RuthSchell

Q: How to mix 25fps PAL with 29.97fps NTSC?

I have to put together a PAL QuickTime file 720x576, 25fps and an NTSC QT file 1440x1080, 29.97fps.  How do I do that?  Is it possible to convert one frame rate into another to end up with a uniform speed?  How about mixing PAL and NTSC?  I would really appreciate someone sharing their experience with this quandary.

Thank you very much in advance.

iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.4)

Posted on Jul 29, 2014 9:07 PM

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Q: How to mix 25fps PAL with 29.97fps NTSC?

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  • by Michael Grenadier,

    Michael Grenadier Michael Grenadier Aug 3, 2014 8:54 AM in response to RuthSchell
    Level 7 (20,362 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 3, 2014 8:54 AM in response to RuthSchell

    Here's a user tip I wrote about mixing frame rates in fcp

     

    Dealing with different frame rates in fcp7

     

    Unfortunately Apple saw fit to rearrange the forums and make the user tips difficult to find.

     

    If you need any further help, post back.

  • by mdesignffm,

    mdesignffm mdesignffm Aug 3, 2014 12:22 PM in response to RuthSchell
    Level 2 (290 points)
    Notebooks
    Aug 3, 2014 12:22 PM in response to RuthSchell

    very good article by michael.

     

    some words i would like to add: your master determines your framerate. if you need PAL, it is 25 fps. if  you need NTSC, it is 30 fps. if you work for a computer environment or streaming, it is 30 fps (even in PAL countries).

     

    if you need to convert PAL to NTSC or vice versa, FCP can do it by blending frames. but it is not high quality. a professional standard conversion is way better (smoother motion, less artifacts). but it is not cheap. find a video studio in your area.

     

    best quality you can achieve on your mac is reconforming the material in compressor, ie telling the files to play in the desired framerate (so there will be no frame blending at all, ie no artifacts). a PAL file then plays with 30 fps, so  it is 16% faster. this may be acceptable for some footage, for some it is not. you may want to repitch audio (which will play in a higher pitch, too). NTSC at 25 fps will play 16% slower, which gives a nice laidback effect. audio pitch is lower. check whether this works for your footage.