How to convert, or rip, "tinny" PAL to NTSC (25flps to 23.976) without re-encoding

What is a "tinny" movie rip? -- Why, I am so glad you asked....


A "tinny" movie is a film rip of a PAL DVD (25fps) release (usually into the European market) of a US, Japanese, or other 24fps source-region film, in which the PAL DVD does not correct audio pitch, and instead simply speeds up the film. Result? Tinny, high-pitched sound. -- This is a problem because PAL DVDs feature higher video resolution on the vertical axis than NTSC (and so most rippers prefer to harvest video from a PAL source if BluRay is not available), and also because films are frequently released in European markets before Region 1.


To pitch-correct a tinny rip WITHOUT RE-ENCODING THE VIDEO you'll need the following tools (others may also work, but these serve me well):

(Note: the following procedure is for film rips in AVI containers; for films in MKV containers, you'll to follow what is essentially the same procedure, but utilizing an MKV demuxing tool rather than VirtualDub.)

1. VirtualDubMod 1.5.10.2.b2542 (other 1.5 versions may work)
2. AutoMKV v.0984
3. MPEG4Modifier (optional)
4. AVImux_GUI (optional)

(Note: AutoMKV has ceased development, and its included Lame MP3 module is falling behind current; an updated Lame module can easily be obtained elsewhere and moved to the appropriate AutoMKV folder.)

Procedure:

0. Obtain and install the software listed above.
1. Launch VirtualDub, and drag/drop an AVI tinny rip into it.

-- If any "VBR audio" warnings appear at this point, always select No.

2. ...in Streams tab >>> Streams list, select audio track(s) and then Demux.
3. Launch AutoMKV, click "..." button top/center to right of Select Input File.
4. ...in pop-up, change "Files of Type" to audio, then browse & Open the demuxed audio.
5. ...back in AutoMKV main window, select the Audio Track if it isn't showing.
6. ...then choose Lame, stereo (or DPLII for 5:1 source), and 192 in the adjacent audio settings.
7. ...click the second-from-top "!!!" button (to right of where you chose "stereo")
8. ...in pop-up, check Normalize, then change Tempo to "25 to 23.976".
9. ...hit OK in the pop-up, then Start Encoding in the main window.

-- Depending upon various factors (length of film, speed of computer, etc), it'll take a few minutes to half-hour to re-encode the audio.

10. Back in VirtualDub, click-highlight and Disable any current audio streams.
11. ...click Add, open the .mp3 file created by AutoMKV, click Open, then OK.
12. ...click the Video tab >>> Frame Rate, Change to (type 23.976), click OK.
13. ...File >>> Save As ...make a file name, then... ***IMPORTANT***
14. ......at the bottom of the pop-up, Video mode : change to Direct stream copy.
15. ...*now* click Save.

-- VirtualDub will now remux (into an AVI) the audio and video at 23.976.

16. (optional) If file needs aspect-ratio correction, use MPEG4Modifier now.

17. (optional) Open file in AVImux_GUI, highlight name, click Generate, then Start

-- AVImux_GUI will re-write the file again into the latest version of the AVI format (this usually saves a few megabytes of size, and may possibly eliminate other problems).


HOW TO RETIME A PAL DVD DURING INITIAL RIPPING:

0. Decrypt DVD VOBs using whatever tool you usually use for that.
1. In AutoMKV, click the Advanced Profiles Editing tab (top center)
2. ...find "Change FPS", and set it to Assume FPS (1st field) and 24000,1001 (2nd)

-- AutoMKV will take care of everything else during processing, and you'll end up with 23.976fps output instead of 25fps.


HOW TO FIX A "CROAKY" (NTSC release of an original PAL film) MOVIE:

....do all the same things as above, except switch 25 and 23.976fps as appropriate.

Believe it or not, most "pro" scene rippers don't know these tricks -- look at their releases: Hollywood films at 25fps is just wrong. But they do it anyway because they either don't know or they don't care.