What's the difference between Pal / NTSC VCD ?

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Video CD : One Thread

What's the difference between Pal / NTSC VCD ? Is the quality of Pal VCD any better than NTSC VCD?

-- Alex (lkc2000@hotmail.com), July 09, 2001

Answers

PAL VCD has higher resolution than NTSC VCD.

-- Tend (tendtend@yahoo.com), July 09, 2001.

The difference between PAL and NTSC is the resolution and frame- rate. A video picture if procduced by a number of horizontal lines going onto the screen per frame. A PAL Television presents 625 lines per frame at 25 frames per second. An NTSC Televison produces 525 lines per frame (technically inferior) at 30 frames per second (technically supirior!). To the best of my knowledge, a VHS video has 240 lines (24fps) in PAL and 225 lines (30fps) in NTSC, hence a PAL VHS cassette can run for up to 240 minutes in SP mode, whereas an NTSC VHS cassette of the same length can only run for about 165 minutes, due to the extra 5 frames per second required for NTSC. Please feel free to correct any mistake I may have made in providing this information. From Charlie :)

-- Charlie R. Brown (farty_breath@hotmail.com), July 09, 2001.

To contribute to what Charlie said, NTSC is the North American resolution for video viewing and PAL is the resolution used for most European countries. As Charlie explained, since the resoultions are different, you might experience problems playing a VCD on a Pal. I discovered this problem when I bought my VCD as a karaoke system. I couldn't figure out why I wasn't getting a quality picture until I changed the setting on the VCD to NTSC. To save yourself headache, leave the setting on NTSC. The option is offered because VCD's are sold across the world, but no one really explains the difference.

-- Faison (wfaison@earthlink.net), January 17, 2002.

Yes, you both are very correct. Indeedly do are you. Less we forget that most movies that are burned to regular cd-r's and played on PAL will not play properly until played on NTSC... Good Show Chaps!!

-- John (kingbarz@hotmail.com), August 01, 2003.

Moderation questions? read the FAQ