How do I convert Pal VOB files to NTSC?

[mariop]

I have several region 2 DVDs which I want to convert to region 1. I used DVDDecrypter to rip VOB files. Now, how do I convert these files to NTSC format? What tools do I use (not necessarily free ones)? Any commercial packages for this?

[flaninacupboard]

this depends on the material, if it is a feature film, it is shot at 24fps, and sped up to 25fps for PAL. all you need to do is re-encode in TMPGenc selecting 23.976 as your framerate and "do not frame rate convert" selected as a filter. you now have a video file 4% shorter than the original. you need to load up your audio and reduce this by 4% as well for them to be in synch. if dealing with PCM you can use something like cooledit, or Besweet will do it if you're encoding to AC3.
If it's a TV show, then it will most likely be shot on 25fps video. you can either convert this in the same way, or put up with spoiled motion by encoding to 29.97 fps. i don't know any way to do the conversion nicely on the PC, best bet would be to play it back as NTSC through a DVD player which can transcode it (i should think all can, i've never seen one that can't) and capture it at 29.97fps. Alternatively don't re-encode and enjoy our superior colour handling and resolution :P

NB, you won't be making a "region 1" DVD, it will carry no region coding. region codes and video formats are not the same thing. for example, in the uk we use region2 PAL, but japan has several region2 NTSC releases. always amazes me the technological centre of the world is using lower resolutions than rainy england.....

[mariop]

Good info. Can you give more details on this:

best bet would be to play it back as NTSC through a DVD player which can transcode it (i should think all can, i've never seen one that can't) and capture it at 29.97fps.


I can play it in my DVD-Rom but how do I capture it?

[flaninacupboard]

i meant a stand-alone DVD player, so you would then need a capture card of some sort. unless anyone on the forum knows a way of transcoding Pal to NTSC on the PC?
do you actually -need- these files to be NTSC, or just playable on a regoin1 only player? as i said, they aren't the same thing.
tell us what the pal files are and what you need to play them in, and we can help more.

[mariop]

I have some European DVDs which do not play on my Sony DVD standalone player because it only recognizes region 1 DVDs. Moreover, even if they were region 1 it would still not play because my whole system is geared to ntsc, which is the standard here in USA. Apparently Hollywood is afraid we may start looking at foreign films, so they have to impose constraints on DVD manufacturers.

Therefore, enters on the scene a PC with DVD burner. I rip the VOB files from DVD and must convert them to NTSC format.

Guess what? I found the right proggie: DVD-to-mpeg v11. So that's what I'm using now.