DVD player or TV problem??

[okyup]

When I use a DVD-R in my Panasonic DVD-F65 the image is messed. I'm sure there's a word for it, but it keeps sliding/skipping up and down the screen.

The player should support DVD-Rs and appears to read them right... would this be a TV problem?

[Baldrick]

It could be a PAL/NTSC problem. Is the DVD Video in PAL format? (Open a vob in MediaInfo and check if it's 720x480=NTSC or 720x576=PAL)

Does the burned DVDR work fine on your computer with a software dvd player like VLC Media PLayer?

[okyup]

Yes it is PAL according to that!

Damn these formats are confusing. I thought I was just downloading a copy of the DVD, now I find out VOB files can be different formats. What's on the original DVD? Does this mean what I downloaded was encoded into something else?

Thanks for your help!

[filmboss80]

PAL is for European TV systems. You're in Canada, which is NTSC. It may play okay on your PC, but won't with a standalone, set-top DVD player.

Downloaded videos are often untrustworthy, and some might even be illegal. If it is copyrighted material, you must buy the DVD. By doing so, your playback problems will vanish.

[jman98]

Downloaded videos are often untrustworthy, and some might even be illegal. If it is copyrighted material, you must buy the DVD. By doing so, your playback problems will vanish.

Not really. He could legally buy a PAL copy of the DVD and still have the problem. I've got legally purchased DVDs from Europe that are only available in PAL and have never been released anywhere in NTSC.

Best bet is to check your DVD player and see if it allows you to change the video display from MULTI or ANY to NTSC. That will fix the problem. If you can't change the display on the DVD player, you'll either need to go through the trouble of converting it to NTSC (not recommended, but if you must we do have guides on how to do this) or just buy a cheap Philips DVD player that can play PAL DVDs and convert them to NTSC output.

[okyup]

I did a little research and I guess my TV just doesn't like PAL video input. The player seems to be fine, and my xbox must convert it to NTSC automatically as it works from there.

Is PAL better than NTSC?? Is there any problem with burning things in PAL format that I should know about?!

Thanks..

[Krispy Kritter]

It isn't better (or worse) just different. Most DVD players (as jman98 pointed out above) have a video setup menu which includes the video output format. Many players default to auto or multi (video outputs include: NTSC, PAL, and auto/multi), which means they output the same format as the disc. Simply setting the output to NTSC (to match your TV) will solve the problem.

[MOVIEGEEK]

Downloaded videos are often untrustworthy, and some might even be illegal. If it is copyrighted material, you must buy the DVD. By doing so, your playback problems will vanish.

+1

Not really. He could legally buy a PAL copy of the DVD and still have the problem. I've got legally purchased DVDs from Europe that are only available in PAL and have never been released anywhere in NTSC.

Yes but the OP said he downloaded it,if the OP had the physical DVD it would say on the disc or case.

Okyup if you want to watch it you need to convert it or buy a multisystem DVD player.