Burning/converting PAL to NTSC formats?

[sachabear]

Hi. Just registered and poked around, nice forum.

So, I used to know how to use IMG to burn PAL files to a playable NTSC format for home DVD players but have tried recently and seem to have forgotten....

Can anyone help?

Thanks.

[Cynthia]

You can't. You need another program for that task.

[dbminter]

Yeah, you need something like ConvertXToDVD or Nero Vision Express.

[sachabear]

Yeah, you need something like ConvertXToDVD or Nero Vision Express.

Actually I have used IMG to do this numerous times. It involves doing something like going to the options panel in the Build mode and selecting a particular file system and UDF version and then to labels and naming them HOME_VIDEO or something like that.

This process works great and I have burned probably 50 DVDs this way...I've just forgotten the combination of settings!

 

Patrick

[LIGHTNING UK!]

lol trust me/us, it's not something ImgBurn can do.

[dbminter]

As far as I know, renaming VIDEO_TS to HOME_VIDEO will do nothing but result in an unplayable DVD.

[sachabear]

As far as I know, renaming VIDEO_TS to HOME_VIDEO will do nothing but result in an unplayable DVD.

 

SUCCESS! After making a few coasters I just figured out how its done and now know I'm not crazy. If I didn't have those 50 discs in my collection I would have given up, I mean how can you argue with a great programs AUTHOR?

 

Heres how: In Build mode add the individual files, not the TS folder. Go to Options and select ISO 9660+UDF. Go to Labels and enter HOME_VIDEO. Burn.

 

I just successfully burned a BBC Arcade Fire program in PAL and it plays perfectly in my Canadian NTSC region player.

 

Try it and get back to me.

 

IMGBurn IS an amazing program! Thanks

[LIGHTNING UK!]

Yup, what you've done there is no different to how you'd normally do it.

 

ImgBurn will have put your files in a VIDEO_TS folder anyway if you actually look at the disc.

 

The volume label makes no difference at all.

 

If your player suddenly starts working, it's NOT because ImgBurn has converted the files from PAL to NTSC.

[dbminter]

To me, it sounds more likely that your video player is doing the converting for you. Or your TV is. I'd try that disc somewhere else and see if you get the same results to. Changing a label to anything won't affect whether the video stream is in PAL or NTSC or not. Nor will changing the file system type.

[sachabear]

To me, it sounds more likely that your video player is doing the converting for you. Or your TV is. I'd try that disc somewhere else and see if you get the same results to. Changing a label to anything won't affect whether the video stream is in PAL or NTSC or not. Nor will changing the file system type.

 

 

Well, nonetheless this method does make previously unplayable PAL content work in North American DVD players, whether or not the content is actually converted or not. And it remains playable in every machine I've tried, with no loss of quality, sync or menu problems at all.

It may surprise you all but after googling and searching for a simple solution without success and without a laborious conversion process using multiple software programs...

IMGBurn creates compatible DVDs between PAL and NTSC and thats what I need, as have many others in many forums. And its so simple.

[sachabear]

Yup, what you've done there is no different to how you'd normally do it.

 

I usually select the whole folder to burn, not the individual files

 

"ImgBurn will have put your files in a VIDEO_TS folder anyway if you actually look at the disc."

 

I know, but if I burn the whole folder as above, this doesn't work with PAL like it does with NTSC content.

 

"The volume label makes no difference at all."

 

Maybe not in a logical sense but it makes PAL playable on NTSC capable machines. I can't say why.

 

"If your player suddenly starts working, it's NOT because ImgBurn has converted the files from PAL to NTSC."

 

It very well may be that the files aren't actually converted but nonetheless they become playable which is the headscratching, frustrating problem so many users have tried to deal with. And its SO easy...no shrinking, converting back and forth between formats or compatibility issues etc .

 

Anyways, I don't argue with success. Your wonderful program actually does this and I suggest you look further into this as it could help a lot of folks with this issue.

 

Thanks again!

[dbminter]

Provide a detailed step by step instruction list and I will try and put this theory to rest by actually testing it. I have several PAL discs I can test with.

[sachabear]

Provide a detailed step by step instruction list and I will try and put this theory to rest by actually testing it. I have several PAL discs I can test with.

 

Heres how: Burn from HD. In Build mode add the individual video files, not the Video_TS folder. Go to Options and select ISO 9660+UDF. Go to Labels and enter HOME_VIDEO for both ISO9660 and UDF. Burn.

 

This has worked great for me many times...Good Luck

[LIGHTNING UK!]

Take a look at the actual burnt disc, does it have a VIDEO_TS folder?

[dbminter]

The steps as described do produce a disc with a VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folder. And, to my utter and complete astonishment, the steps as described produce a disc that... totally fails. I checked to make sure the source contents were in fact PAL and the Playstation 2 returned the message TV System Does Not Match, which means it's a PAL. I did the steps as described and got the same message, which means the disc produced by those steps is also still PAL.

 

 

The bottom line is these steps may work for you and more power to you. However, these steps do not work.

