Converting from PAL to NTSC

[cky2k77]

I'm now in the market for a new DVD player. The 2 that I did successfully burn play on my buddies and my parents players. $40 is worth it. Thanks for all of the info. I delete the .IFO files and and getting the origingals back as I type this.....thanks again!

[Explosivo]

Glad to help. I came to the same conclusion about a new dvd player, i went to my local target and came home with a philips that has worked flawlessly so far. There seems to be a bunch of cheap players that fit the bill, so finding one shouldnt be a problem. Good luck!

[AAR.oner]

try this:

http://www.thetradersden.org/forums/...20&postcount=5

Is there a way to convert Pal to region free so that it is playable on most dvd players?? Or do I need to get a cheap dvd player.

[U2Lynne]

PAL and NTSC have nothing to do with region-free. PAL and NTSC have to do with the frames per second. Region-free is something the production companies do to make sure that DVDs are released only in certain regions (basically, countries or continents) at certain times.

I am learning lots here!
So can a PAL disc be converted to play region 1?

[U2Lynne]

Well, like I said, regions are totally separate. You can convert PAL to NTSC (go to videohelp.com, but don't trade that DVD), but if you need a region free DVD player, you need to hack it. Again, go to videohelp.com. Lots of info there and great help also.

Thanks Lynne. Why the no trade rule on the pal conversion. Just curious. Thanks for the site!!

[U2Lynne]

Originally Posted by saveferals

Thanks Lynne. Why the no trade rule on the pal conversion. Just curious. Thanks for the site!!

If you convert a video, you are changing the frame rate. And, when you change the frame rate, you are 'losing' information. It's kinda like changing wav to mp3 and back to wav. The second wav is not the same as the first because you changed it to a lossy format. In the PAL/NTSC version, you aren't changing to a 'lossy' format, but to a different format that isn't that same. By changing an NTSC to PAL, it is not the same as if you have the show originally in PAL. And, by changing from PAL to NTSC, it isn't the same as if you had it originally in NTSC.

[rollenran]

So NTSC is not Just a USA dvd player thing and Pal is not for other countries Because I thought Pal was Japan & NTSC was The USA or something I saw a lot of Pal looking around is there a way to play Pal on a US. Player and I am not talking the computer I am talking dvd player for your TV becaues for the most part I can play anything on my computer but making DVD's Is a Pain I have not Downloaded a dvd let becaues of space and this NTSC Pal thing but one day soon I will so I need to know what up this I have DVD Shrink I think it will work to make good DVD's

Plaese tell me all you can

Thanks
Randy

[Five]

check over at videohelp.com for the best advice.

also search this forum for other "PAL to NTSC" and "NTSC to PAL" threads...I've seen this topic posted many times before and full explanations posted in those threads.

fwiw I live in n.america and my $25 dvd player can play PAL or NTSC

the main reason we want the dvds kept in the original format is because say it was broadcast in PAL, then somebody converts it to NTSC, then their friend needs it in PAL, so they convert it to PAL and mail it to them, then that person seeds it on a bt site, then somebody downloads it and needs it in NTSC, then they do a b&p of that to somebody in Europe who converts it to PAL... changing from (aprox) 25fps to 30fps and back again and back again and then back again etc and the quality goes down the toilet.

as for "region 1" and such, that only applies to copy-protected official dvds, and you should not be copying those anyways. buy a copy from the store, problem solved. none of the dvds here have copy protection and are not officially released.

[jazzbo]

Originally Posted by rollenran

So NTSC is not Just a USA dvd player thing and Pal is not for other countries Because I thought Pal was Japan & NTSC was The USA or something I saw a lot of Pal looking around is there a way to play Pal on a US.

Totally off-topic, but one of the many conditions imposed on Japan when the US occupied it after WWII was that they were to adopt our television format. Most of the other countries on NTSC are either in this hemisphere or at one time was strategically interesting to the US in the cold war period.

PAL is pretty univeral in Europe now, I don't think many places still use SECAM.

[rherron]

http://www.thetradersden.org/forums/...ead.php?t=6599

You can use a program called IFOEdit to sort of trick your DVD player into playing PAL DVDs, and it is VERY, VERY easy to do.

Using IFOEdit, open .IFO files. The program will have two windows of information. In the bottom window there will be lots of lines of text. Look for the lines (there will be 1 or 2 or more depending upon which IFO file you are looking at) of text containing the word "PAL." Double click those lines. A dialog box will open. There is a button to select PAL or NTSC. Select NTSC. Save the file. It will ask if you want to change the .BUP files as well. Answer "Yes." You're done. Burn away.

This is not a true conversion (PAL to NTSC) but changing the info files like this will trick many DVD players into believing this is an NTSC recording. I have heard it will not work on all DVD players but it works great on mine. No problems whatsoever. It does nothing to alter the actual video files, so there is no deterioration of the quality. It is my understanding that many (most?) newer DVD players are capable of playing both NTSC and PAL though they are not sold that way (perhaps because of pressure from the movie industry because it helps make it easier for them to maintain its region encoding system -- just a guess).

The worst thing that could happen is that it wouldn't work on your player and you'd have wasted $.50 cents on a DVD+R. Back up every file in the "VIDEO_TS" folder that is not a video (VOB) file and if this doesn't work for you you can restore the folder to it's original state (this is also a good idea in case you ever wish to trade the show or reseed it, etc.).

IFOEdit is free, and available here: http://www.afterdawn.com/software/vi...ls/ifoedit.cfm.

Rob

[Homebrew101]

Originally Posted by rherron

http://www.thetradersden.org/forums/...ead.php?t=6599

You can use a program called IFOEdit to sort of trick your DVD player into playing PAL DVDs, and it is VERY, VERY easy to do.

Using IFOEdit, open .IFO files. The program will have two windows of information. In the bottom window there will be lots of lines of text. Look for the lines (there will be 1 or 2 or more depending upon which IFO file you are looking at) of text containing the word "PAL." Double click those lines. A dialog box will open. There is a button to select PAL or NTSC. Select NTSC. Save the file. It will ask if you want to change the .BUP files as well. Answer "Yes." You're done. Burn away.

This is not a true conversion (PAL to NTSC) but changing the info files like this will trick many DVD players into believing this is an NTSC recording. I have heard it will not work on all DVD players but it works great on mine. No problems whatsoever. It does nothing to alter the actual video files, so there is no deterioration of the quality. It is my understanding that many (most?) newer DVD players are capable of playing both NTSC and PAL though they are not sold that way (perhaps because of pressure from the movie industry because it helps make it easier for them to maintain its region encoding system -- just a guess).

The worst thing that could happen is that it wouldn't work on your player and you'd have wasted $.50 cents on a DVD+R. Back up every file in the "VIDEO_TS" folder that is not a video (VOB) file and if this doesn't work for you you can restore the folder to it's original state (this is also a good idea in case you ever wish to trade the show or reseed it, etc.).

IFOEdit is free, and available here: http://www.afterdawn.com/software/v...ols/ifoedit.cfm.

Rob

I can attest to this - it works like a charm on my Sony player.

[Silver Stallion DVDs]

Originally Posted by jazzbo

...one of the many conditions imposed on Japan when the US occupied it after WWII was that they were to adopt our television format.

I didn't even know there were televisions back in 1945. I thought they first came out around 1948 or so.