I live in the UK so I have PAL but I know that a lot of countries have NTSC formatting (although France has seacam) but what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
I don't seem to see any difference when I watch a video which is NTSC and one which is PAL.
NTSC vs. PAL
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dillpops
- Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2004 11:19 am
- Location: UK
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dillpops
- Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2004 11:19 am
- Location: UK
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Re: NTSC vs. PAL
Actually, I just found a page with some good info:dillpops wrote:I live in the UK so I have PAL but I know that a lot of countries have NTSC formatting (although France has seacam) but what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
I don't seem to see any difference when I watch a video which is NTSC and one which is PAL.
http://www.microcinema.com/index/ntsc
Sorry about this *I'm such a newbie* I guess I'm still getting my bearings with all the technological jargon -_-
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AbsoluteDestiny
- Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2001 1:56 pm
- Location: Oxford, UK
- Contact:
OK here are the hard facts for amv makers in the UK or any other PAL or SECAM country.
1) All TV anime is produced for NTSC, being the native format in Japan. Most western movie prints also use an NTSC source and for this reason...
2) 98% of the PAL anime DVDs will be pre-converted from NTSC and will have HORRID interlacing that is almost impossible to get rid of without some pretty ugly de-interlacing. NTSC dvds can often be IVTC'd and will almost always be better quality - particularly for editing.
3) US dvds are almost always cheaper. If you don't believe me go to http://www.dvdpricecheck.co.uk to search for the same title in many regions. UK buyers will only ever find cheaper deals in Australia or in bargain bins.
4) To buy US dvds cheaply you really need a credit card, however some retailers such as http://www.movietyme.com allow Switch and Solo cards (and other debit cards).
So, the long and short of it is that you should buy US releases and not worry about PAL. There's more of them and they are cheaper and better quality, so there's no reason to be paying £20 a disc in HMV for something that is going to suck for editing.
1) All TV anime is produced for NTSC, being the native format in Japan. Most western movie prints also use an NTSC source and for this reason...
2) 98% of the PAL anime DVDs will be pre-converted from NTSC and will have HORRID interlacing that is almost impossible to get rid of without some pretty ugly de-interlacing. NTSC dvds can often be IVTC'd and will almost always be better quality - particularly for editing.
3) US dvds are almost always cheaper. If you don't believe me go to http://www.dvdpricecheck.co.uk to search for the same title in many regions. UK buyers will only ever find cheaper deals in Australia or in bargain bins.
4) To buy US dvds cheaply you really need a credit card, however some retailers such as http://www.movietyme.com allow Switch and Solo cards (and other debit cards).
So, the long and short of it is that you should buy US releases and not worry about PAL. There's more of them and they are cheaper and better quality, so there's no reason to be paying £20 a disc in HMV for something that is going to suck for editing.
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HeavyMetal
- Joined: Sat Jan 24, 2004 9:45 pm
PAL vs NTSC
The Difference:
Well the most obvious difference is the frame rate.
NTSC has a frame rate of 29.97.
Pal has a frame rate of 23
The frame rate is the number of still pictures per second.
Put simply the higher the number the smoother the motion.
NTSC rate of thirty fps frames per second is better.
What to Use:
As for PAL it is basically a UK only thing. I like the metric system it makes a lot more sense than the English standard system. However PAL sucks.
If your doing video editing and watching on a computer stick with NTSC regardless of where you are in the world. Computers can do both PAL and NTSC, so throw out PAL.
How to Know the Format:
If you want to make sure your video source is right check the DVD box. It should say somewhere on the box what format was used. It is usually written in small print near the bottom of the rear cover. It may be written somewhere else, but I have managed to find it written somwhere on the box.
Japan uses NTSC so most Anime is will be formatted in NTSC.
Well the most obvious difference is the frame rate.
NTSC has a frame rate of 29.97.
Pal has a frame rate of 23
The frame rate is the number of still pictures per second.
Put simply the higher the number the smoother the motion.
NTSC rate of thirty fps frames per second is better.
What to Use:
As for PAL it is basically a UK only thing. I like the metric system it makes a lot more sense than the English standard system. However PAL sucks.
If your doing video editing and watching on a computer stick with NTSC regardless of where you are in the world. Computers can do both PAL and NTSC, so throw out PAL.
How to Know the Format:
If you want to make sure your video source is right check the DVD box. It should say somewhere on the box what format was used. It is usually written in small print near the bottom of the rear cover. It may be written somewhere else, but I have managed to find it written somwhere on the box.
Japan uses NTSC so most Anime is will be formatted in NTSC.
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bum
- 17747114553
- Joined: Sat Nov 08, 2003 9:56 pm
actualy PAL has a frame rate pf 25, not 23. oh and, PAL does have a slight advantage of having a higher resolution than NTSC . then again, i never notice any interlacing issues, not even when converting to divx. meh, i reckon the american guys here are just trying to make us PAL contries (all european contries are PAL, like australia) jealouse 
(which is probaly why they didnt mention that we have a higher resolution)
(which is probaly why they didnt mention that we have a higher resolution)-
AbsoluteDestiny
- Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2001 1:56 pm
- Location: Oxford, UK
- Contact:
HeavyMetal, that was a really useless and mostly incorrect summary of PAL.
PAL is vastly superior to NTSC in many ways, it's just unfortunate that most anime goes through a really horrid conversion process to become PAL.
