Huh I Can Convert PAL to NTSC with DVD Shrink DVD Fab

Peachesbackwards

Now I'm totally confused & would appreciate someones help on this. I have a multi system DVD player at home as well as 2 regular NTSC DVD players. I ordered a Box set on PAL DVD from the UK of a UK TV series that I can't get on NTSC DVD here. Out of curiosity I tried to play it on both of my NTSC DVD players but couldn't because of the region. Obviously it plays on my multi system DVD recorder. Anyway, just for the hell of it, I put one of the PAL DVDs in my computer (the original was no encrypted if that matters)& using DVD Shrink with DVD Fab enabled, made another DVD. I did not expect this to play on my NTSC players. It does with interactive menu as well. Can someone explain to me why I could convert as I was told there is no way to convert PAL to NTSC, with or without encryptions, with an interactive menu and everything, on your computer. What gives?

abrown15

I would guess that your DVD player is capable of playing PAL discs - all you have done is remove the region code.

bigmacnc

For instructions on conversion go here:

http://forum.digital-digest.com/show...light=ntsc+pal

PAL is720x576 and NTST is 720x480

Mack

Peachesbackwards

Why do I keep getting responses in this forum that have nothing to do with my thread.
To reiterate, using DVD Shrink & DVD FAB, I apparently can make from a PAL DVD a DVD clone with interactive menu that will play on my NTSC DVD players. These DVD players play NTSC DVDs only & I could not get the original PAL DVD to play on the NTSC DVD players (Harmon Kardon 31) but the clone DVD will.

ianmerc

What abrown15 is saying is that the region code was probably removed during conversion/burning which created a region free disc that apparently can be played on most DVD players. Your DVD player must be able to play PAL region free discs. at least I think that is what he meant.

bilbo65

Neither program will convert PAL to NTSC...

reasonsnotrules

it's possible that your dvd player is multi-format, but region locked is what the first response implies.

when you made the backup, you made a region free PAL copy of your disc. removing the region coding on the disc was enough to allow it to play on your player.

neither of the programs you used do ANYTHING in the way of converting formats so that seems to be the only sensible solution.

have you looked up your standalone model on www.videohelp.com to see what others have had to say about it? maybe it's one of those things that's not a feature in teh specs, but is a nice surprise once you remove the region...

Peachesbackwards

Well these programs apparently enable you to make from a PAL original that will not play on US NTSC DVD Players a DVD that will play on NTSC DVD players. Therefore ifso facto it has converted the clode to NTSC. My Harmon Kardon 31 DVD player specifically says it will not play PAL DVDs.

reasonsnotrules

it's possible that it's a generic standalone marketed in many countries that got the US specs and a R1 region code lock slapped onto it...

i'd think with the way most hardware is packaged and sold nowadays we all know not to not trust what it says on the box...

hell, i went to staples the other day and opened 5 of the SAME boxes and found 3 different drives inside them...

im not saying this is the reason that your backup worked, but I am saying that you did not convert formats using those programs because they are incapable of that function.

HUN

Peach...,

Trust the coments here and celebrate: you have a multi DVD player for the price of a NTSC DVD player.

abrown15

Why do people insist on asking questions and not accepting the answers they are given? The software you are using does not convert PAL to NTSC - however what it does do is remove any region code.

The only way you have converted PAL to NTSC is if you have used another program such as TMPGEnc or DVD Santa.

If you are really interest you can even make you player region free - http://www.videohelp.com/dvdhacks.ph...n+Kardon+DVD31

Although could that bit of information be construed as having nothing to do with your thread?

Peachesbackwards

Again, the fact is if the Harmon Kardon 31 DVD player was a multi player I would be able to play the original PAL DVD which I clearly can't. However the DVD backup I made will play in the system & I conclude therefore must be NTSC DVD
Are you guys saying that if my original was PAL Regio free it would play on my NTSC only DVD player?

abrown15

http://reviews-zdnet.com.com/Harman_...-31140733.html

Have a look here at this review. It clearly states it will play PAL DVD's.

If you are still unwilling to accept what I say, you can download something like AnyDVD which will tell you the format of the video you are playing!

reasonsnotrules

yes. you cannot play the original because it had a region code different from teh region on your player.

and abrown has just proven that your player is not NTSC only.

I don't understand why you're so defiant against accepting this? If anything, I would be pleasantly surprised...

Peachesbackwards

I am pleasently surprised but I don't understand the reason why a Non NTSC DVD will play on my NTSC computer if the original doesn't. As to the ZDNEt review that says it plays PAL, that's nonscence, the specs & Harmon Kardon itself says it will play NTSC only & obviously my PAL DVDs won't play on it.

abrown15

Right....

