Saving animations in NTSC format

[Kcallwood]

When saving an .avi, Xara 3D Maker 7 saves the files in PAL format. I need NTSC format (United States, Region 1) but have not found an option in 3D Maker to allow me to switch to the NTSC standard. Does anyone know how to do this? Otherwise, the software is worthless to me.

[ShapeShifter]

Actually this has nothing to do with the xara software, it's up to you to configure the codec you choose when exporting as .avi container.

Here I've selected Windows Media Video9


But you may have other codecs installed that you can choose from.

[Kcallwood]

SHAPESHIFTER: I am not finding an option to do what you suggest when clicking "Export Animation".

The steps I am taking in Xara 3D Maker 7:
1) Main Menu, Save Animation


2) Dialog Box, Save as type: AVI


3) Pop Up Box, Export as AVI, click "AVI Options"


4) Next window has an "Options" drop down dialog


5) I encode as XviD MPEG-4 Codec


6) Click: "Configure"


7) Click "Zone Options"...nothing there regarding PAL or NTSC format during export.

8) Click: "Advanced Options" ... nothing there either regarding PAL or NTSC format during export.


9) Switching to any of the for Microsoft MPEG-4 Video Codecs installed with Xara also reveals no option to change default from PAL to NTSC

10) I cannot access Windows Media Video 9 from within Xara Export Animation. Do we have the same version of the software?

There are converters that will switch formats from PAL to NTSC after the video file is rendered, but there is always a severe degradation of quality. I need for Xara, like every other video software, to render the file as NTSC, not PAL. PAL and NTSC are standards, not codecs. North and South America use NTSC standards. Most of the rest of the world uses the PAL standard.

[ShapeShifter]

Yes, X3D version 7. Only this version has support for exporting to an AVI container.

Switching to any of the for Microsoft MPEG-4 Video Codecs installed with Xara also reveals no option to change default from PAL to NTSC

Xara doesn't install any video codecs as far as I am aware.

In Xara help it say's:
"AVI options. Clicking this will allow you to choose from any of the AVI codecs on your computer."
In other words, it will use whatever you choose from that which you already have installed.

Perhaps you need to download the WMV9 codec.
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en...ls.aspx?id=507

[Kcallwood]

Yes, X3D version 7. Only this version has support for exporting to an AVI container.

Xara doesn't install any video codecs as far as I am aware.

In Xara help it say's:
"AVI options. Clicking this will allow you to choose from any of the AVI codecs on your computer."
In other words, it will use whatever you choose from that which you already have installed.

Perhaps you need to download the WMV9 codec.
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en...ls.aspx?id=507

That is a 2004 codec which, when attempting installation, reports that it is incompatible with XP Pro and Windows Media Player 10 and above. Besides, WMV9 is several quality steps backwards from the videos I produce for my customers. I still cannot accept that this is a codec issue. All of my other softwares give me a preference between PAL and NTSC without a problem. I am only having this problem with Xara. I have 2348 codecs resident and have done a conflict check. None of the codecs are interfering with each other and all of the codecs will encode in either of the two standards formats.

There has to be an option somewhere in Xara to choose to render in either PAL or NTSC unless 3D Maker was designed to be used only in European and Mid-East markets.

[ShapeShifter]

I still cannot accept that this is a codec issue. All of my other softwares give me a preference between PAL and NTSC without a problem.

Well I guess this is the purpose of trial versions -- to see whether the software is suitable for your needs. Clearly it is not.
Perhaps you could ask for this kind of support in the Dear Xara.. forum? Xara developers check there.

[Kcallwood]

Yeah...I suppose using the trial version would have been nice. I already purchased the software. I did put in a ticket to support earlier today. I was just hoping that someone had a solution faster than their support section works. I have deadlines to meet. Ah, well.

Thank you for your assistance.

[Kcallwood]

This is the response I received from Xara Support:

"Hi

We should allow for the frame rate to be set on export and this will allow you to achieve your requirements and i have raised this as a suggestion.

the differences within an AVI between NTSC and PAL would be the frame rate and the video size.

At present, what i suggest is to resize your animation as desired prior to export. With regards to the frame rate, you could make each frame 20% longer prior to exporting the AVI and then change the video speed to 30 frames per second within any video editing program.


Many thanks
CS"

I only wish the difference between PAL and NTSC were that different. PAL and NTSC also have different aspect ratios and phasing which is not a function of Frames per Second.