View Full Version : PAL to NTSC converting. Both 500 lines?
dolph2000
02-14-2005, 10:31 AM
Hello,
30p NTSC can not be converted to PAL. Can 25p (Deinterlaced mode) be converted to NTSC. I'm asking because i'm working in a NTSC area and I'm making commercials and videoclips. Isn't it wise to shoot in PAL and then convert it to NTSC. Will I keep better quality of shooting in Pal also after converting.
Another question. If i'm looking at the specs of the PAL DVX I see 500 horizontal lines. As much as NTSC if looking at de NTSC specs. I thought PAL writes more lines. And the PAl does not 24p, only 25p. Is that because 25 is close to 24.
Thanks very much
Dolph
cinemania
02-14-2005, 06:12 PM
In my opinion if you're final product is going to be NTSC then you might want to just shoot in NTSC. Although PAL has 625 lines of reslution once you convert your PAL footage to NTSC the image will then contain only 525 lines. But if you're going to transfer you can use the DVFilm Atlantis software to convert the PAL footage to NTSC at www.dvfilm.com
As for the specs of both versions of the DVX both having 500 lines I'm not sure why it says that.
PanasonicNZ
02-14-2005, 07:40 PM
You're making the classical confusion between "horisontal resolution" and scan lines. NTSC has 525 lines with 475 active lines and PAL has 625 lines with 575 lines. The other 50 lines are used for sync and other purposes. Horisontal resolution refers to the number of individual VERTICAL lines you can see on a reference screen, when you count going from one side of the screen to the other. Too many lines - you get a uniform gray screen - it means you'fve reached the max resolution the camera can give. It's all about the bandwith the camera head is capable of, number of pixels and of course subsequent video processing. Since the length of a TV line is the same in PAL and NTSC, there's no difference in the horisontal resolution of the two cameras.
Conversion between PAL and NTSC with good results is difficult. If you need to deliver in PAL, shoot PAL. If you need to deliver NTSC, shoot NTSC. NTSC is 30fps (60i) pal is 25fps (50i) regardless of how you shoot, progressive or interlaced, respectively 24p or 30p for NTSC. A pal camera cannot do in any way 24p, which is the speed of film, so in order to get the film look in PAL world, the 25p mode was invented. 24p is possible due to pulldown from 30p, which is what camera puts on tape actually. Hope this clarifies things for you a little bit...
seanh420
02-25-2005, 03:40 PM
try DGPulldown 1.0
its a new program this guy made and converts pal to ntsc
http://neuron2.net/dgpulldown/dgpulldown.html
http://neuron2.net/dgpulldown/dgpulldown.jpg