Converting PAL dvds

[GomiGirl]

This is for a friend.

I am needing to convert a PAL DVD to play on a Japanese DVD player. This is not for a computer or for a multi region player so I need it converted.

Google searching is not giving me the answers I am needing so am looking for some recommendations of companies that I can approach.

I know this is really old school but it is for a friend.

[wagyl]

PAL is analogue technology. DVDs are digital. Not even Google can jump that gap.

However, Wikipedia gives the following hint which may help you in your friend's quest

The term PAL is often used informally and somewhat imprecisely to refer to the 625-line/50 Hz (576i) television system in general, to differentiate from the 525-line/60 Hz (480i) system generally used with NTSC. Accordingly, DVDs are labelled as PAL or NTSC (referring to the line count and frame rate) even though technically the discs do not carry either PAL or NTSC composite signal. CCIR 625/50 and EIA 525/60 are the proper names for these (line count and field rate) standards; PAL and NTSC are only the method of transmitting color to the TV.

You want to convert from CCIR 625/50 to EIA 525/60. It is analogous to saying you want to watch a High Definition disk in a Standard Definition machine.

I know this is not your direct problem, but one for a friend, but what precisely does the friend want? A machine that will display CCIR 625/50 on a screen that is not natively set up for it? Or do they want someone to create a new DVD which will have the same content but in EIA 525/60?

Having futted around with old PAL to NTSC back in VHS days, you will always be disappointed with the quality, and frankly if it was me, I would just resign myself to the fact that I can only watch that old DVD on my computer and not on a TV screen. (In truth, I no longer have a TV screen)



Alternatively, is everyone just really confused and this is in essence a region coding issue? Someone has a Region 4 DVD and they want to watch it on a Region 2 only player?

[Wage Slave]

Some DVD players will just play PAL DVDs and some TVs (notably Sony) can display PAL without any fuss at all. Trouble is that it is not an advertised feature - I think they sometimes make a machine that can be used anywhere in the world to achieve economies of scale. I have a Panasonic S50 DVD player and Sony TV that plays UK discs without any problems.

Another issue is that DVDs are region coded. Some players can be hacked via the remote control to accept any region DVDs but its a bit of a dark art and is less popular now people don't have to rely on DVDs for their content. Anyway, the UK and Japan are both region 2 but Australia is region 4 so that could well be an issue.

If it is really important to do it then I'd look to software. Extract the content to a digital file and then look to re-encode it in NTSC Region 2 to be burnt onto a new disc. Something like this should be able to do it:

http://www.dvdfab.cn/dvd-ripper.htm

And there are no doubt other, and very possibly free, alternatives.

[wagyl]

and then look to re-encode it in NTSC Region 2 to be burnt onto a new disc.

Or even better, Region Free.

Yes, if it is a region code issue, the solutions can be found in Googling the make and model of the DVD player to find the region unlocking code, or by ripping the DVD and then burning a region free version yourself. Of course, this site can only condone such action if the DVD is a home movie of that cherished picnic with grandma, not a Hollywood blockbuster. And I think this is probably a region issue expressed by someone who was aware of the PAL/NTSC signal divide back in the day, but not completely aware of DVD Regions and digital rights travesties.

In the case that it really is resolution/frame frequency issues, using other names for the standards, your friend wants to convert from 576i to 480i.

[JAVGOD]

Just get them a region free player. I have one. They are not expensive. I can, or you can, have one bought in Los Angeles and have it sent over. I can tell you where or you can check J-Win, dvd players. I think ebay even has them. I bought mine at a dvd shop inside Mitsuwa in Torrance.

[Wage Slave]

Or something like this perhaps? It could be plugged into a standard TV from the looks of it.

http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/akihabara-akky/item/bl-02261/

[wagyl]

Is this just a post and run where the OP never comes back to the thread with a response to this feedback?

I know this is for a friend so there may be some delay in response, but I encourage those who ask questions to respond to the responses. It encourages future discussions. The OP of course knows this already.

[6810]

They have computers these days. Rip it lossless, re-encode at the right hz for the dvd player.

Better yet, rip it to a format viewable on just about any digital playback device, playstation, xbox etc

[GomiGirl]

Is this just a post and run where the OP never comes back to the thread with a response to this feedback?

I know this is for a friend so there may be some delay in response, but I encourage those who ask questions to respond to the responses. It encourages future discussions. The OP of course knows this already.

