NTSC / PAL ? a simple one i hope

BPB wrote on 4/30/2004, 9:38 AM
I have completed a rock concert in NTSC in VEGAS rendered to main concepts NTSC template using PCM audio..completed my DVD in DVDArchitect all is well.

I need to send a couple copies to a company in Europe..do I go back to vegas rerender to mpeg2 main concepts but use the PAL template and then re author in DVDA?...can I import the menues i created for the NTSC project in DVDA into the PAL project?

Am I missing anything?...should I change the project properties in VEGAS or anything?
Thanks
BB



Comments

jetdv wrote on 4/30/2004, 9:42 AM
I'd try just sending them the NTSC version. Odds are high they can play it.
BPB wrote on 4/30/2004, 9:57 AM
Thanks jetdv ..i was hoping for that ..but a PAL copy (several actually) were requested specifically. This is to be bonus DVD material to be added to a primarily audio CD deal. My agent over there wants the DVD's to be played with zero problems by the exec's he's pitching as the material is quite germain (as well as German ;-) ) to the deal .
thanks for the reply
BPB wrote on 4/30/2004, 10:01 AM
i was trying to be clever...i looked it up it's spelled "germane" . My word for the day
BPB wrote on 4/30/2004, 11:11 AM
After looking this over..
Do I have to recapture my concert video as PAL?

I could send the whole edited concert out to my DV camera and recapture.
Is there a script or plugin that would be easier than this?
When I change properties the aspect changes (everything streches as I expected) If I render, it will probably do the same thing.is that correct?

thanks for any help..I may have mis represented how easy this could be done.
BB
jetdv wrote on 4/30/2004, 11:16 AM
Just render as PAL. Then create a PAL DVD project.
BPB wrote on 4/30/2004, 11:42 AM
thanks jetdv

i was hoping that was the procedure...i wasn't sure if the aspect ratio would be corrected in rendering or if it was attached to the original capture.

Thanks for the reply I did'nt want to waste time rendering incorrectly.

bb
BPB wrote on 4/30/2004, 11:58 AM
jetdv
I started the render and the aspect ratio was off(according to what I see in the preview window)...the NTSC 720-480 is being stretched to 720-576 PAL...making everyone tall and skinny..usually not a problem in life, just video. The 'stretch video to fill' box is UNCHECKED . I thought at worst I would get letterboxing...but it is still streching the video...any thoughts.

bb
taliesin wrote on 4/30/2004, 12:30 PM
You also have to adjust the aspect ratio. Should be 1.0926 for PAL.

Marco
BPB wrote on 4/30/2004, 12:35 PM
thanks taliesin

what is the proper way to change the aspect ratio for the entire project?

BB
BPB wrote on 4/30/2004, 12:51 PM
when using the PAL template in project properties it changes the aspect ratio to the correct PAL ratio but the video is stil streched...not zoomed in or letter boxed to accomodate the extra lines....help

I'm assuming there is a way to tell vegas to take this ntsc video and make it pal and then let me decide what to do (crop, stretch or letter box) but i most certainly could be in error as I am new to the program. Might this be something that is done in DVD Architect?

for that matter does the ntsc spec carry through all the way to the mini dv camera. What I mean is if you want to do true PAL do you have to start with the camera...?


thanks for the help

BB
taliesin wrote on 4/30/2004, 12:52 PM
Oh, maybe my advise was a bad one. After reading your posts again and taking a look into Vegas I realized that the aspect ratio should be automatically updated to PAL values in the render dialog if you simply choose a PAL DVD template.
To be sure you could try also setting your project properties to PAL DV (menu: File/Properties: Template). But now I doubt this would work. Sorry for the confusion if it does not help.

Marco

P.S.
Saw you already tested it and it does not work.
taliesin wrote on 4/30/2004, 12:55 PM
Where did you watch the rendered file then? - Do you have PAL equipment to test it? If not - you might send me a single frame by mail to mb[at]vegasvideo[dot]de

Marco
BPB wrote on 4/30/2004, 1:31 PM
thanks taliesin

I haven't rendered the file fully to PAL yet. When I start the render I can see the incorrect aspect in the preview window as it slowly progresses. I am assuming what I see is what I get and that if the preview window is wrong so will be the render. I may be wrong about this.

The affect is the same as taking a photo 720-480 in photoshop and resampling it at 720-576 without maintaining ratio.. it stretches to fill the 94 lines instead of croping the 720 and maintaining ratio.

bb
BPB wrote on 4/30/2004, 1:37 PM
taliesin' you may have struck upon my problem....is the aspect supposed to look wrong on my computer so that it will look right on PAL equipment..

(the soundeffect to that thought is doooh..as in Homer Simpson)

I may be wrongly assuming that Vegas would show the file in it's proper ratio...while working in either format.

bb

farss wrote on 4/30/2004, 3:21 PM
Firstly forget about using the camera to recapture. Even if you had a PAL/NTSC camera and to the best of my knowledge no such camera exists, it'd still not do a PAL <-> NTSC conversion. The DSR-11 VCR will handle both, but cannot convert e.g. you put a PAL tape in it, you get PAL out. Switch it to record NTSC and feed it PAL, nothing gets recorded.
You can correct the AR problem in Vegas, I think you need nothing more than the "Maintain Aspect Ratio" button checked when you render out. Do a simple test, make a peice of generated media in NTSC with a large circle. Check that it looks like a circle, now render out using whatever you're testing, it should still be a circle.
If you want the best possible result get this done on high end gear. Go to a dub house that has S&W or the like. Be prepared to pay a bit but the results will be worth it. You can either have this done to a NTSC tape you've made of your project OR have all your source material converted and load that into a PAL version of your project. The later will take more time but depending on how many FXs your using will give better results.
But a warning, the dub house will give you back a PAL tape and you'll need something to capture that. Apart from a DSR-11 VCR I know of no low end gear that you're likely to find in a NSTC environment that'll handle PAL.

BPB wrote on 4/30/2004, 4:12 PM
Thanks farss

I'll do some checking into my options..thanks for helping get a handle on this.
BB
BPB wrote on 5/1/2004, 11:43 AM
farss
I would like to handle this all in VEGAS if possible..if the project is accepted they will want the source material to do their own conversion and authoring in there language.
I want to send as good a copy as I can without out-sourcing (ie spending more cash than nessecary). If all else fails I may have to just send NTSC and maybe a high quality .WMV and hope for the best. I would like to accomodate the PAL request if possible.

where do i find the maintain aspect ratio button..is it the one in the edit window under switches or the one on the track menu for the video..or is it a separate selection in the render dialog boxes (which I can't seem to find.

sorry to be thick headed about this I can't seem to quite get a grip on the exact process.

bb