Advice on PAL vs. NTSC

rbowser

Contributor Joined: Aug 08, 2011 16:48 Messages: 515 Offline

Solved by

Feb 11, 2012 01:02

This is related to my previous issue about trying to use M2V files, but it involves a different problem. However, the two things have to be related.

The raw video footage I've been working with is from friends in Russia. Besides the difficulty of the video tracks being in M2V format, they were obviously filmed in the eastern hemisphere, so they're in PAL format.

When I managed to make copies of the originals acceptable to PD 9 (I made MP4 copies with Media Espresso), I was informed that I was trying to import PAL footage and so PD9 would have to do a conversion which would reduce their quality. Since quality was a big issue with these, I went to the Preferences to change (temporarily I thought) the format to PAL. Great - I could import the clips without the conversion process.

I went about doing my edits. Then when I was ready to burn to a DVD folder, I set things up so I thought I'd be getting a NTSC final product. Wrong - apparently. The resulting folder plays fine on the computer, but a test disc I burned from the folder doesn't play on my DVD player. The error message is that the disc wasn't finalized. That's a generic error message which can't be taken literally - the player just couldn't handle the disc. I tried the disc on our computers, and it plays fine, because computers can play anything -theoretically.

But I'm bummed - I'm in the process of burning a new test, but I changed the Preference settings from PAL to NTSC, and of course I got the message that the clips would need to be converted resulting in a reduction in quality--the very thing I was attempting to avoid in the first place.

I suppose this disc is going to play on my DVD player - but it might not be acceptable in its quality. I'm typing this while I wait for the new folder to be burned because I'm very keyed up over this. It's already been a hassle of several days duration, just trying to make video files PD9 will accept - as several you already know.

So--maybe some of you have input on what the best thing to do is in a case like this--what I should've done--what I can do--

I wish the world could be in unison with one DVD format - just like I wish the world could be one happy, non aggressive family--right, when's that gonna happen? In the next world.

Randy B.

Carl312

Senior Contributor Location: Texas, USA Joined: Mar 16, 2010 20:11 Messages: 9090 Offline

Feb 12, 2012 19:16

Oh, the NTSC vs PAL war.

Here is what I would do, take the M2V videos and convert them of NTSC Mpeg 2 files.
Are the M2V files standard definition (720x576)?

In order to do that you need a Video converter that handles both M2V Pal format and converts to NTSC video.

After you have the M2V converted to NTSC video you then edit with your preferences set to NTSC. Edit as you would you normal NTSC video, burn your NTSC DVD.

Carl312: Windows 10 64-bit 8 GB RAM,AMD Phenom II X4 965 3.4 GHz,ATI Radeon HD 5770 1GB,240GB SSD,two 1TB HDs.

rbowser

Contributor Joined: Aug 08, 2011 16:48 Messages: 515 Offline

Feb 12, 2012 22:31

Quote: Oh, the NTSC vs PAL war.

Here is what I would do, take the M2V videos and convert them of NTSC Mpeg 2 files.
Are the M2V files standard definition (720x576)?

In order to do that you need a Video converter that handles both M2V Pal format and converts to NTSC video.

After you have the M2V converted to NTSC video you then edit with your preferences set to NTSC. Edit as you would you normal NTSC video, burn your NTSC DVD.

Hi, Carl - It's great to hear from one of PD's most active Forum members. Thanks for the reply.

This is a complicated situation, the one touched on in this new post you responded to. Earlier I went through quite an ordeal trying to figure out the best way to deal with these M2V files. Here's the thread where it was discussed, in case you'd care to wade through it:

http://forum.cyberlink.com/forum/posts/list/21609.page;jsessionid=B863AC3C17898CB21F10B9680BFA179A

Basically, we were trying to figure out a way for me to import these Russian video files. Nothing tried managed to get the 8+gig files into anything better than 4 gig files - I settled on MP4s. That was OK, even though of course there was a noticeable degradation of quality.