[LIGHTNING UK!]

Surely it just means the player can handle PAL and NTSC?

 

Where I'm from, that's just normal!

[dbminter]

I agree. Like I said earlier, it must be either the player or the TV that's doing the translating.

[sachabear]

Hmmm. Well then it's not the magic bullet...too bad. It does work for me though and my player/TV will NOT play PAL content any other way...another computer mystery I guess.

Still, this could also work for others with this problem if they want to try.

[dbminter]

Well, I admit, you can't argue with results. If they work for you, they may work for someone else.

[Rincewind]

This is rather absurd. Show us the logs, I can bet you the original VOB files are already in NTSC format, the logs from imgburn will confirm this.

 

If you somehow still insist that imgburn converts PAL to NTSC, then take the original UNBURNED copy, and run it through VLC and check the codec information by clicking on tools, and select 'codec information.' There a new window will show up and click the codec details tab. You will then see the details of the VOB file being played. Look at the resolution.

 

These are the specifications for PAL and NTSC:

 

From http://www.videohelp.com/dvd :

PAL

 

Video:

Up to 9.8 Mbps* (9800 kbps*) MPEG2 video

Up to 1.856 Mbps (1856 kbps) MPEG1 video

720 x 576 pixels MPEG2 (Called Full-D1)

704 x 576 pixels MPEG2

352 x 576 pixels MPEG2 (Called Half-D1, same as the CVD Standard)

352 x 288 pixels MPEG2

352 x 288 pixels MPEG1 (Same as the VCD Standard)

25 fps*

16:9 Anamorphic (only supported by 720x576)

 

NTSC

 

NTSC (NTSC Film)

 

Video:

Up to 9.8 Mbps* (9800 kbps*) MPEG2 video

Up to 1.856 Mbps (1856 kbps) MPEG1 video

720 x 480 pixels MPEG2 (Called Full-D1)

704 x 480 pixels MPEG2

352 x 480 pixels MPEG2 (Called Half-D1, same as the CVD Standard)

352 x 240 pixels MPEG2

352 x 240 pixels MPEG1 (Same as the VCD Standard)

29,97 fps*

23,976 fps with 3:2 pulldown = 29,97 playback fps (NTSC Film, this is only supported by MPEG2 video)

16:9 Anamorphic (only supported by 720x480)

 

I can agree with the author of the program (after all he WROTE, and knows its functions inside and out), that imgburn DOES NOT manipulate any files. The only program that the author LUK created that DOES manipulate DVD files is his now defunct DVDDecryptor, which all it does is strip regional codes, and PUOs, but DOES NOT in any way convert PAL to NTSC or vise-versa. End of argument.

Edited October 16, 2010 by Rincewind

[sachabear]

This is rather absurd. Show us the logs, I can bet you the original VOB files are already in NTSC format, the logs from imgburn will confirm this.

 

 

 

Here is the info file:

Arcade Fire

Reading Festival, Reading, Berkshire, UK.

28th August 2010

 

 

Broadcast 28th August 2010 by BBC three

 

BBC three is a digital only broadcaster

 

**Direct transport stream capture and authoring - No Re-encoding**

 

Video : PAL, 720 x 576, MPEG-2, 25fps, 4186kbps, Aspect Ratio : 16:9

Audio : MPEG-1 Audio Layer II, 256kbps 48Khz

 

DVB-T > Nebula DigiTV > VideoReDo > PVAStrumento demux > TMPGEnc

 

DVD format, BBC three logo, full menu and chapter selection by track.

 

 

Tracks

 

01 Introduction

02 Ready to Start

03 Keep The Car Running

04 Laïka

05 No Cars Go

06 Haiti

07 Modern Man

08 Rococo

09 The Suburbs

10 Intervention

11 Crown of Love

12 Tunnels

13 Sprawl

14 We Used To Wait

15 Power Out

16 Rebellion (Lies)

17 Month of May

18 Wake Up

 

 

And here is the IMG log:

I 22:58:10 Operation Started!

I 22:58:10 Building Image Tree...

I 22:58:10 Checking Directory Depth...

I 22:58:10 Calculating Totals...

I 22:58:10 Preparing Image...

I 22:58:10 Checking Path Length...

I 22:58:10 Contents: 8 Files, 2 Folders

I 22:58:10 Content Type: DVD Video

I 22:58:10 Data Type: MODE1/2048

I 22:58:10 File System(s): ISO9660, UDF (1.02)

I 22:58:10 Volume Label: HOME_VIDEO

I 22:58:10 IFO/BUP 32K Padding: Enabled

I 22:58:10 Region Code: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

I 22:58:10 TV System: PAL

I 22:58:10 Size: 3,095,390,208 bytes

I 22:58:10 Sectors: 1,511,421

I 22:58:10 Image Size: 3,096,018,944 bytes

I 22:58:10 Image Sectors: 1,511,728

I 22:58:12 Operation Successfully Completed! - Duration: 00:00:02

I 22:58:12 Operation Started!

