CyberLink PowerDirector
142
NTSC vs. PAL
NTSC and PAL are formats adopted by television broadcasters in
different countries. The main difference between the two formats
is the number of frames per second they offer: 30 in NTSC, and
25 in PAL. This difference means that a movie recorded in NTSC
format is unplayable by a PAL player and vice versa.
Fortunately, the question of whether to use PAL or NTSC
television format for your disc can be reduced to the following
simple question:
• In which country do you plan to play this disc?
Since all countries use either the NTSC or PAL format, knowing
the country in which the disc will be played pretty much resolves
this issue for you. By selecting the desired country in
PowerDirector, the television format (PAL or NTSC) is
automatically set.
Note: Generally speaking, the United States, Japan,
Canada, and Mexico use NTSC, while Germany, Great
Britain, South America, Australia, and most Western
European and Asian countries use PAL.
Video Quality
The different video quality settings (HQ, SP, and LP) available in
CyberLink PowerDirector result in a final picture of higher or
lower quality and a movie file of larger or smaller size. Better
quality video also demands more from your computer and limits
the video duration you can burn to disc. Below is a comparison
of the length of video you can expect to be able to burn to a DVD
using the different qualities:
• HQ (High Quality): 60 mins
• SP (Standard Play): 120 mins
• LP (Long Play): 180 mins
For the best possible image in your final production, select the
highest video quality that will allow your production to fit onto
the disc type you are using. Your ultimate choice of video quality,