Your original PAL disc is PAL video standard and had a region code of 2. When you place it in your player, it will not play as your player is locked to region 1. Okay so far? When you make the backup, you remove the region code. Therefore your player will play it. If you follow the link I posted above, you can make your player region free, this means that it will even play the original!!!!!

If you care to use Google, and search on your player, you will find many references to it being able to play PAL discs regards less what the specs say.

Keep in mind as well that PC's don't care what video standard the disc is, PAL, NTSC or even SECAM (do you actually get SECAM DVD's? Anyway I digress)

The way to tell once and for all is to go to www.slysoft.com and download AnyDVD - it has a 21 day free trial. When you put your copy into your computer it will pop up a little information window and tell you what the Video Standard is.

Failing that, then just don't believe what anyone is posting on this thread - and you and you alone has found a very quick way to convert PAL to NTSC.

reasonsnotrules

just to reiterate:

DVDs have 2 "locks" on them 1) the region code and 2) the format

many dvd players are both region and format locked.

yours is simply region locked.

this means you can play both formats, but only if it is the specified region.

you have not been able to play your originals in the past because it has a region different from what your player is locked to NOT because there's a format incompatibility.

by using dvd shrink you made a REGION FREE PAL backup of your original disc. you can now play this on your standalone because there's no region lock on the disc...it works with ALL region players.

it says NTSC only on the box probably because of what I said before...it's a mass marketed piece of electronics. rather than change the hardware capability to sell to different countries they did a huge production run of multiformat players then region locked them to whatever region they were being shipped out to. as we all know, it doens't matter what it says on the box ESPECIALLY in regards to electronics.

and as has already been stated, computer DVD drives have no such region or format lock on them which is why everything works on your PC.

monster mash

In support of what has been said, I have two identical cheapo DVD players I won in a competition (the type which cost little more than a DVD film itself) and despite the box and instructions saying they are Region 2 PAL I was pleasantly surprised to find they will play NTSC disks from any region as well. I just accept the fact as a bonus.

A program like Nero can do NTSC/PAL conversions, but it does take a time to convert a film...

Peachesbackwards

Thanks for your answers which make sense to me. The only thing I can't understand is why DVD's aren't automatically region 0 to let one play on any DVD player if it doesn't cost any more to do.

Peachesbackwards

I'm concluding from all this, please correct me if I'm wrong, that a PAL DVD Region 0 DVD will play on any US NTSC only DVD player & an NTSC Region 0 DVD will play on any European PAL only DVD player. Is this a correct assumption? If so, as I posted previously, if it doesn't cost me to manufacture, then why don't all commercial DVDs come in Region 0?

GregRocket

This pretty much somes up why there are Region Codes on DVDs

http://hometheater.about.com/cs/dvdl...gioncodesa.htm

bigfootuk

DVD's arnt Region 0 by default for one simple reason MONEY distrubutors can make far more by 'locking' the disks to a specific region/country ALSO there are censorship issues films get 'cut' differently and tailored for different audiences so the same film will be different in say the US and the UK and thus get a different certificate.

ianmerc

Peaches
You said to correct you if you are wrong and yes you are wrong. A PAL region 0 DVD will NOT play on a US NTSC only DVD player. As many people have already explained. The region codes are irrelevant if the format is not the same. PAL and NTSC both have different screen resolutions. If any DVD player plays a region 0 disc of PAL or NTSC then the DVD player is multi format. That is a FACT. It does not matter who says what.

Arniceous

Nice Job Reasonsnotrules this was very clear and if no one understood this msg you posted they best give their pc away because they are too dumb

Arniceous

I use DVD Decrypter & DVD Shrink the burning engine is a Nero plugin inside DVD Shrink its automatic. I use this process to quickly crab the vob. off the disk via files option. Then I simply point DVDShrink in file format option as well to the destination folder where the rendered data is sitting. Simple but effect out dated software still kicking butt. The whole process takes me roughly 40 minutes working with 8.5 DL DVD+R PAL to 4.7 DVD-R NTSC

processing times will vary.

My configuration: Windows XP PRO MSE - AMD Athlon 1.2 GH 2.0 GB DDR2 RAM FSB 550 Mhz

You may actually use Magic DVD Ripper and convert the files into MPEG2 NTSC then use DVDShrink to make it fit onto 4.7 GB Media as well but this process takes an additional 2 hrs. I don't see the point plus there will be a slight drop in clarity as well.