I 22:58:12 Source File: -==/\/[bUILD IMAGE]\/\==-

I 22:58:12 Source File Sectors: 1,511,728 (MODE1/2048)

I 22:58:12 Source File Size: 3,096,018,944 bytes

I 22:58:12 Source File Volume Identifier: HOME_VIDEO

I 22:58:12 Source File Application Identifier: IMGBURN V2.5.0.0 - THE ULTIMATE IMAGE BURNER!

I 22:58:12 Source File Implementation Identifier: ImgBurn

I 22:58:12 Source File File System(s): ISO9660, UDF (1.02)

I 22:58:12 Destination Device: [2:1:0] TSSTcorp CD/DVDW TS-H653L 0514 (E:) (Fibre)

I 22:58:12 Destination Media Type: DVD-R (Disc ID: CMC MAG. AM3) (Speeds: 4x, 8x, 12x, 16x)

I 22:58:12 Destination Media Sectors: 2,298,496

I 22:58:12 Write Mode: DVD

I 22:58:12 Write Type: DAO

I 22:58:12 Write Speed: 8x

I 22:58:12 Link Size: Auto

I 22:58:12 Lock Volume: Yes

I 22:58:12 Test Mode: No

I 22:58:12 OPC: Yes

I 22:58:12 BURN-Proof: Enabled

I 22:58:32 Filling Buffer... (40 MB)

I 22:58:34 Writing LeadIn...

I 22:58:43 Writing Session 1 of 1... (1 Track, LBA: 0 - 1511727)

I 22:58:43 Writing Track 1 of 1... (MODE1/2048, LBA: 0 - 1511727)

 

 

 

It may be unreasonable to suggest that IMG "converts" PAL to NTSC, however, for some reason it does make PAL files playable on non-compliant hardware of at least some types. I came across this method in a music newsgroup about a year ago and though I have lost the link, have successfully made at least 50 PAL DVDs playable this way. Believe it or not.

 

I'm happy anyways, as are numerous others...

[LIGHTNING UK!]

You're just makeing a bog standard DVD Video disc. Unless the player has some special code (0.1% chance!) in it that only plays PAL content from a disc called 'HOME_VIDEO' then it probably always plays PAL content.

 

Players that don't support PAL often pop a screen up saying that type of tv system/region isn't supported.

 

When yours doesn't work, it might just be because your drive produced a bad quality burn.

 

p.s. update ImgBurn, 2.5.0.0 is old.

[ianymaty]

I 22:58:12 Destination Device: [2:1:0] TSSTcorp CD/DVDW TS-H653L 0514 (E:) (Fibre)

I 22:58:12 Destination Media Type: DVD-R (Disc ID: CMC MAG. AM3) (Speeds: 4x, 8x, 12x, 16x)

I 22:58:10 TV System: PAL

 

I rather think that your drive/firmware/media combination gives you that result. The player might support both formats. What player (maker/model) you have?

 

Give us a full log with write and verify not a cut of log. There are more useful information that you left out thinking that isn't important.

 

Update your drive firmware http://www.firmwarehq.com/Samsung/TS-H653L/files.html

 

Use some decent media not that CMC, that is considered the bottom of the barrel.

[Rincewind]

I 22:58:10 Region Code: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

I 22:58:10 TV System: PAL

 

This right here, confirms the original is then in PAL format, AND is burned as PAL and region free. The fact that you renamed your VIDEO_TS folder to HOME_VIDEO didn't and doesn't do anything. IMGBURN automatically RENAMES your folder BACK to VIDEO_TS, (it actually TELLS you that it thinks you are trying to burn a DVD video, and asks you if you want to rename whatever folder to the proper name, you probably overlooked that while making your DVD) because VIDEO_HOME is an INVALID folder name for DVD VIDEO. The disc you burn IS STILL in PAL format, it just seems that your DVD player can play PAL. IT DID NOT CONVERT ANYTHING.

 

If you still insist your 'new disc' is now in NTSC format, then by all means, take your new disc, run it under VLC media player, and I can assure you it is STILL in PAL format, just look at the resolution of the mpeg codec.

 

 

Even I have a PAL disc, I burned it as PAL and remains as PAL, I can even provide you with screenshots as evidence, PROVING that imgburn did NOT convert your DVD to NTSC.

 

If you still after all that insist that your disc is converted to NTSC, well then there is simply no hope for you. It is like trying to argue reason with Glenn Beck even when provided with evidence that clearly proves him wrong (which isn't really that difficult, he's Glenn Beck after all).

Edited October 17, 2010 by Rincewind

[dbminter]

I 22:58:12 Destination Media Type: DVD-R (Disc ID: CMC MAG. AM3) (Speeds: 4x, 8x, 12x, 16x)

 

Use some decent media not that CMC, that is considered the bottom of the barrel.

 

 

Yeah, use something like Verbatim DVD-R or Taiyo Yuden. In the long run, you'll be glad you went for something with a higher quality other than brands like Memorex DVD-R, which use CMC. Of course, even the good guys use it, too. Verbatim uses CMC for their CD-R's, believe it or not.