, easiest way is to make a back up, and yes DVD FAB is one piece of software that will do it.

If your dvd player is unable to play PAL on a NTSC TV, get one that can , please and thank you.

http://regioncodefreedvd.com/

is one of many vendors selling them.

Yes , there are many softwares that will convert PAL<>ntsc if all you want is the programs/episodes/movie, and no original menus. You rip the dvd to your computer (on which you need software that will remove the copy protection ie DVD FAB)
I do not think DVD FAB will do conversions, but Pinnacle should .

My own experience is with TMPG express, but many report jerky playback, I never have.

If you want to spend hours following the various guides on here converting a whole dvd with menus then please do, myself I would rather spend 50-80 $ on a player that will do it every time and save my time for something else, but thats me.

Can this please be a sticky for this subject-thanks

[turk690]

What I'd do, at least for the main feature:

1. Rip with AnyDVD.
2. Create a *.WAV and an *.M2V from the ripped results with DGMPEGDec (note that it's indeed 25fps).
3. Insert the *.WAV and *.M2V into Premiere CS5 or Vegas 8 and above.
4. Export or render to 29.97fps *.MPG, or elementary *.M2V and *.WAV/*.AC3, or even to a *.AVI DV type 1.
5. Re-author a new DVD with the results.

Where this gets tedious is if one is really bent on replicating the whole DVD, extras and menus and all. Not impossible, but what is it worth?
You can indeed tell someone just to shove it and get a PAL-playing DVD player and hook it up to a PAL-displaying TV. But newbies, like we all once were, are on some kind of high when they discover this (now water-under-the-bridge) PAL-NTSC brouhaha and all the limitations it imposes, and the smirking adrenalin it induces when finally you were able to convert that illustrious PAL DVD to NTSC or v/v. I say, every videohelp.com newbie will want to go through that kind of hard initiation before realizing how facile it all is and was. At least once ...

[jagabo]

What I usually do when I have to make an NTSC DVD from a PAL DVD:

1) Rip with DVDFab.
2) Build an index file of the main movie with DgIndex, this will also demux the audio.
3) Use AviSynth to open the index file and resize to 720x480, leave the frame rate at 25 fps.
4) Encode with DVD compatible settings with with HcEnc (still at 25 fps).
5) Apply 3:2:3:2:2 pulldown flags (25 -> 29.97) with DgPulldown.
6) Author a DVD with the resulting M2V and the AC3 file from step 2.

I don't care about menus.