MovieChat Forums > Sapphire & Steel (1979) Discussion > NTSC DVDs - a problem?

NTSC DVDs - a problem?

posted 21 years ago by dpcole7
3 replies | jump to latest

I just got the DVD set today. I popped 'em in.

They all sound and look as good as they'll ever get in terms of masters quality, which is pretty decent.

Except I'm not sure on the PAL conversion. While the PAL conversion artifacting (horizontal bands across the screen) is quite tolerable, the frame rate is consistently jerky - I'd estimate it's running at 25fps, which is the PAL frame rate. As NTSC is 29.97fps, the motion appears slightly jerky.

Anyone else experience this?

Note: The menus run at proper framerate.

Thx!

[–] Prydain 21 years ago

It sounds like a poor conversion was done from PAL to NTSC. Probably something like duplicating every 5th frame, to increase the frame rate to NTSC. Though is sounds like the menus were created in the NTSC format, since they look okay.

[–] Julius_Hernandez 20 years ago

If you play it in a computer there would be no problem (obviously if you hacked your dvd rom or you can play any region), because computer video cards don't care about NTSC or PAL format.

In the TV set I watch it with a dvd player that plays any format, and it doesn't play jerky there. Of course, I bought that brand and model only in order to play the S&S dvd sets.

[–] jleather-1 20 years ago

I just bought the USA set yesterday and I know just what you mean. The slightly jerky transfer is a shame. I can't really complain as it only cost $64 for the entire series, a fraction of the cost of buying the two box-sets in the UK, but it's still a little annoying. Having said that, after watching the first episode or two I found myself noticing it less and less, and allowing the wonderful atmosphere of the show to wash over me. This show gave me nightmares as a child. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Better a child goes to bed scared of a man with no face, or of ghosts on a railway platform, than a child who thinks that it's cool to play with guns and knives and knows where Daddy keeps his. Bring back this kind of show! There aren't enough supernatural chills in childrens' TV these days, and children are the ones who are most likely to enjoy (and be scared by) a good ghost story! Adults are generally far too cynical.