MPEG Layer 2 Audio and NTSC standard

mbryant wrote on 1/26/2004, 6:01 AM
I have read that the NTSC DVD standard doesn't require support of MPEG layer 2 audio (it only supports LPCM and AC-3).

As Screenblast (with standard MainConcept) only creates MPEG audio (no option for AC-3 or LPCM) this seems strange... I've never heard anyone complain about problems.

I generally work in PAL (being in the UK), but also create NTSC DVDs for family in the US. I've recently made my first NTSC DVD and it plays fine in my relatives DVD players.

Do I need to worry about NTSC players and files encoded with Screenblast? Or is this a case that even though MPEG2 isn't required by the standard, players support it anyway?

I'm currently happy that my disks play, but a bit worried I may see issues with some NTSC players.

By the way, if anyone is looking to make NTSC DVDs out of PAL DV source files, the encoder in Screenblast handles this encoding very well. I had already bought Canopus's Procoder Express as it was reported to do good PAL/NTSC conversion, but I found the quality of the Screenblast/MainConcept encoding better than Canopus!

So I'm mostly happy, but just a bit puzzled/worried about this standards thing.

Mark

Comments

IanG wrote on 1/26/2004, 6:57 AM
Mark, it's the old difference between "supported" and "works". The DVD standard for NTSC (unlike PAL) doesn't include MPEG Layer 2 audio, but that just means a DVD player isn't obliged to handle it. In practice, I believe many players can handle all three DVD audio standards, as well as mp3, cds and probably a number I've never heard of. Given the way DVD player prices are dropping, if anyone has a problem they could probably buy a suitable one for the price of a meal.

Cheers

Ian G.
mbryant wrote on 1/26/2004, 7:48 AM
Thanks Ian, I'll stop worrying.

If someone has a problem (I guess the symptoms will be no audio) I'll suggest they buy a new DVD player!

Mark
ChristerTX wrote on 1/26/2004, 11:00 AM
Can you describe more about the process you use?

I need to do the reverse, create a PAL DVD from NTSC material.

Where is the PAL and NTSC standard applied?

Can I just reder a AVI of my project and then when I render to MPEG decide if I want PAL or NTSC ?

I.e. Is the AVI format independent from PAL and NTSC?
IanG wrote on 1/26/2004, 3:11 PM
There are differences between PAL and NTSC source material - the most obvious is the frame rate, though the pixels are a different shape - so you'll get the best quality by sticking with all NTSC. This may be an option as a lot of TVs over here are dual standard. Failing that you can either set up the project as NTSC and produce a PAL MPEG-2 at the end or set up the project as PAL and work that way throughout. I'd guess you'd get the best results by staying with NTSC as long as possible, but you could try producing a couple of short mpegs and see if you can tell the difference.

Ian G.
mbryant wrote on 1/27/2004, 12:59 AM
AVI files are either PAL or NTSC (or something else!) - i.e. the standard does make a difference. When I catpure from my PAL DV camcorderI get a PAL (25 frames/sec, 720x576). If you have an NTSC camcorder you will catpure NTSC AVI (29.97 fps, 720x480).

I've tried several ways, but the process which works best for me in going PAL to NTSC is simple: I edit my PAL DV (.avi) file in Screenblast (my project setup for PAL), then render to NTSC MPEG2 (in Screenblast). So I work in PAL, and just render to MPEG2 NTSC at the end. The MainConcept encoder copes well with creating a NTSC MPEG2 from a PAL DV source. I haven't tried it but I would think it would work just as well the other way round.


Ian is also right that at least here in the UK most PAL DVD players and TVs will play an NTSC disc fine. So you may not need to convert.

Mark
bkthiess wrote on 6/14/2004, 6:34 AM
Just wondering...doesn't it depend more upon your dvd authoring software anyway? For example, MYdvd offers to burn the disc in LPCM or AC-3 (deluxe version). So if I only had a file with mpeg audio, mydvd (or another author) would transcode the audio into the correct format. Right?
IanG wrote on 6/14/2004, 2:31 PM
Some will, others won't. The choice should be yours though. Converting MP2 to AC-3 is a good example - you probably don't need to do it and the final result is worse than what you started with.

Ian G.