PAL to NTSC

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I've noticed lately that some VHS tapes are released in Europe and not in the US. How would one go about getting PAL VHS tapes and putting them on VCD for NTSC playback?

Thanks in advance,

-- Michael S. Gilmore (mgilmore@san.rr.com), April 04, 2000

Answers

This has always been at the back of my mind but have never gotten around to trying it, namely capturing a PAL tape and creating an NTSC VCD with it because all VCD players and TVs I'm aware of around me play both easily. I'm know you have the Panasonic encoder, so why don't we try this: capture the way you do in PAL, then before hitting the start encode button, you simply choose NTSC VCD template in Panasonic. The resulting files will now be 29.97fps, 352x240 and I'm curious as to what their quality will be. By the way have you found the patches to take away copy-protection on your G400??

-- EMartinez (epmartinez@yahoo.com), April 04, 2000.

Here is a comment or two:

Its pretty tricky stuff to author in another TV system that is not native, padded frames and all that, quite apart from the frame size differences between the systems cause some problems that cannot be solved without a lot more equipment.

I have sent PAL VCD's around the world and DVD players like the Pioneer 525 do an on the fly conversion just fine to NTSC even on a non multi system TV it seems. The Hollywood Plus card does not have any problems at all in doing an on the fly conversion from one format to the other in any system. Best card since sliced bread in this VCD business. Anyone with that will get an extraordinary result from either format.

At least Doug, Roberto, Long and Matias can comment on this PAL/NTSC/PAL process.

I have played home brewed NTSC VCD's done by two of the guys above and others on multi system TV's and there is no problem and I have looked at them converted to PAL as well.

Not a problem when you have the right gear available, all have been based on recomendations from posters on this site giving experienced information for all to take note of. But I wish I had a Pioneer 525.

When I was doing analogue I did a conversion of a PAL video sequence to NTSC in Premiere 5.1a by setting up a preset to do that but the padded frames gave a jerky presentation. Zoom outs were particularly effected. For some reason it appears better if frames are removed rather than 5 added to the stream and one dropped every 1000.

Michael if your in NTSC you will need a PAL player for the PAL tapes otherwise you cannot capture the stuff correctly. In this country we have PAL VCR's that can play NTSC but its not a full conversion and therfore one cannot record/capture it at all.

The D8 PAL digital DV cameras will play back full blown NTSC so if someone sent me some D8 vision in NTSC I could actually play it, capture it and do an edited version in an NLE program and get it all back to a NTSC VCD, not a problem at all. I have done several stills presentations in NTSC. Surprising how many people wanted NTSC wedding albums to go to the States.

Actually I always wondered about the 50 cycles and 60 cycles power source effect on a video and it is actually noticable in artificial light. My PAL vision on the Missouri in Hawaii has fluttering lights because of the 50-60 cycle difference not because they needed changing.

-- Ross McL (rmclennan@esc.net.au), April 05, 2000.


One way is to use a Worldwide VCR. I have a Samsung SV-3000W that will play ANY tape format and output in ANY video format (NTSC/PAL/SECAM/MESECAM... etc). I love it and can now encode all those shows I recorded when I lived in the UK 10 years ago. PS: It also allows me to take any input and record the tape in any standard. I can record an NTSC input signal and create a PAL tape that I can send to Europe.... :-) Anyone wanna trade....???

-- EG Marshall (4me@schoolmail.com), April 05, 2000.

excellent additional equipment EG, Panasonic made the W1 a few years back, makes it easy to generate VCDs. Why would ya wanna trade?

-- Ross McL (rmclennan@esc.net.au), April 05, 2000.

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