DVD Studio Pro - Setting the Video Standard

Setting the Video Standard

The DVD-Video specification supports two video standards: NTSC and PAL. This may
appear to leave out those countries that use the SECAM or PAL-M video standards.
However, because the MPEG video on DVDs is in a component format, your sources, once
MPEG-encoded, only need to conform to the line and frame rates of either the NTSC or
PAL standard.

• Use the NTSC video standard: If you are in a country that supports either the NTSC or

PAL-M video standard. Both standards use a 29.97 fps frame rate with 525 lines per
frame. As a general rule, if your country uses 60 Hz AC power, you should use the NTSC
video standard.

• Use the PAL video standard: If you are in a country that supports either the PAL or SECAM

video standard. Both standards use a 25 fps frame rate with 625 lines per frame. As a
general rule, if your country uses 50 Hz AC power, you should use the PAL video
standard.

See

Video Standards of the World

for a list of countries and the video standards they

support.

You cannot mix NTSC and PAL assets on a DVD. See

NTSC or PAL?

for more information.

Also see

Changing a Project’s Video Standard

for information on converting a project

from one video standard to the other.

Important:

If you have any doubts about whether your system is set to the correct

standard, you should verify its setting (described next) and change it if necessary before
you start adding assets to your project.

To set the video standard for the current project in the Disc Inspector

1

Choose View > Show Inspector if the Inspector is not visible.

2

Do one of the following:

• Select the project’s name (next to the disc icon) in the Outline tab. (Choose Window >

Outline if the Outline tab is not visible.)

• Click an empty area in the Graphical tab.

The Disc Inspector appears.

Select the video standard
before adding assets.

3

In the General tab, select either NTSC or PAL to set the project’s video standard.

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Chapter 9

Starting a Project