How to make a universally playable DVD

[Simon Glidewell]

Hello,

Could someone explain how I export my HD video project from FCP 5.1.4 to Compressor in a format that will be playable on all DVD players and computers (after using DVD Studio Pro)?

Many thanks
Simon

[Nigel Barker]

There is no such thing as a single DVD that will be guaranteed to be playable on all standalone players. It's easy enough to make a disk for All Regions or Region Free but you will find that few if any NTSC players will play PAL format. On the bright side most PAL players will play NTSC format disks. As far as playing on computers then as long as the disk is Region Free then you wil be OK.

[Simon Glidewell]

Thanks for your reply Nigel. What I meant was how does one make a DVD from FCP that is playable on a DVD player and a computer - not the video playback standard (i.e. NTSC/PAL/SECAM). We just want a DVD that's playable in PAL format. Anyway I've exported the video in Quicktime as a self contained movie which I hope works for the above?

Cheers
Simon

[Robert Lane]

Simon,

The process of creating a DVD image isn't done in FCP it's created in DVD Studio Pro or other DVD authoring application.

You first have to convert your movie from FCP into MPEG-2 compliant files using Compressor with the proper settings for video and audio then import that into DVDSP.

The process isn't as straightforward as you're thinking and requires careful attention to detail to create a multi-compliant DVD spec. DVDSP can create a PAL image with no problem.

I'd suggest getting out your books that came with your copy of Final Cut Studio and reading up on the proper methods for DVD creation or, do a search on this forum for "DVD authoring" to see several threads that outline the process from beginning to end.

Lastly, any computer with DVD playback software - Mac or PC - can play either a PAL or NTSC DVD without a problem; only set-top players in the US have issues with PAL discs

[Shaun Roemich]

Originally Posted by Robert Lane

Lastly, any computer with DVD playback software - Mac or PC - can play either a PAL or NTSC DVD without a problem;

Windows Media Player does not always count among those. DEDICATED DVD Player software is required to GUARANTEE a computer will play back DVDs and not ALL computers ship with DVD Player software installed. In my role as an A/V tech at a former 9-5 job, this came as a shock and surprise to me when I started getting service calls on our rental laptops that DVDs wouldn't play for presentations on LCD projectors. Downloaded and installed free DVD Player software and BANG done!

[Noah Kadner]

Yeah you can burn a QuickTime clip as data to a DVD-R with the Burn Folder or with something like Toast. Then any computer with a DVD-ROM drive will be able to load the disc and access that clip as data. But that's completely different from authoring a DVD that would be playable from a computer's DVD player application as well as a set top DVD player.

Noah

[William Hohauser]

Originally Posted by Nigel Barker

There is no such thing as a single DVD that will be guaranteed to be playable on all standalone players. It's easy enough to make a disk for All Regions or Region Free but you will find that few if any NTSC players will play PAL format. On the bright side most PAL players will play NTSC format disks. As far as playing on computers then as long as the disk is Region Free then you wil be OK.

Actually quite a few NTSC DVD players will play PAL but they are all "lesser" brands (for the lack of a better term). Many models from companies like Phiilps, APEX, Coby or Samsung will play PAL DVDs and convert the signal to NTSC as long a there is no region code specified when you author the disk. Panasonic, Sony, JVC all have models that will not play PAL (if not all of their models).

[Shaun Roemich]

Originally Posted by William Hohauser

Actually quite a few NTSC DVD players will play PAL but they are all "lesser" brands (for the lack of a better term).

So if the instruction manual is in Ingrish ("Be for making playback, be placing in tray disc") you stand a good chance?

All kidding aside, when I was in India, our driver had an indash video player (I don't think calling it a DVD player would be entirely accurate) that played whatever he threw at it, typically a VIDEO CD that he JUST picked up from a roadside market. Protectionism may or may not be your friend...

[Noah Kadner]

I can tell ya few if any brands you'll find say in a Best Buy in the U.S. will play PAL and even if it did you'll also find few if any consumer TVs that are multisystem. Now in Europe it's a totally different story and just about any PAL player/TV will play NTSC.

Noah

[William Hohauser]

Multisystem TVs are not really available in the US anymore however as I wrote before many brands of DVD players convert the signal to NTSC without telling you that it's happening. Not just PAL, 24p movie DVDs are converted as well. I have $20 DVD players that do a very good job of playing PAL on NTSC monitors. Also many LCD TVs are multi-standard; 480, 720, 1080, DVI, VGA. Are any of those built to show PAL and NTSC?

[Noah Kadner]

24p DVDs are not 'converted' in any special way. Every NTSC DVD player ever made has the built-in capability to do a 3:2 pulldown from a 24p DVD That's been part of the DVD spec from day one. So let's not confuse that issue with PAL/NTSC.

Bottom line is you will not get PAL discs to playback in a vast majority of DVD player/TV combos in the U.S. Desktop computer-based DVD playback sure, but set top players- heck no.

Noah