DVD Decrypter Region Free not converting PAL to NTSC

charles_i · 22nd July 2008, 21:22

Hello Group,

I have a PAL video that I want to convert to NTSC. I have successfully removed copy protection and changed the Region to Region Free - it now shows 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 in DVD Decrypter, but it will not play in my NTSC DVD player. Any ideas? Do I need to specifically set the Region to 1?

When I load it into ConvertXtoDVD it says the region is still PAL. ConvertXtoDVD seems to do a great job of converting to NTSC (I just have to buy it now) - but I'm wondering why chaning it in DVD Decrypter doesn't work.

Thanks!

thepfy · 22nd July 2008, 21:36

All you did in DVD Decrypter was change the Region Code . It did not Transcode the video format from PAL to NTSC.

DVD Decrypter will decrypt, make region free but that's about it.

dialysis1 · 22nd July 2008, 21:43

Region code explanation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD_region_codes

setarip_old · 22nd July 2008, 23:42

@charles_i

Hi!

Quote:

it says the region is still PAL

No, it says the FORMAT is still PAL. Formats (NTSC and PAL) have to do with frequency and number of scanlines, whereas Region code is (as you've discovered) a simplistic attempt at limiting playback to specific areas in the world...

dat720 · 23rd July 2008, 09:35

To convert a DVD from pal you will need to transcode, during the transcode you will need to change the framerate from 25fps to 23.976/29.97....

Changing teh region code simply changes which DVD players will be able to play the disc, if the player can't playback a PAL disc then it will still fail to play.

Maybe a quick and dirty solution would be to demux the DVD to a mpg file then use something like DVD Flick to convert the mpg to a NTSC DVD.

bourke · 23rd July 2008, 14:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by dat720

...
Maybe a quick and dirty solution would be to demux the DVD to a mpg file then use something like DVD Flick to convert the mpg to a NTSC DVD.

I haven't tried, but something like AviDeMux should handle it.

charles_i · 23rd July 2008, 20:15

Thanks for the info. I get it now. Tried Avidemux but it can't open the files. Answering either "yes" or "no" to the "indexing" question still results in "Could not open file". I think I'll buy ConvertXto DVD since it did an awesome job on a test I did with another DVD by just setting it to NTSC - without having to worry about conversion rates.

blutach · 24th July 2008, 00:39

Try SUPER - it's free.

Also cheaper than purchasing software is to purchase a player that plays both formats.

Regards

charles_i · 24th July 2008, 16:22

I have a $50 player that plays all formats - but not very well, frequently stops and skips because it's a piece of junk. You get what you pay for

DrinkLyeAndDie · 24th July 2008, 17:03

Oppo is the way I'd go if I were to invest money in a good player that will handle both NTSC and PAL. Of course other players can do that already but they don't always do it well.

On the software front you have a number of options. Without a fast system the software solutions are not only less than optimal quality-wise but they are also annoying because you cannot preserve menus.

blutach · 24th July 2008, 17:03

Maybe your media is not real good. Shift to Taiyo Yuden or Verbatims, if you are not already using them.

Regards

blutach · 24th July 2008, 17:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrinkLyeAndDie

On the software front you have a number of options. Without a fast system the software solutions are not only less than optimal quality-wise but they are also annoying because you cannot preserve menus.

You can if you also re-encode them and move the subpics into the correct positions with DVD SubEdit, for example.

Regards

DrinkLyeAndDie · 24th July 2008, 18:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by blutach

You can if you also re-encode them and move the subpics into the correct positions with DVD SubEdit, for example.

Regards

Valid point.

Most people I've run across who wish to do this wouldn't know where to begin with the method you noted above, though.

charles_i · 25th July 2008, 15:14

SUPER looks like an amazing program. Now I'm trying to find details on how to convert an already prepared (region free, copy protect free) PAL DVD to NTSC using SUPER. I see lots of info and detail on NTSC to PAL - not much on PAL to NTSC.

blutach · 25th July 2008, 17:06

Just dial up the framerates you require. Do a little test and burn it on an RW to see how you go.

Regards

k-c-ksum · 26th July 2008, 18:27

you could also try just modifying the ifo's with "ifoedit" to fool your player into thinking its an ntsc disc

linx05 · 27th July 2008, 07:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by k-c-ksum

you could also try just modifying the ifo's with "ifoedit" to fool your player into thinking its an ntsc disc

This won't always work and it is only a rough hack. My only advice when it comes to these sort of questions is to buy a DVD player which is region free and plays both PAL and NTSC. You will save yourself so much time and hassle.

dat720 · 27th July 2008, 13:24

That's an excelent point, cheap DVD player's these day's can be had for $50 and playback any region/format!

Wombler · 27th July 2008, 18:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by linx05

This won't always work and it is only a rough hack. My only advice when it comes to these sort of questions is to buy a DVD player which is region free and plays both PAL and NTSC. You will save yourself so much time and hassle.

The reason that it doesn't always work is that the TV also has to support PAL playback unless the DVD player supports some form of PAL to NTSC conversion.