Sorry dude - I have been busy. sheesh...

I really appreciate all the responses but this is for an older Japanese couple who do not have a computer nor any computer skills. Seems a bit overkill to buy them a new DVD player to play this single DVD and I don't have the time to rip and reburn - mainly as I don't have computers that have optical drives any longer.

I was just hoping if anybody knew of a company that I can ship this thing off to and get it done. There used to be companies that did this.

[wagyl]

What is their budget? I could do it. But I also want to be clear what their issue is: where does the DVD source from, which country? Is it a DVD which someone has burned on their own computer? What problems are they experiencing when they try to play it? If not a region issue it might be a digital rights issue or an incompletely finalised burn which their DVD player doesn't recognise. Advice on the make and model of their DVD player might help too. Otherwise a satisfactory result is not guaranteed (been there done that with the neighbours trying to watch a home burn DVD of granddaughter's ballet concours) If it is a DVD of a capture of an overseas digital TV broadcast I suspect digital rights issues and all bets are off. DVDs are unnecessarily temperamental and it is not a matter of the old days with magnetic tape with fiddling with the tracking speed and tolerating mangled colour signals and speed issues a la PAL⇔NTSC. It might just be codecs which the DVD player doesn't recognise. It quite literally might be that someone has burned on a DVD-RW and the player only recognises DVD-R.

The other thing to note is that you can buy DVD players for around 3000 yen these days. But if I say that too loud then the amount they are prepared to pay to have the rip and burn done will decrease below the amount anyone will be prepared to do it for.

I sort of wonder what you are saying about "there used to be places which did this." Do you mean ripping and burning DVDs? Or do you mean transferring between media formats and converting between analogue standards? The latter, yes, that used to happen but demand for converting video cassettes to DVD will have dropped off I think. And that is not what you are looking for anyway. It doesn't come cheap. I am not aware of the former ever being offered.

P.S. I waited until you showed that you had time to invite McT to engage in showertime fun before I unleashed the snark. Love you! XOX



Slightly related: I have an external optical drive, USB connector, which is surplus to my needs. It has been used a total of three times. If anyone is interested in a near-new optical drive PM me and I can give you details of model and specs etc.

[Russell]

P.S. I waited until you showed that you had time to invite McT to engage in showertime fun before I unleashed the snark. Love you! XOX

It's all about setting the priorities right, right?!?

[IparryU]

How about "getting" the movie in NTSC format and burning it for them? Problem solved.

[GomiGirl]

How about "getting" the movie in NTSC format and burning it for them? Problem solved.

It is a documentary about the Art of Australia. It is doubtful that this would be available anywhere on the net.

[wagyl]

Speaking both in relation to broadcast entertainment, and generally, I am no longer surprised about what you can find on the net. The answer is always lots more than you expected.

Some idle searching also brought up the fact that the commercial arm of the public broadcaster markets certain of its DVDs as "Region 4 PAL" which is ignorant, wrong, not helpful and the source of much of the confusion in this thread. Naughty!

[IparryU]

How about "getting" the movie in NTSC format and burning it for them? Problem solved.

It is a documentary about the Art of Australia. It is doubtful that this would be available anywhere on the net.

This?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03cclmx

[Mike Oxlong]

How about "getting" the movie in NTSC format and burning it for them? Problem solved.

It is a documentary about the Art of Australia. It is doubtful that this would be available anywhere on the net.

This?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03cclmx

If it's one and the same, it is available for download to those not opposed to that sort of thing.

[IparryU]

How about "getting" the movie in NTSC format and burning it for them? Problem solved.

It is a documentary about the Art of Australia. It is doubtful that this would be available anywhere on the net.

This?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03cclmx

If it's one and the same, it is available for download to those not opposed to that sort of thing.

there are 3 shows.... only the first one is getting anywhere.

[Mike Oxlong]

How about "getting" the movie in NTSC format and burning it for them? Problem solved.

It is a documentary about the Art of Australia. It is doubtful that this would be available anywhere on the net.

This?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03cclmx

If it's one and the same, it is available for download to those not opposed to that sort of thing.

there are 3 shows.... only the first one is getting anywhere.

I tried, purely for research purposes. All good.

[wagyl]

I hope the program was educational and informative.

[IparryU]

GG, do you know what type of dvd player they have by any chance?