Question about PAL to NTSC conversion

[ST_]

hello,

recently i was asked to do a wedding video here in Austrlaia (PAL - DVX100a 25p).

the couple wanted to know if i could make it compatible for their family in the USA to view.

I'm pretty sure that if i make the DVD region free - it will work in the USA, is this correct? or will it only work on selected DVD players and TV's? - or do i need to convert the footage to NTSC as well?

Otherwise is there some type of software i can use on my pc editing suite which converts the footage to NTSC, and then burn to NTSC disc?

thanks,
St_

Update:

Does this sound right to you? im worried because its too easy that its not correct.... i have never found post production to be this easy....

- i realised premire pro can export PAL recorded footage AS NTSC 29.97 frame rate.

- And then Aftereffects can convert that to MPEG2 NTSC format.

- then i can a import that into a NTSC project with my DVD authoring software, and it recognises the MPEG as a NTSC file, and its processes it into a DVD. And there i have an NTSC DVD that will play on all DVD players/tv's in america???? is it that simple???

- also i found http://www.blazemp.com/convert_between_pal_ntsc.htm which allowed me to convert a MPEG2 PAL to a MPEG2 NTSC.. and it worked.. is it also that simple as well ??

 

[Barry_Green]

You can't play PAL DVDs over here. You'd have to master out an NTSC version for the stateside family to view it.

As to your conversion questions, yes you can do it that way, but I don't know how good it'll look! Try posting an MPEG file and let someone over here download it and burn it to a DVD and try it, so we can tell you if it looks good or not.

 

[Shooter]

I edit in PAL project - Export PAL Movie - open it in a new NTSC project and Export to Encore with an NTSC setting.

Works fine.

Do not send a PAL DVD to the U.S. Dual standard DVDs are uncommon over there.

 

[ST_]

You can't play PAL DVDs over here. You'd have to master out an NTSC version for the stateside family to view it.

As to your conversion questions, yes you can do it that way, but I don't know how good it'll look! Try posting an MPEG file and let someone over here download it and burn it to a DVD and try it, so we can tell you if it looks good or not.

thanks Barry, you have always been the first to answer my questions over the years, i appreciate it.

i have uploaded the MPEG here if anyone could look at it: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=EVS5EHVF (169-NTSC-29.97)

also the pal version is here: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=GEAG9XYG

I can definitly see a difference when watching it on the computer, though if all goes well on an NTSC dvd player, im pretty confident they quality loss is not an issue considering its audience (wedding family / friends)

I edit in PAL project - Export PAL Movie - open it in a new NTSC project and Export to Encore with an NTSC setting.

Works fine.

Do not send a PAL DVD to the U.S. Dual standard DVDs are uncommon over there.

thanks shooter,
i gave it a go, it looks pretty good, i used 29.97 and 24pa.. i think the 29 looked better, though the 24pa was still ok, what do you use?