NTSC / PAL diagnosis

September 28, 2005 12:11 PM

I live in the US , and am trying to trade DVDs with a correspondent in the UK. They wish to know a quick and easy way to determine if their DVDs are in NTSC or PAL format. Not looking for an NTSC/PAL conversion, just a diagnostic tool. Any ideas?
posted by Anders Levant to technology (12 comments total)

If it says 'PAL' on the DVD's label, it's a fair bet that it's PAL. YMMV.
posted by veedubya at 12:17 PM on September 28, 2005

Most should say somewhere on the packaging.

The quickest diagnostic is just that ~all Region 2 discs that aren't Japanese will be in PAL.

If you want something definitive, your UK person should open the dvd on a computer. There should be something in the properties that tells you whether it's PAL or NTSC, or (s)he can look at the size -- NTSC discs should be 480 pixels tall, PAL should be 576.

In your shoes, I'd probably just get a region-free, PAL/NTSC player (philips 642) and not worry about it.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 12:21 PM on September 28, 2005

and according to this, PAL players sold in PAL countries can usually do NTSC-to-PAL. so it look slike if you get a PAL-to-NTSC as ROU_Xeno suggests, you guys would be set.
posted by fishfucker at 12:39 PM on September 28, 2005

All of the above: the packaging should be labelled; using PowerDVD or WinDVD or whatever you can take a screengrab, open it in Photoshop and use the pixel height; most PAL players not only play NTSC discs, but also many have a little PAL/ NTSC LED display.

Take your pick....
posted by forallmankind at 1:00 PM on September 28, 2005

just to add to forallmannk

Pal: 720x576
ntsc: 720x480
posted by filmgeek at 1:10 PM on September 28, 2005

filmgeek: but that'll look different if it's anamorphic. Then it'll show up as 854x480 or 1024x576.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 1:19 PM on September 28, 2005

DVD Decrypter gives you region, format & protection information and is free!
posted by starscream at 1:50 PM on September 28, 2005

The frame-rate is what I use as a diagnostic; PAL is 25 fps, NTSC is 23.976. Pop the DVD into a computer and most media-playing software will give you the info.
posted by nowonmai at 2:02 PM on September 28, 2005

29.976.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 2:08 PM on September 28, 2005

I use Mac the Ripper on a Mac (free app from versiontracker). It tells me the region. It's it's 2 or 4, the disc is more than likely PAL.
posted by dobbs at 3:43 PM on September 28, 2005

DVD Decrypter works like a charm, just what I needed....thanks a million starscream, and thanks to everyone else for helping.
posted by Anders Levant at 9:15 PM on September 28, 2005

One other way: Load up the DVD in Media Player Classic and select View->Information. It will tell you the resolution and refresh rate of the video stream (i.e. NTSC is 720x480, 60 hz... I believe PAL should be 720x576, 50 hz).

Of course, to do that you'd need a region-free drive.
posted by neckro23 at 9:27 PM on September 28, 2005