PAL to NTSC conversion? - Club CDFreaks

CaptainKeen · 02-02-2003

Is there a way to convert a DVD from PAL to NTSC? I'm thinking along the lines of copying the DVD to PC (eg with DVD Decrypter), then convert (somehow) to NTSC, and then burn onto a DVD.

In case you are wondering why I would want to do this, I have some PAL DVDs but only an NTSC DVD player and TV. Currently I hook up my PC to the TV to watch them - but that's a bit tedious! Maybe the only option??

**Seán** · 02-02-2003

There is a little catch with converting from PAL to NTSC. PAL is 50 frames per second interlaced and NTSC is 60 frames per second interlaced, making 25 complete frames per second for PAL and 30 complete frames per second for NTSC. In order to convert from PAL to NTSC, the encoder must add in 5 complete frames per second to make up 30 complete frames per second for NTSC, which are typically duplicates of the previous frames and cut down the number of scan lines in the picture to suit NTSC. I've seen this done before, and although the picture quality can still be rather clear, motion and action tends to get a little jumpy; much like watching a DVD on a PC with a sluggish CPU.

CaptainKeen · 05-02-2003

How does a (cheap) graphic card do it so well? I can play my PAL DVDs on my PC and, using the graphic card's TV-OUT, watch it on my 32" NTSC TV. The picture is perfect - just like watching an NTSC DVD on my standalone DVD player. I assume it is the graphic card that is taking the PAL DVD and converting it to an NTSC signal.

**Seán** · 05-02-2003

I noticed that the TV card in the computer does a good job at rendering the picture. Most modern graphics cards including the cheapest on the market use 'motion compensation' techniques to reduce jumpness such as that caused by the conversion as well as deblock the picture, whether the output is connected to a TV screen or a PC monitor.

I've noticed this before while even watching NTSC Video clips on my (PAL) TV. After seeing this, I thought that re-encoding the clips from NTSC to PAL would give just as good picture when played on my DVD player just as the NTSC disc did (plays both formats), but the converted PAL version picture got a little jumpy and was more blocky than the original NTSC clip.

02-02-2003	#1 (permalink)
CaptainKeen New on Forum Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Tokyo Posts: 4	PAL to NTSC conversion? <a href='http://adstats.cdfreaks.com/www/delivery/ck.php?n=a13febf7&cb=INSERT_RANDOM_NUMBER_HERE' target='_blank'><img src='http://adstats.cdfreaks.com/www/delivery/avw.php?zoneid=30&cb=INSERT_RANDOM_NUMBER_HERE&n=a13febf7' border='0' alt='' /></a> Is there a way to convert a DVD from PAL to NTSC? I'm thinking along the lines of copying the DVD to PC (eg with DVD Decrypter), then convert (somehow) to NTSC, and then burn onto a DVD. In case you are wondering why I would want to do this, I have some PAL DVDs but only an NTSC DVD player and TV. Currently I hook up my PC to the TV to watch them - but that's a bit tedious! Maybe the only option??

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02-02-2003	#2 (permalink)
Seán News Coordinator, Reviewer & Senior Moderator Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Republic of Ireland (North West) Posts: 2,578	There is a little catch with converting from PAL to NTSC. PAL is 50 frames per second interlaced and NTSC is 60 frames per second interlaced, making 25 complete frames per second for PAL and 30 complete frames per second for NTSC. In order to convert from PAL to NTSC, the encoder must add in 5 complete frames per second to make up 30 complete frames per second for NTSC, which are typically duplicates of the previous frames and cut down the number of scan lines in the picture to suit NTSC. I've seen this done before, and although the picture quality can still be rather clear, motion and action tends to get a little jumpy; much like watching a DVD on a PC with a sluggish CPU.

05-02-2003	#3 (permalink)
CaptainKeen New on Forum Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Tokyo Posts: 4	How does a (cheap) graphic card do it so well? I can play my PAL DVDs on my PC and, using the graphic card's TV-OUT, watch it on my 32" NTSC TV. The picture is perfect - just like watching an NTSC DVD on my standalone DVD player. I assume it is the graphic card that is taking the PAL DVD and converting it to an NTSC signal.

05-02-2003	#4 (permalink)
Seán News Coordinator, Reviewer & Senior Moderator Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Republic of Ireland (North West) Posts: 2,578	I noticed that the TV card in the computer does a good job at rendering the picture. Most modern graphics cards including the cheapest on the market use 'motion compensation' techniques to reduce jumpness such as that caused by the conversion as well as deblock the picture, whether the output is connected to a TV screen or a PC monitor. I've noticed this before while even watching NTSC Video clips on my (PAL) TV. After seeing this, I thought that re-encoding the clips from NTSC to PAL would give just as good picture when played on my DVD player just as the NTSC disc did (plays both formats), but the converted PAL version picture got a little jumpy and was more blocky than the original NTSC clip.

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