Copy NTSC to PAL?

[Merton Park]

What is the easiest way to copy an NTSC DVD or tape into PAL format?

[Ted Holmes]

I've done this the other way round (converting PAL DVDs to NTSC) with my regular burning programme, Nero.

[orpheum]

i have a Panasonic DVD/VHS whereby you can dub vhs on to DVD and vice versa.It is programmed for both systems.

[spinalman]

Originally Posted by orpheum i have a Panasonic DVD/VHS whereby you can dub vhs on to DVD and vice versa.It is programmed for both systems.

The may playback dvd NTSC or DVD PAL, BUT they can't copy from one system to another.

The key is to collect PAL and NTSC and have playback of either on your machines...most new PAL DVD players can give you pseudo PAL from an NTSC DVD.

OR

Try and convert NTSC disks (or tapes) to make a PAL copy. This invloves standard conversion....either using a standard converting VHS machine (or DVD recorder - not seen one) or software conversion- invloves loading onto a PC or mac.

[tvden]

I was interested in this thread as I was about to ask much the same question, sometimes a video you may want to buy is only available in vhs ntsc and for this reason I have always steered clear of buying such items would this play at all on a standard pal machine ?

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by tvden I was interested in this thread as I was about to ask much the same question, sometimes a video you may want to buy is only available in vhs ntsc and for this reason I have always steered clear of buying such items would this play at all on a standard pal machine ?

Generally speaking, any NTSC tape or DVD will play on any PAL system bought in the last 5+ years. In fact probably more like "in the last 10 years" by now.

It's worth getting one just to see if it'll play. If one does, they all will.

When PAL systems first started being able to play NTSC tapes they sometimes dropped the colour so that you could only see a colour NTSC tape (or should that be a color NTSC tape) in B&W. But nowadays, just about every PAL system will play NTSC tapes and show them in full colour.

PAL is a higher standard than NTSC so a PAL system can lower its standards a bit and play an NTSC tape but an NTSC system has difficulty in raising its standards and playing a PAL tape.

However, although you can play the NTSC tape or DVD in a PAL system, you often can't make copies from it. To do that you have to play it in a proper NTSC system.

And with DVDs there is also the region coding to consider. This is unrelated to the PAL/NTSC problems.

Steve

[MarkG]

In my experience, pretty much any PAL VHS deck made in the last decade or so should play NTSC tapes to pretty much any PAL TV made in the last decade or so.

Standards conversion is a pain (professional conversion boxes cost lots of money), though if the original source was film you can potentially do a reverse telecine process and then speed it up by 4%.

[HitchcockScholar]

Try SAMSUNG SV5000 Woldrwide VCR if you have a chance to find one.
It works fine for this kind of transfers.

[aphra]

Originally Posted by HitchcockScholar Try SAMSUNG SV5000 Woldrwide VCR if you have a chance to find one. It works fine for this kind of transfers.

I have a quarter share in a superb Panasonic World TV Standards Converter, but it is now obsolete, so we are keeping our fingers crossed that it does not fail. I also have an Aiwa MX 100 converter that handles most TV standards in any combination. This is more of a domestic machine, but has served me very well. Like the Samsung, it's no longer available though you might find one on eBay. If you use a PAL tape and put it through the Aiwa you can produce an NTSC DVD given the right hook-up.

Years ago I bought a Grundig multi-system TV in a sale, only to find that it would only receive a pure, rather than quasi NTSC colour signal. So I could not play any NTSC tapes in colour on the TV using a Panasonic VCR. Solution: I was forced to buy a Grundig VCR that only produced a pure NTSC signal. Have never liked Grundig since, though their 32-inch CRT TV still works wonderfully well I have to admit.

[image45]

just down load a convertx program using a torrant program. thenyou can rip the video files off in Mpeg2 NTSC and convert them in to Mpeg2 PAL then burn them back to DVD.

[coonsanders]

hi
how do u convert a dvd in pal to ntsc with nero 7??


coonsanders

[Pip]

Hi,
I was puzzling over this until recently and had a similar thread here. I had some NTSC videotapes I wanted to record to DVD (didn't mind if the DVD was NTSC or PAL).

After advice given through the forum, I managed to copy an NTSC videotape by playing it on a PAL video player that would play and output NTSC to a PAL TV. The output signal was then recorded to my Lite-On DVD recorder which was set to NTSC instead of PAL, and a new DVDR disc formatted in it as NTSC. The result was acceptable quality, but I had to re-edit the video on my PC to improve the colour. All a bit long-winded for not the best of results.

I have since found a much better solution - using a MULTISYSTEM video deck: these models play NTSC or PAL or SECAM tapes and can output them in any of the formats. I managed to get a multisystem VCR on eBay for about £20, though usually they go for a lot more.

With the multisystem VCR set to play the NTSC videotape and output the signal as NTSC, recording was made on the DVD recorder set at NTSC with a new disc formatted as NTSC. This achieved perfect results, albeit only as good as the original videotape quality. Colour was correct and needed no further tittivating. The NTSC discs produced this way play normally on a PAL DVD player and PAL TV.

If a PAL disc was really needed, it would just mean a bit of time spent using a PC editing or conversion program to rip the files and convert into PAL. I haven't needed to do this.

Not sure why anyone would need to convert an NTSC DVD into a PAL DVD these days, when most DVD players can handle either format and play out to a PAL TV. If the problems are region-coding or copy-protection issues, these are discussed in other threads here.

Good luck!
Pip

[Pip]

Hi again,
apologies to Coonsanders, my reply above is obviously relevant to UK systems and not much help to your US system, though I presume the opposite may be true, i.e. read PAL for NTSC and vice-versa.

Pip

[coonsanders]

hi
i found that i can convert them at local photograpy stores 4 a nonimal fee.


coonsanders

[MarcMorris]

Personally it's best NOT to standards convert - the quality will remain at its best if left in the riginal system format.

Most VCRs and DVD players will play both systems with no problem.