I need help in creating an NTSC DVD from a PAL project?

[Adi Head]

I'm not sure if this is necessarily a Vegas question. But since I use Vegas as my video editing platform I figure it would be a good place to start...

Here's my question: I'm in PAL land. I have a 9 minute animation - created in Flash > exported as jpeg sequences > edited in Vegas (PAL, 25fps, 720x576).

I've been invited to send a preview DVD of the animation short to a festival in Hollywood. Here is their requirements for the DVD I'm supposed to send them:

DVD - Region 0 (NTSC) or Region 1.

Not sure how to go about this.

I once needed to make an NTSC Betacam SP copy of the film and ended up going to a post-production studio for making the conversion. Do I have to go through that (costly) process again? Or is there a simple DIY method to make the conversion and create a DVD according to their requirements?

Thanks

[Edward Troxel]

By default, all DVDs created in DVD Architect are Region 0. So unless you changed that, it will be fine.

[Adi Head]

Thanks Edward. But the project is PAL. What would be the best way to convert to NTSC, so that I can make a Region 0 NTSC DVD (with Architect). Can I just render to NTSC in Vegas? or will that turn out bad?

[Adam Stanislav]

Originally Posted by Adi Head

or will that turn out bad?

Have you tried it?

[Adi Head]

Originally Posted by Adam Stanislav

Have you tried it?

Well... no. Here's the thing...

My desktop computer is currently in repair. A friend asked about this PAL > NTSC conversion. It's his film. I said I might be able to help him out once my computer is up and running, but I'm not sure. My laptop (which I'm currently writing from) doesn't have Vegas installed.

So unfortunately I can't do tests and find out for myself. Basically, I'm just trying to find out if I can do this favor for a friend or if he should go ahead and make the conversion at some post-production place.

I described it all as my own venture just to simplify matters and not go into irrelevant detail.

So if in theory it can be done in Vegas + Architect, I'll be happy to tell him to wait a day or two more and I'll do it for him.

I know that Vegas has the option of just rendering out the project with an NTSC template - but I have no idea as to what the outcome will be? What is the consequence of making 25 fps to 30 fps and what happens to the frame as far as resolution? NTSC has significantly less vertical resolution - does that mean the image will be squashed? or must i make some kind of vertical letter-boxing?

Will the image quality be the same? Will there be some sort of flickering or visible degrading?

[Adam Stanislav]

I see. I always shoot in 24p, so I have no direct experience either. I know that theoretically Vegas can do it but I have no idea what the result will look like. Perhaps someone else can help you then.

[Enrique Orozco Robles]

...better try rendering to NTSC 24p .... much better from 25 fps PAL files... I've done it before with very good results ....

good luck

[Adi Head]

Hmmm... this video technical stuff.... it seems I'll never get the hang of it.

I always thought that the whole idea of NTSC is that it is 29.97 frames per second. The other aspect being the resolution.

So... if as you say - it is possible to render to NTSC at 24 fps and then make that into an NTSC DVD, will that screen well on an NTSC television?

[Adam Stanislav]

NTSC is 60 fields per second (actually, 60000 fields per 1001 seconds). It is fairly easy to convert 24 fps (frames per second) to 60 fields per second as explained in this link (among others).

It is also possible to convert 24 fps to PAL (as is done every time a film is issued on a PAL DVD or aired on PAL or SECAM TV).

But it is more difficult to convert PAL to NTSC, as, essentially, you need to convert it from 25 fps to 24 fps and then to 30 fps (60 fields per second).

[Adi Head]

Hi Adam, thanks for the info. I think I understand how one conversion would be easier or more difficult than the other. I'm just confused about one thing...

The final product is an NTSC DVD of the film. This was the festival requirement.

So to sum it up - are you suggesting that I first render the 25 fps PAL to NTSC 24 fps and then render the mpg2 file (for DVD) as NTSC 30 fps?

Is this the workflow that I should use?

If so, I'm not sure I understand why not rendering the 25 fps PAL straight to 30 fps NTSC...

Looking forward to your reply :)

[Adam Stanislav]

No, I would try going straight from PAL to NTSC and let Vegas figure it all out. Only if that gave me poor results would I try something else. Though I would also contact the festival and ask them if they would accept a PAL DVD. They may be willing to, especially if they are in Hollywood where they probably have all kinds of equipment available. I mean, surely you are not the first person from the PAL area of the world (which is pretty much most of the world) to submit to them.

Another thing, if it is an animation, how did you produce it? If it was a computer generated animation, could whatever software you generated it with be made to generate either a 24 fps or a 30 fps version? Then you would not be converting anything but generating it all from scratch.

[Graham Bernard]

The Festival will/should have a submission requirement/caveat as to what types of media format are acceptable. Failing that, a short email to the organisers should clear much up? Yes?

Grazie

[Adi Head]

Here is their requirements for the DVD I'm supposed to send them:

DVD - Region 0 (NTSC) or Region 1.

[Vasco Dones]

Adi,

I usually use Atlantis:
PAL to NTSC Software - DVFilm Atlantis Now Only $45
Works pretty well - and it's now on sale ($45)

Best

Vasco

[Graham Bernard]

Vasco, that does look like a winner, but tell me does Atlantis deal with multi-chapter and multi Menu structures, so that it faithfully duplicates all the links and graphics?

Very interesting.

Grazie