NTSC to PAL conversion

flintstonesfan wrote on 8/24/2006, 9:10 AM
I have several MiniDV tapes with NTSC video recorded by our Sony DCR-HC96 camcorder. Would like to create PAL DVDs to send to friends living in Europe. What is the best way to do this using Movie Studio Platinum and DVD Architect Studio?

1. Do I need to capture into Movie Studio using PAL frame rate or can I capture at NTSC frame rate?
2. What settings should I use when rendering from Movie Studio?
3. What settings should I use when preparing files and burning to DVD in Architect Studio?

Thank you,
flintstonesfan

Comments

IanG wrote on 8/24/2006, 9:54 AM
Dual standard TVs are very common over here - you may not need to do anything. I'd check whether they need PAL first.

Ian G.
Tim L wrote on 8/24/2006, 2:12 PM
1. Do I need to capture into Movie Studio using PAL frame rate or can I capture at NTSC frame rate?

When capturing, you don't have any choice. If you shot on NTSC camcorder, it will be NTSC video when captured.

2. What settings should I use when rendering from Movie Studio?

(Okay, I haven't ever done this myself, but I believe the following to be true...)
If you are creating a project just for this purpose (conversion to PAL), then set up the project as PAL or PAL widescreen, render as PAL or PAL widescreen, burn in DVDAS as PAL or PAL widescreen. By making project itself PAL format, at least your titles, etc., will avoid any conversion process (i.e. they'll be "PAL" format titles, etc.)

If you already have an NTSC project and just want to make a PAL copy of it, leave the NTSC project as is, and just render to PAL, burn DVD as PAL.

(Again, I haven't done any of this, but I believe this to be the proper path to take.)

Tim L
IanG wrote on 8/25/2006, 2:53 AM
What Tim's described will work, but it's very slow and the quality isn't great. I spoke to a friend in the BBC last night and his description of the quality wasn't printable - but then he has higher standards than me! His take was that dual standard TVs are so widely used in Europe that you're almost certainly wasting your time if you try and convert.

Ian G.
Laurence wrote on 9/5/2006, 7:57 PM
The quality of NTSC converted to PAL is nowhere near as good as NTSC played on a dual standard TV. I'd just send NTSC DVDs. About the only time you need to convert to PAL these days is for broadcast.