PAL and NTSC on DVDs
#1
Original Poster


Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: BOS, LHR, BLR
Posts: 694
PAL and NTSC on DVDs
My boss just asked me and I couldn't answer. We're in India and someone is producing a DVD for viewing in both Europe and the US. Do we need to ensure that the US-bound DVDs are NTSC formatted?
I watch Indian and US movies all the time on my laptop, but I don't know about US DVD players.
I watch Indian and US movies all the time on my laptop, but I don't know about US DVD players.
#2


Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: AMS
Programs: A number, but no status no more
Posts: 3,050
Hi,
I don't think it's as much a question of the DVD player, but rather the TV that it will be displayed on. You will notice that you can play any DVD on your laptop (as long as the zone is correct).
As such, I would recommend that you do select the NTSC format for the US bound ones, just to be on the safe side.
Cheers,
GenevaFlyer
As such, I would recommend that you do select the NTSC format for the US bound ones, just to be on the safe side.
Cheers,
GenevaFlyer
#4




Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Philly
Programs: AA : GOLD
Posts: 119
I'm guessing since this is a custom made DVD you don't have to worry about region encoding, but just in case I would make sure they make the region set to ALL. Are you controlling the DVD playback? Or are you just sending these out? If you are sending these out, then you need to make sure you have both PAL and NTSC versions.
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist


Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: An NPR mind living in a Fox News world
Posts: 14,343
I've found that the DVD player does make a difference. Last year, we brought a bunch of DVDs back from Australia. They wouldn't play in the US Sony DVD player but would play in my 7" portable player that I take on flights. I connected the portable player to an input port on my analog TV set and they played normally.
The Aussie DVDs also worked normally on the computer, which makes me think that there wouldn't be a problem playing them through a digital TV set.
I did look on line and found some multi-region/multi-system DVD players and DVRs. They're not cheap. My advice would be to bring the DVD home and try them on the equipment you already own before you go and buy more hardware.
The Aussie DVDs also worked normally on the computer, which makes me think that there wouldn't be a problem playing them through a digital TV set.
I did look on line and found some multi-region/multi-system DVD players and DVRs. They're not cheap. My advice would be to bring the DVD home and try them on the equipment you already own before you go and buy more hardware.
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Newport Beach, California, USA
Posts: 36,062
Absolutely. Most US players don't handle PAL. Oddly, it's usually the "no name" bargain players than can handle both, though I've found the PAL to NTSC conversion that they perform is less than smooth.
#7




Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Philly
Programs: AA : GOLD
Posts: 119
http://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayers
You can look up your DVD player and see if it will handle PAL and NTSC.
You can look up your DVD player and see if it will handle PAL and NTSC.
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Newport Beach, California, USA
Posts: 36,062
Incidentally, I picked up an NTSC/PAL DVD player -- a Panasonic -- from J&R (www.jr.com) for, if I recall correctly, around $60. This wasn't one of those bargain cheapies that breaks in less than a year, but a pretty good machine. I bought it for Mrs. PTravel so that she can watch Chinese movies that she picks up when we go visit. It works great -- very smooth conversion, no audio sync problems, and it somehow manages to compensate for the speed difference, so everything looks normally paced.

