DVDA -- Wrong region error
 

Hi all,

I am currently working on a PAL version of a project. Original footage was NTSC but I rendered it with the DVDA PAL WIDESCREEN template in Vegas. I had 12 videos and they were all rendered eith the same template.

I then created a PAL project in DVDA and I know that by default the region setting is set 0.

The resulting DVD played fine on my computer but now my client has taken it home to review it tonight, he just called me to say that his DVD player is telling him that "the DVD is set to the wrong region" and of course he doesn't play it at all. He has a year old Sony player so I guess it shouldn't be a problem.

He was supposed to try it on his laptop and so far he didn't call me back so I guess it's playing fine on his laptop.


Did that happen to you at some point ?

Why would his player tell him it is the wrong region when I didn't fiddle around with this option and let it to default value of 0?

Do you think since it is in PAL the player can't read it and just thrown in an error message even though that error message didn't apply?

Should I have set a region number since it will be for the European market, I was under the impression that recent players can both play NTSC an PAL.

Thanks,

Phil

AFAIK, region coding is not actually possible on a burned DVD. Authoring programs have that setting only for if you are having a project replicated.

Burned DVDs don't have the particular sectors used for region coding or for the copy protection schemes used on replicated discs.

And yes, I've always heard that European DVD players have no problem playing PAL or NTSC, and I've always sent NTSC for the few times I've needed to send a DVD to Europe.

Of course, if it is something that is going to be mass marketed in Europe, then I'm sure PAL would be a better way to go.

Oh, and yeah, I think his Sony NTSC player was simply complaining that it didn't know what to do with a PAL disc. (I've heard they all have the same chips to do both, it's just PAL playback is disabled in the U.S. market.)

You are correct that DVD Architect is set to region 0 by default which means EVERYWHERE. You should NOT change that unless you have a specific region to do so. Whether or not it applies to burned discs, being set to zero should work in ALL players. I would recommend he try a different player as it's already set to play in ALL players. And all players aren't equally good at playing burned discs.

Eugene: So what you say implies the following:

1: We shot the project with two Sony Z1
2: I edited and rendered the project in Sony Vegas
3: I created the DVD in Sony DVD Architect

4: The PAL version doesn't work in a Sony player...??? That would be the ultimate in irony, wouldn't ?

Edward:

The more I think about it the more I want to NOT render in PAL and just render all in progressive NTSC. I get the feeling that all players these days can read both whether they are here or in Europe.

Besides, screens/tv/monitors manufacturers have gone the progressive way for a while now, not to mention that a lot of people play their DVD's through their computers.

So far I've only had one person telling me to render in PAL but 3 told me to just render everything in NTSC, not to mention Eugene here who says it worked fine for him

So tell me Vegas guru (or anybody else), what is your take on that?

Thanks

Not really. You want compatibility in an NTSC country? Burn on NTSC!

Having said that, the convergence of NTSC and PAL is real, but it is a continuing process, we've not arrived at a destination. Plenty has been posted about this issue - search is your friend.

My experience is this:

PAL discs will work in NTSC players/TVs some of the time.
NTSC discs will work in PAL players/TVs most of the time.

If "most" is good enough for you and your clients, then it's easy. Burning NTSC will play in N.A. (all) and Europe (most) of the time. Depending on who you talk to, "almost all" of the time.

The first time I saw my NTSC work play back with a black border on 4 sides and in B&W was the last day I burned NTSC for distribution in a PAL country.

If you want playback "all" of time, then conform your work to the standards. IMO, that's the only approach, but plenty of people say otherwise.

YMMV.