NTSC to PAL (30p to 25p OR 25i)

[Aaron Leung]

Hi all,

I have shot footage in 30p and edited and already exported onto a 30p file. I would need to convert it to PAL (either 25p and/or 25i). I did a search in the forums and found that it is better to shoot 24p and convert to 25p than 30p to 25p.

Given reshooting isn't an option, any pointers in what workflow I could do to convert my 30p footage to PAL (25p and/or 25i)?

Thanks

[John Nantz]

While I don't have an answer to the question, one thing that might help is, from what I understand, the newer DVDs in Europe will play both PAL and NTSC formats. Someone who lives there could comment better than I, but that is just my understanding.

Also, they don't seem to be into Blu-ray there. I made a BDR disk and of three families, nobody had a machine that could play it. Just maybe it could have been a PAL/NTSC issue but I don't think so.

Hopefully someone else with local knowledge could comment.

[Jo Ouwejan]

Originally Posted by John Nantz

While I don't have an answer to the question, one thing that might help is, from what I understand, the newer DVDs in Europe will play both PAL and NTSC formats. Someone who lives there could comment better than I, but that is just my understanding.

Also, they don't seem to be into Blu-ray there. I made a BDR disk and of three families, nobody had a machine that could play it. Just maybe it could have been a PAL/NTSC issue but I don't think so.

Hopefully someone else with local knowledge could comment.

As I am from the Old Continent, I might be able to fill you in.
Indeed all standard DVD players in Europe are able to play NTSC. And hardly anyone has a BD player. I do, but that is not everybody.

[Ronald Jackson]

I've got two BD players! One actually made in Holland.

When I make a BD off my 1080 25p footage I think that , by default, what comes out is 1080 24p, 24p being the BD standard.

DVD means Standard Definition which a pity if footage High Def.

Who's it for? BD players are cheap enough, they also play DVDs, all modern TVs are HD, and I can't understand anybody nowadays buying a DVD player.

Ron

Play Station stuff plays BDs I think.

[Jo Ouwejan]

Most people nowadays buy a multi media player and move away from DVD or BD.

[Dave Vickers]

or you could try MPEG Streamclip - free video conversion software. I don't know how it'll handle 30fps to 25fps but it'll be your best chance.

[William Hohauser]

The easiest way to go is make a DVD directly from a 30p project and hope that their DVD player will play it. The DVD frame rate standards are 24p, 50i and 60i. The second easiest way to go is to make a new project in FCPX in either 50p or 50i. Instead of dropping frames to fit 30p into 25p and having potential motion problems, FCPX will distribute the frames in a way that is essentially invisible to the average viewer. Then you can export a PAL DVD which will automatically be 50i.