My HD video clips are 30 fps but i live in a PAL region. Which settings should i use?

djboshh

Newbie Joined: Aug 08, 2011 21:27 Messages: 6 Offline

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Aug 08, 2011 22:02

My HD video clips are 30 fps but i live in a PAL region. Which settings should i use?

I want to make a blu-ray movie. I live in England and our region is PAL. However almost all the camcorders sold here only save video footage in 30 fps. I assume this must be because HD is HD and is a worldwide format (i.e not subject to region frame rate issues like the standard definition videos used to be). If my assumption is right then would i also be right in saying that it then becomes the job of the Blu-ray players and HD TV's to display the video from the Blu-ray disc nice & proper on the HD TV in that region?

Now do i still need to have the TV format settings in PowerDirector's program settings set to PAL as i live in a PAL region? However when i do this i get a message on the screen saying the TV formats don't match and the video clip will have to be converted with some quality loss (i assume this is because 30 fps is a NTSC frame rate).

Ideally i would also like to make a dvd movie too as well as the blu-ray version.

James Dotson

Senior Contributor Location: Tennessee Joined: Aug 24, 2009 20:40 Messages: 3066 Offline

Aug 08, 2011 22:54

It's my understanding that the only real difference is the frame rate. I believe others on here have also said that most most recent players will play both standards, but I have never tried to confirm that. I do know that my PS3 is an older model and will not play PAL, but newer ones will.

My best advice is to try a short sample, let PD convert it and see how the quality looks. I don't imagine you will see much loss in quality. __________________________________
CORNBLOSSOM

Dafydd B

Senior Contributor Joined: Aug 26, 2006 08:20 Messages: 11973 Offline

Aug 09, 2011 05:39

Hi djboshh ,
I use a 29.97 and 59.94 fps HD video cameras. I edit in NTSC, output to NTSC HD and play my video on equipment that is supposedly PAL based without a problem.

There are 25 and 50fps video cameras available from Canon and Sony and I'm sure other makers offer some thing similar.

In my opinion the concern about which frame rate (HD footage only) you purchase is irrelevant considering the versatility of the units we have to play the edited footage. The problems only start arising when you seek to edit footage. Mixing frame rate will cause some editors problems and yet I've had none, a report from a senior editor who used some of my footage and he didn't have a problem mixing his 50fps with my 59.97fps. I didn't have a problem in using his 50fps either.

If you've footage which is "NTSC" HD then edit and output to that frame rate. The finished video will play on your system.

Region issues only apply to commercial purchased discs.

This is only my opinion and others are welcome to differ and input their own stance. I may be wrong, or right. My options work fine for me.

Dafydd

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Aug 09. 2011 05:42

Hasi64

Newbie Joined: May 25, 2010 05:04 Messages: 8 Offline

Aug 09, 2011 07:59

Hello,
I live in Austria (PAL) and I'm using a Sony DSC_HX1 Camera for video recording, which produces 30fps (29.97) HD video clips (MP4). I'm always using NTSC AVCHD profiles for production with 30fps. I produced AVCHD disks on DVD
(mini bluray) and I never had any problems in playing them on my bluray player with very good quality.
Hope this helps you
Hasi64

Terry SE NSW

Newbie Location: NSW, Australia Joined: Jan 28, 2010 02:07 Messages: 40 Offline

Aug 14, 2011 02:20

Australia here also and always use NTSC/AVCHD files as I often send family DVDs to Canada. These pose no issues when played on my Blu-ray/DVD player here.