True Graham, but until I receive that confirmation from them, I'm trying to fill in some of my knowledge gaps. Since our projects are worldwide in scope, I need a broader understanding of the issues involved. My understanding is pretty "satellite broadcast challenged"...

Gareth, thanks for the AE idea! Sometimes we look for overkill solutions to simple problems and when I tried several quick AE conversions, they looked pretty decent. The "pixel motion frame blending" gave the most beautiful conversions with slow material...until any rapid motion or transition. Then it freaked out! Just like some AE comps. Turning frame blending off, or using "frame mix" might just do the trick. I tried one very quick test and it did seem to look pretty good.

Just to test, I also quickly tried taking our NTSC CFHD (30p) video and downsizing/converting it directly to PAL SD and it looked pretty good. Both the Atlantis-converted HD and CFHD originals seemed to do fine after "downing/Pal-ing" in AE.

I need to do some further testing with full length materials, so I can see how audio and transitions/rapid movements do. Prob now is finding time to do those long renders.

If you use AFX then take a look at VideoCopilot.
Andrew Cramer has made a good frame rate converter.
VIDEO COPILOT | After Effects Tutorials & Post Production Tools

Quick update.

We were surprised to find the AE CS3 PAL widescreen preset did the very best job of converting our NTSC CFHD directly to widescreen PAL SD. We turned off frameblending and simply downsized to the comp. The results weren't perfect, but very good, better than ANY of the other solutions we've tried so far.

Very surprising and very nice!

Thanks AE, this is another one you ace'd. No wonder our house "AE guru" thinks everything can be done with AE...(including doing our last glossy 4 color brochure!...I swear he did it and it's beautiful!) He's also a "Cramer collecter", and is willing to try almost anything with AE.

Thanks for the frightening update, Stephen:
it means that I'll have to put my hands on AE.
I'm scared, terrified, overwhelmed...
Well, the tough reality of one-man operations.

Anyhow, thanks again
and all the best

Vasco

This is a no-brainer, Vasco. Just open AE, search for "converting video" in the AE help, and follow the instructions. Couldn't be easier.

Our house AE geek thinks I'm a wimp 'cause I don't do much AE either. But in this case, you've got step by step instructions...like me...ha!

Having a guru "in house" doesn't help if they are outside, building a 1st century, middle-eastern, "rock house" for a set...so I suffer too.

Stephen,
my experience tells me that in this business
there's no such thing as a no-brainer.
(hope I'm wrong, though...)
Thanks again

Vasco

If you get in trouble let me know, and when I convert a couple of longer ones in the next day or two, I'll write down the exact steps for you, okay?

That's so kind of you, Stephen - but I was just kidding:
actually, there ARE no-brainers, sometimes... (not that many, though)
and this looks like one of'em.
Don't worry, I'll figure it out.
Thanks again
Best

Vasco