PAL has much better chroma handling, it has a higher natural resolution (more lines) and rarely uses interlacing when converting from film... it's just that anime is NTSC so to make it PAL it has to inherit all of the flaws of NTSC and more from the conversion process which just really sucks.
PAL is vastly superior to NTSC in many ways, it's just unfortunate that most anime goes through a really horrid conversion process to become PAL.
PAL has much better chroma handling, it has a higher natural resolution (more lines) and rarely uses interlacing when converting from film... it's just that anime is NTSC so to make it PAL it has to inherit all of the flaws of NTSC and more from the conversion process which just really sucks.
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SS5_Majin_Bebi
- Joined: Mon Jul 15, 2002 8:07 pm
- Location: Why? So you can pretend you care? (Brisbane, Australia)
I agree with bum (sounds wrong...AbsoluteDestiny wrote:HeavyMetal, that was a really useless and mostly incorrect summary of PAL.
PAL is vastly superior to NTSC in many ways, it's just unfortunate that most anime goes through a really horrid conversion process to become PAL.
PAL has much better chroma handling, it has a higher natural resolution (more lines) and rarely uses interlacing when converting from film... it's just that anime is NTSC so to make it PAL it has to inherit all of the flaws of NTSC and more from the conversion process which just really sucks.
) when he says that PAL has never given him any interlacing issues. The only time I've had an interlacing problem was with the X/1999 movie. Butt hen I'd previously heard it had been interlaced by Satan himself, so I was expecting it...-
HeavyMetal
- Joined: Sat Jan 24, 2004 9:45 pm
West Asia
I have to worry about interlacing and other format issues because I do not use a capture card.
I convert the DVD with software alone.
Second I watch a good bit of British comedy, most in its original format. PAL is not impressive. Brag about resolution all you want, but when you have sight that foils magic shows it takes a higher frame rate for smooth motion. Honestly, I wish 60 fps would take over, but it would be hard to animate.
You PAL junkies are probably the same people converting 16:9 wide-screen to the less cinematic 4:3 TV ratio. People just don't get artistic triangularity in the picture.
To the subject at hand I was just making a point to say NEVER switch NTSC to PAL or PAL to NTSC. It ruins the interlacing and other quality aspects most people aren't quick enough to consciously notice. Converting NTSC to PAL won't increase quality so screw it.
If the technological capital of the world i.e. Japan uses NTSC. That is what I would prefer.
If it's not Sony, save your money.
The only mistake I made was in PALs frame rate. It is 25 fps. I admit that. I don't use it, so I forget its minor details.
Only Europe uses PAL to my knowledge. Maybe India, but they tend to make musicals. (vomit)
I'm not worried about picture resolution. My monitor is flat screen and enhanced. I won't touch VHS either. If PAL had a significant resolution advantage I would have noticed.
As for bum, well, the day I am jealous of the conservative nations from which PAL originates is the day the devil I don't believe in gives slay rides.
Europe is not without its merits. Heavy Metal like Ozzy and Def Leppard are from Europe. Pre-Ford Jaguar, Aston, and some Mercedes are also good. Napoleon's metric system is superior to the English Standard the US still uses.
However my own US (with exception to Intel) and Europe suck in matters of technology.
I'll take Japan’s choice of NTSC.
I vote we change Europe to West Asia.
I convert the DVD with software alone.
Second I watch a good bit of British comedy, most in its original format. PAL is not impressive. Brag about resolution all you want, but when you have sight that foils magic shows it takes a higher frame rate for smooth motion. Honestly, I wish 60 fps would take over, but it would be hard to animate.
You PAL junkies are probably the same people converting 16:9 wide-screen to the less cinematic 4:3 TV ratio. People just don't get artistic triangularity in the picture.
To the subject at hand I was just making a point to say NEVER switch NTSC to PAL or PAL to NTSC. It ruins the interlacing and other quality aspects most people aren't quick enough to consciously notice. Converting NTSC to PAL won't increase quality so screw it.
If the technological capital of the world i.e. Japan uses NTSC. That is what I would prefer.
If it's not Sony, save your money.
The only mistake I made was in PALs frame rate. It is 25 fps. I admit that. I don't use it, so I forget its minor details.
Only Europe uses PAL to my knowledge. Maybe India, but they tend to make musicals. (vomit)
I'm not worried about picture resolution. My monitor is flat screen and enhanced. I won't touch VHS either. If PAL had a significant resolution advantage I would have noticed.
As for bum, well, the day I am jealous of the conservative nations from which PAL originates is the day the devil I don't believe in gives slay rides.
Europe is not without its merits. Heavy Metal like Ozzy and Def Leppard are from Europe. Pre-Ford Jaguar, Aston, and some Mercedes are also good. Napoleon's metric system is superior to the English Standard the US still uses.
However my own US (with exception to Intel) and Europe suck in matters of technology.
I'll take Japan’s choice of NTSC.
I vote we change Europe to West Asia.
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Rozard
- Joined: Wed Oct 31, 2001 10:39 pm
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DJ_Izumi
- Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2001 8:29 am
- Location: Canada
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Re: West Asia
Change that to "I'll take occupying America's choice for Japan of NTSC." and the sentance will be more correct.HeavyMetal wrote:I'll take Japan’s choice of NTSC.