In Europe almost all modern DVD Players and TVs natively support both standards although even then there's a PAL 60 conversion mode on a lot of DVD players that will convert NTSC to PAL for TVs that don't support NTSC natively.

Historically I know that PAL support in the US is rare.

I did a very brief search online though and you can get players that do dynamic PAL to NTSC conversion such as the Philips DVP642 for around $50 but there may be other cheaper alternatives available.

Wombler

setarip_old · 27th July 2008, 18:49

@Wombler

Hi!

Quote:

The reason that it doesn't always work is that the TV also has to support PAL playback unless the DVD player supports some form of PAL to NTSC conversion.

Speaking from personal experience, that doesn't always seem to be the case.

A year or so ago, I purchased the R4/PAL version of the "Third Watch" TV series (which, although a U.S. series, was not available as R1/NTSC). I performed the "One minute down and dirty" .IFO conversion on each disc - and, much to my surprise, they all play properly on all systems, including on an NTSC-only SONY DVD player connected to an ancient NTSC-only TV.

The thought occurred to me that perhaps the fact that the TV series was originally created for display on U.S. televisions might have something to do with the success of my conversion...

22nd July 2008, 21:22	#1 \| Link
charles_i Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 17	DVD Decrypter Region Free not converting PAL to NTSC Hello Group, I have a PAL video that I want to convert to NTSC. I have successfully removed copy protection and changed the Region to Region Free - it now shows 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 in DVD Decrypter, but it will not play in my NTSC DVD player. Any ideas? Do I need to specifically set the Region to 1? When I load it into ConvertXtoDVD it says the region is still PAL. ConvertXtoDVD seems to do a great job of converting to NTSC (I just have to buy it now) - but I'm wondering why chaning it in DVD Decrypter doesn't work. Thanks!

24th July 2008, 00:39	#8 \| Link
blutach Country Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: is everything! Posts: 6,499	Try SUPER - it's free. Also cheaper than purchasing software is to purchase a player that plays both formats. Regards __________________ Les Only use genuine Verbatim or Taiyo Yuden media. Last edited by blutach; 24th July 2008 at 17:02.

24th July 2008, 17:03	#11 \| Link
blutach Country Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: is everything! Posts: 6,499	Maybe your media is not real good. Shift to Taiyo Yuden or Verbatims, if you are not already using them. Regards __________________ Les Only use genuine Verbatim or Taiyo Yuden media.

25th July 2008, 17:06	#15 \| Link
blutach Country Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: is everything! Posts: 6,499	Just dial up the framerates you require. Do a little test and burn it on an RW to see how you go. Regards __________________ Les Only use genuine Verbatim or Taiyo Yuden media.

26th July 2008, 18:27	#16 \| Link
k-c-ksum Registered User Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 268	you could also try just modifying the ifo's with "ifoedit" to fool your player into thinking its an ntsc disc __________________ k-c-ksum

22nd July 2008, 21:36	#2 \| Link
thepfy Registered User Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 3	All you did in DVD Decrypter was change the Region Code . It did not Transcode the video format from PAL to NTSC. DVD Decrypter will decrypt, make region free but that's about it.

22nd July 2008, 21:43	#3 \| Link
dialysis1 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: New York Posts: 358	Region code explanation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD_region_codes

23rd July 2008, 09:35	#5 \| Link
dat720 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 870	To convert a DVD from pal you will need to transcode, during the transcode you will need to change the framerate from 25fps to 23.976/29.97.... Changing teh region code simply changes which DVD players will be able to play the disc, if the player can't playback a PAL disc then it will still fail to play. Maybe a quick and dirty solution would be to demux the DVD to a mpg file then use something like DVD Flick to convert the mpg to a NTSC DVD.

23rd July 2008, 20:15	#7 \| Link
charles_i Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 17	Thanks for the info. I get it now. Tried Avidemux but it can't open the files. Answering either "yes" or "no" to the "indexing" question still results in "Could not open file". I think I'll buy ConvertXto DVD since it did an awesome job on a test I did with another DVD by just setting it to NTSC - without having to worry about conversion rates.

24th July 2008, 16:22	#9 \| Link
charles_i Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 17	I have a $50 player that plays all formats - but not very well, frequently stops and skips because it's a piece of junk. You get what you pay for

24th July 2008, 17:03	#10 \| Link
DrinkLyeAndDie Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 171	Oppo is the way I'd go if I were to invest money in a good player that will handle both NTSC and PAL. Of course other players can do that already but they don't always do it well. On the software front you have a number of options. Without a fast system the software solutions are not only less than optimal quality-wise but they are also annoying because you cannot preserve menus.

25th July 2008, 15:14	#14 \| Link
charles_i Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 17	SUPER looks like an amazing program. Now I'm trying to find details on how to convert an already prepared (region free, copy protect free) PAL DVD to NTSC using SUPER. I see lots of info and detail on NTSC to PAL - not much on PAL to NTSC.

27th July 2008, 13:24	#18 \| Link
dat720 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 870	That's an excelent point, cheap DVD player's these day's can be had for $50 and playback any region/format!