In other words, the first step was just trying to get M2Vs to work in PD. It was a drag to discover that PD doesn't import them directly, like some other programs do.

Based on other info I found online, I went ahead and put the project together in Pal format, saving the final NTSC conversion for the last, rather than converting the files at the beginning--they'd already gone through a lot of beating up just getting them into PD.

The results aren't stellar - everything is noticeably fuzzier, but in the realm of adequate.

If you look through that thread I posted above, the most mysterious part is that Tony was managing to get Media Espresso to make 25 mg bitrate files - I never was. That's the reason my converted files are half the size of the originals - I could only get Espresso to go to 13 meg bitrate, and the originals are 25 meg bitrate files.

Anyway--It's been a crazy time, needing to get these 3 camera files produced as a DVD - I'm getting close to being finished, but a much lower quality than I would have hoped for. I'm sure the Russians who sent me the raw materials will be disappointed in the results - but it was the best I could do!

Randy B.

Carl312

Senior Contributor Location: Texas, USA Joined: Mar 16, 2010 20:11 Messages: 9090 Offline

Feb 13, 2012 09:02

I do remember seeing that thread.

Cap'n Kevin, said he used a custom profile in Media espresso to convert the M2V files, but I don't think any of us on the forum have had access to a 8 GB M2V file to see if is is possible to convert in Media espresso.

Have you tried any of the many File Splitters on the Internet?

This one makes the claim that it will split files of any size:

http://www.dekabyte.com/filesplitter/

If you could reduce the size of the files by splitting it into more manageable pieces, you should be able to maintain the maximum quality.

All I am suggesting is that if you want maximun quality, you have to start at the beginning and modifly the original file as little as possible.

Splitting does not change the quality of the original file, I just makes two or more of the original quality.

How hard would it be to go to the original source of the Videos and have them break them into smaller pieces and provide you with a more universal format?

Carl312: Windows 10 64-bit 8 GB RAM,AMD Phenom II X4 965 3.4 GHz,ATI Radeon HD 5770 1GB,240GB SSD,two 1TB HDs.

rbowser

Contributor Joined: Aug 08, 2011 16:48 Messages: 515 Offline

Feb 14, 2012 16:23

Quote: I do remember seeing that thread.

Cap'n Kevin, said he used a custom profile in Media espresso to convert the M2V files, but I don't think any of us on the forum have had access to a 8 GB M2V file to see if is is possible to convert in Media espresso.

Have you tried any of the many File Splitters on the Internet?

This one makes the claim that it will split files of any size:

http://www.dekabyte.com/filesplitter/

If you could reduce the size of the files by splitting it into more manageable pieces, you should be able to maintain the maximum quality.

Thanks for the handy little splitter program, Carl. But it doesn't matter what size these files are, they can't be imported into PD - they have to be converted.

My initial conversion was to mpeg 2, but it was Way degraded. MP4 was the best, but still half the size of the originals.

Quote:
All I am suggesting is that if you want maximun quality, you have to start at the beginning and modifly the original file as little as possible.

Yes, of course, and that was my first concern when I got these. I spent two days trying everything under the sun to get high quality copies I could work with in PD. I don't understand why I can't change my "custom" file in Espresso to make it spit out a 25 bitrate like Tony did - I tried that a million times. I couldn't get Espresso to go higher than 13.

Quote:
Splitting does not change the quality of the original file, I just makes two or more of the original quality.

Right, but per what I said above, no matter how small the split bits are - they're still a format that needs conversion.

Quote:
How hard would it be to go to the original source of the Videos and have them break them into smaller pieces and provide you with a more universal format?

Unfortunately, it's impossible. Long story, but--impossible.

I've finished editing, behind schedule, and the finished product looks OK. - If I did manage at some point after this to find a way to maintain the full resolution of the originals, it would be a super major pain to start from scratch editing them again. There are hundreds of edits in the two project files these take up.

Anyway - Thanks for the splitter, even though it doesn't help in this particular case.

Randy B.