PAL to NTSC simple solution

I realise there are probably many threads discussing this topic but I have just finished converting a 25fps movie to 23.98fps i.e PAL to NTSC and found after a lot of trial and error and trying an array of recommended methods that the simplest and best result is this:

1. Export your movie as a self contained clip from FCP and the audio as an .aiff

2. Open the clip in Cinema Tools and conform it from 25fps to 23.98fps

3. Open a new project in FCP and import the clip and the .aiff

4. Double click the clip within the Browser and adjust its speed to 104.165 with frame blending off which will adjust the clips lenght to the same exact lenght of the original PAL file and the .aiff

5. Put the video clip onto a time line with the same settings as the clip along with the .aiff audio

This final clip will now have a frame rate of 23.98 and the exact lenght of the original PAL clip with the original audio in sync.

For some peculiar reason the running time of the movie shown in the timeline is not the same as that shown in the browser but when you export it for dvd using compressor the resulting m2v is the correct lenght. You must also export the audio from the new timeline to go on the dvd as either another .aiff or a dolby digital.

There are some odd things going on with the stated running times of everything but the end result is correct.