PAL to NTSC DVD: Recommended MPEG encoder?
 

Hi all,

I'm considering converting a retail PAL Region 2 DVD to NTSC using the guide on the site. What is recommended to encode to MPEG in Step 7, since TMPGEnc Plus 2.5 is long gone? Something else from the TMPGEnc family perhaps?

http://www.videohelp.com/software?toolsearch=TMPGEnc

Or is there better software or a better method of completing Step 7 nowadays, of course providing the same or equivalent settings, options and specifics for optimal encoding? Much thanks. :)

You can still acquire 2.5, just not officially.

I don't do PAL>NTSC conversions often, but I switched to an Avisynth method back in 2011. I need to update that guide to reflect the newer/better method.

Use QTGMC to deinterlace in a first pass.
Then decimate it from 25p to 23.976p, use TMPGenc Plus to edit (or MainConcept/TotalCode, CCE, etc).
TMPGEnc is easier, though not as good a quality.

The audio portion is still the same.

Got that, or need to see it as a guide?

Sorry to see that the old conversion guide is so dated in spots. Dinosaurs still walked the earth in those days. There are plenty of updated encoder recommendations, including some from TMPGenc that allow use of Dolby AC3 and DTS video for output.

There are still good enocders, including TMPGenc Video Mastering Works which has the old TMPGenc image filter set or TMPGenc Authoring Works (which can accept lossless working files and other formats, and burn to disc), or go up the money ladder and try MainConcept. But I'd be less worried about step 7 and more worried about how steps 3 and 4 will ruin your video as used in that guide, and step 5 should not necessary.

The first question to be answered is paramount. Is that PAL DVD a movie that was originally film source? Or was it an interlaced telecast? PAL DVD from film is usually just speeded up from 23.976 or 24 fps progressive encoded as interlaced for DVD. It could also originate as film speed with some form of pulldown (telecine) applied to make it run at 25fps. In any case, the movie must be disassembled into progressive form before it can be resized for NTSC, then reassembled properly for encoding as NTSC. One thing to learn from the ancient steps you refer to is to never never discard fields or frames, and never never use field blending.

How you video is structured will determine how to handle it. You can make a quick cut of several seconds of the original MPEG or VOB by using the free DGIndex utility, or Womble if you like.

Most retail DVD's are encoded as dual layer at good quality bitrates or better. Don't assume that you can re-encode lossy video at lower bitrates to make it fit on a single layer DVD and keep any semblance of quality. It won't work.