PAL/NTSC

Question

Level 2

495 points

PAL/NTSC

Hi there
Not sure if this question should be asked here or in iDVD, but here goes.

I'm in the process of putting together a home movie, my first, to send on DVD overseas to family. My camera is recording in the PAL format, which is what we use here, but I want to be able to send the finished DVD to England (PAL) and Canada (NTSC). Is there a way I can do this?

At the moment I have only got as far as importing my movie clips as I do them to iMovie. I haven't done any editing yet.

Cheers
NikkiG

G5 iMac, 1.8, 17", 1.25GB, and G3 iBook Dual 256MB OS 10.3.9, Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Posted on Feb 2, 2007 4:37 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Feb 2, 2007 4:54 AM in response to NikkiG

If you send a PAL DVD to Canada, at least they can play it on a computer.

Otherwise, look here:
http://danslagle.com/mac/iMovie/tips_tricks/6017.shtml

Reply

Answer 2

Klaus1

Level 9

52,873 points

Feb 2, 2007 5:51 AM in response to NikkiG

Hi Nikki!

Shouldn't be a problem. The vast majority of modern stand-alone DVD players can play back both PAL and NTSC DVDs.

I send PAL DVDs to family in Canada and they see them fine. I also occasionally buy commercial NTSC DVDs from the US (which haven't been released here) and I can play them on my DVD player and PAL television without a problem.

Reply

Answer 3

Feb 2, 2007 6:00 AM in response to Klaus1

The vast majority of modern stand-alone DVD players can play back both PAL and NTSC DVDs.

Not in NTSC countries. And most NTSC TVs won't accept the signal even if the DVD player can play a PAL DVD.

Reply

Answer 4

Klaus1

Level 9

52,873 points

Feb 2, 2007 6:32 AM in response to Lennart Thelander

Well, I have it on good authority that they can in Canada!

Reply

Answer 5

Feb 2, 2007 8:54 AM in response to Klaus1

On all players in the entire country?

My US relatives can't play PAL DVDs on their equipment.

Reply

Answer 6

Feb 2, 2007 9:23 AM in response to Lennart Thelander

usually, Lennart, I give the same advice as you: NTSCdvd in PAL-Land => go, PALdvd in NTSC-land => NoGo...

buuuut, I was told lately:
if the dvd-player is connected via RGB to a display (some, $$$$ TFT/Plasma-TVs allow such an input...), it should be possible....

I have no access to such gear.. so, just hear-say, ...

Klaus?

(... I LOVE at CNN these dialogs.. allways ending with the name of the other correspondent ... I once had a parody, .. hmm, lost the youtube-url...)

Reply

Answer 7

Klaus1

Level 9

52,873 points

Feb 2, 2007 10:18 AM in response to Lennart Thelander

Lennart

On all players in the entire country?
My US relatives can't play PAL DVDs on their equipment.

My relatives in Montreal can, so there! 🙂

Reply

Answer 8

Klaus1

Level 9

52,873 points

Feb 2, 2007 10:19 AM in response to Karsten Schlüter

Karsten

Klaus?
(... I LOVE at CNN these dialogs.. allways ending with the name of the other correspondent ... I once had a parody, .. hmm, lost the youtube-url...)

Pardon?!

Reply

Answer 9

Feb 2, 2007 10:36 AM in response to Klaus1

Pardon?!

.. I was curious, what set-up you relatives in Montreal use,... probably, that RGB connection I did mention..

now, back to UK .. Klaus..?

Reply

Answer 10

Klaus1

Level 9

52,873 points

Feb 2, 2007 10:55 AM in response to Karsten Schlüter

They have a stand-alone DVD player, but no idea what make. All DVD players in the UK (allright, almost all) play both without a quible. Same applies to their video player.

Not so in the Bundesrepublik?

Reply

Answer 11

Feb 2, 2007 11:04 AM in response to Klaus1

What does your Montreal relatives have in terms of equiment? Make and model, please.

Just for the fun of it, I went to www.sony.com and www.panasonic.com and looked at DVD Players. I did look at all the top models, but NONE mentioned PAL playback.

When sending DVDs to US relatives, I always send one PAL and one NTSC disc so they can play either disc.

Reply

Answer 12

Klaus1

Level 9

52,873 points

Feb 2, 2007 11:15 AM in response to Lennart Thelander

I have asked them Lennart, but we have to allow for the time difference before I get a reply. Will keep you informed!

(They are so behind in the new world....!

Reply

Answer 13

Feb 2, 2007 11:20 AM in response to Klaus1

It's true that PAL players almost always plays NTSC, too. Even in Germany 😉
But NTSC players rarely plays PAL.

Reply

Answer 14

Klaus1

Level 9

52,873 points

Feb 2, 2007 11:32 AM in response to Lennart Thelander

I wouldn't be a bit surprised if they are not the exact same machine, but 'hacked' in the same way that we make them region-free - which is all it would take.

(Congratulations on the 175th birthday of the Göta Kanal! 🙂 )

Reply

Answer 15

Feb 2, 2007 11:54 AM in response to Klaus1

Region free players has nothing to do with the PAL/NTSC ability.
By the way, all the discs we create in iDVD or Toast are (by definition) region 0 (=all regions).

http://hometheater.about.com/cs/dvdlaserdisc/a/aaregioncodesa.htm

Reply