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quick PAL 2 NTSC

boon23

boon23

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This is a simple and well working guide for PAL 2 NTSC conversion of a movie. It is also the best option for an original PAL release as it will keep the audio pitch and length intact.

you need:
virtual dub mpeg-2 (freeware)
Cinema Craft Encoder
DGpulldown (freeware)
PGCDemux (freeware)

the guide:
Demux your video and audio with PGCdemux.

Use DGPulldown to change the framerate from 25 to 29.97.

Virtual Dub
1. Start the framserver settings for virtual dub (it is the auxsetup file) --> Install handler (uninstall when you are done)
2. Run Virtual Dub --> load the video file --> Video --> Filters --> Resize
3. New width 720, new height 480 --> ok
4. File --> Start Frame server (pick a name)

CCE
1. Start Cinema Craft Encoder
2. Template --> Standard (click it two times, so the settings open)
3. depending on what you want a) constant bitrate for decent quality b) variable bitrate for outstanding quality (you can also try the one-pass-vbr setting. A q setting of 5-20 produces nice quality, the lower the number, the bigger and better the video)
a) constant bitrate: Video Setting --> MPEG-2 ES, CBR , Bitrate --> 6000 (is absolutely sufficient), select 16:9 for aspect ratio
--> quality --> select natural picture, intra block DC precision: 9, Block scanning order: zigzag
--> video --> select only "close all gops" --> M=3 N/M=4
choose ADD to save this setting
File --> Open ---> File (select the vdr file that virtual dub has produced)
--> Encode

b) variable bitrate: takes way longer!!! --> Setting --> MPEG-2 ES, MULTIPASS, VBR , Bitrate --> AVG: 6000 Min: 1000 Max: 9000, select 4 passes (5 is perfect, 3 is very good, 2 is good) select 16:9 for aspect ratio
-> quality --> select natural picture, intra block DC precision: 9, Block scanning order: zigzag
--> video --> select only "close all gops" --> M=3 N/M=4
choose ADD to save this setting
File --> Open ---> File (select the vdr file that virtual dub has produced)
--> Encode

voila! NTSC

I am using CCE 2.66
You should be able to find similar settings for all versions.

Addition: some people have experienced better results (no interlacing issues) when using DGpulldown last.

also: you can use this more complicated but VERY effective guide: http://www.eggshellskull.com/pal2ntsc/
 
Here's a naive question...are there any severe drawbacks to using TMPGEnc 3.0 to convert PAL to NTSC?
 
yes. it will look like crap. The pulldown thing is a must from what I know. The conversion that the editors offer is one that "creates" extra frames. Form all teh guides I read, using an encoder to convert PAL2NTC is not the good way of doing it.
The method I have posted was used by me many times, it works and produces VERY good quality.
 
the above method works really well but just a heads up to anyone using cce 2.7 or higher. WHen converting, cce likes to default a pal video to 29.97. You want to switch it over to 25 in cce and then convert from 25 to 29.97 in dgpulldown (learned this the hard way the other day).
 
quick question on this.... Does this require reauthoring the DVD or just converting the VOB. I have used many different ways of PAL to NTSC, but all involved completely restructuring and reauthoring.
 
Uncanny Antman said:
Here's a naive question...are there any severe drawbacks to using TMPGEnc 3.0 to convert PAL to NTSC?
Click to expand...

Its ok for TV (I used it a couple of years ago to make my own 'season 2' TWIN PEAKS set when only the PAL was available) but I wouldn't recommend for fresh digital sources. It's slow, as well. But their encoder is fairly good. Fanboys argue about this kind of thing.

The method Boon described seems more technical but is sound. There are some really really detailed tutorials out there about this kind of thing.

Luckily, as we get more HD, this will matter less & less...
 
ThrowgnCpr said:
quick question on this.... Does this require reauthoring the DVD or just converting the VOB. I have used many different ways of PAL to NTSC, but all involved completely restructuring and reauthoring.
Click to expand...

i know when i had to convert i had to demux the dvd first before i could convert the video file over and then mux them in authoring.
 
thanks nex. i know i need to demux them in order to convert from pal to ntsc, but is there a way to mux them back into the same authored structure, or do you have to go and redesign the menus and links and stuff like that with the converted M2Vs and AC3s?
 
of course.
use imago mpg muxer to mux ac-3 and m2v
use dgmpgdec to demultiplex
both are freeware tools and very good.

there is a way to mux them all back into the same structure, but this is a bit more complicated. You need to make a movie only dvd with your new video audio and chapters, then use vobblanker to replace the part you want replaced. this way you can keep the original menus and everythign in tact, just the movie gets replaced.
 
sounds great boon. :) I will have to give this a try. I have attempted many a conversion of PAL to NTSC, but I have had to redesign everything and reauthor from scratch. I hope this does the trick. I have a couple PAL discs I have been wanting to convert, but have been putting off simply because there are so many files and menus on the DVD.
 
when you convert to NTSC you need to recreate all menus from scratch. They won't be NTSC either. But mabye there is a tool to convert the menus from PAL to NTSC. I don't know about that.
 
OK, thats what I thought. I do not know of any tool out there for that. Some entrepreneur needs to create some handy dandy software for an automated PAL to NTSC and vice versa. They would be millionaires
 
is there any reason why i cant use the pulldown options in CCE instead if running it through dgpulldown?

does the cce pulldown not produce as good a quality output compared to encoding in cce and then running through dgpulldown?
 
i'm not sure of the technical reason why but i know when i tried the cce method for pulldown i got a weird jitter in my video.
 
cce pulldown method?
 
yeah theres an 2:3 and 3:2 pulldown option in the version of cce im using.

after i start frameserving the resized file i load it into cce as per the instructions and then choose 29 frames the pulldown option becomes unblanked.
 
The problem with any PAL to NTSC guide is the need to consider the condition of the particular video and the original source.
I've been considering writing an uber guide for this because it's a bit confusing.

In some cases you need to slow the video and audio down.
In some cases you can use pulldown flags.
Sometimes deinterlacing is needed (which is a whole thread unto itself).
And sometimes you need super crazy tools like restore24.
 
boon23, one addition that I ran into during mt T3 conversion. With CCE you also need to choose for resize 720 x 480, otherwise DVD Lab Pro will see it as a 720 x 576 file.
 
boon's conversion method is best.....and yes...in cce 2.7 version you need to mark resize again......
 
No Boons method is the EASIEST... there's a difference between doing it easy and doing it right, voodl.

In most cases it will not be correct, but it will do the job.
 
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