GavinP

How old is your TV ? Most models made in the last five years are NTSC compatible although it may not be advertised.

The other option if NTSC definately won't work is to ensure that the player (and TV) will accept an RGB signal. This is not TV standard dependent so will work on any TV (with a RGB scart).

One final option is to get a player chipped by Techtronics or someone similar which gives NTSC to PAL conversion included.

Some Pioneer players (and others?) have a switch on the back to set the TV standard.

IHTH

Thanks

Gavin

Paul Wilson

Not an expert, but surely NTSC is of a lower definition anyway? 525 vs 650 line IIRC. And presumably the best you can expect is NTSC quality, which is worse than PAL.

AWD

Does anyone have any experience with these gizmos?

I'm wondering what sort of image degradation you get when you convert from NTSC to PAL using one of these converters.

I have a PAL TV and want to get a decent DVD player (maybe Sony 735) but this only outputs pure NTSC so I will need a converter. There is no point it me getting a very good player if the converter is going to remove any of the image quality benefits when it converts from NTSC to PAL.

Can anyone help?

The Zohan

AWD

I hope this helps

NTSC - 525 horizontal lines of on information make up the picture - 29 frames per second

PAL - 625 lines 24 frames per second

Analogue convertor - NTSC to PAL will insrert black lines in to make up the picture. and it will convert the frame frame rate

Digital Convertor - will 'stretch' the lines to make it fit rather than insert black lines to make the picture up - you do not really notice. it sounds crude but the effect is good. no noticable distortion, slight overscan on the sides. It also converts the frame rate.



[This message has been edited by Paul Habgood (edited 21 November 2000).]

AWD

I have a Hitachi - 4 years old - 28" Dolby Pro Logic 4:3 ratio TV. According to the Hitachi Support Desk it doesn't support NTSC signals (which I already knew). They don't know whether it will suport PAL60 signals (as output by some DVD players).

I don't want to buy a DVD player and then find out that the TV definitely doesn't support PAL60.

There are some DVD players that internally can be switched to output NTSC as NTSC, PAL60 or PAL e.g. the LG3200, LG3350, JVC. I don't know what the NTSC->PAL output is like on these machines.

So basically I'm still not fully clued up on the quality of NTSC->PAL conversion.

I want to get region 1 DVDs, but need to get a DVD player connected to the current TV. So options are either get the LG3350, a JVC or get a normal player and a NTSC->PAL converter.



[This message has been edited by AWD (edited 21 November 2000).]

AWD

Paul

Just read your post. Thanks for the info. I wouldn't get a digital converter as those cost about £200-300.

A quick question about the analogue ones (for viewing) - does the insertion of black lines mean that the picture looks cr@p? It sounds cr@p to have black lines in between the picture lines.

[This message has been edited by AWD (edited 21 November 2000).]

The Zohan

IMHO and an editor i know's opinion - it looks fine, the only time you will/may notice it is if you freeze the picture on say DVD/BETACAM SP/DIGI or Mini DV. on a big screen - 40"+ running component ( RGB/YUV).

VHS/S-VHS it will not really notice the picture is 'soft' anyway

The Zohan

IMHO and an editor i know's opinion - it looks fine, the only time you will/may notice it is if you freeze the picture on say DVD/BETACAM SP/DIGI or Mini DV. on a big screen - 40"+ running component ( RGB/YUV).

VHS/S-VHS it will not really notice the picture is 'soft' anyway i think, and i could be wrong (God know it would not be the first time!) that VHS is 275 lines and S-VHS run Y/C is 500(ish) lines. thats why it is 'soft'

[This message has been edited by Paul Habgood (edited 21 November 2000).]

[This message has been edited by Paul Habgood (edited 21 November 2000).]

AWD

Paul

I am feeling a lot more at ease than I was a few minutes ago when I read your first post about black lines being inserted.

Thanks for the info.

I might go for the LG DVD player, as according to the reviews the LG3350 is meant to be pretty good and I can get a multiregion one from Techtronics for £197 (inc VAT and with free delivery).

It is only an interim player as I will be leaving the country in just over a year and as such I won't be buying a new TV now or anything like that.

I suppose the LG 3550's in-unit PAL converter should work fine (as it must be the same principle as the standalone units that you mentioned and Lekropacks sell).

AWD

Oh yes - and the LG 3350 comes with a free copy of "Walking with Dinosaurs"

The Zohan

AWD

Glad to be of help.

FYI - I bought a Warfdale DVD 750 - has a built-in NTSC to PAL convertor - Scart &
S-VIDEO outputs from Tesco for £ 179.99. I am very pleased with it and can reccommend it

AWD

Paul

So the Wharfdale automatically converts NTSC into PAL (not PAL60)?

And the image quality is fine is it?

Are you viewing it on a PAL TV or using PAL60?

The Zohan

I have a Sony 32" i have had for five years.
The DVD player is connected via a Scart socket and the DVD output is running RGB

I believe it converts to PAL 625 lines (std PAL)

Picture quality is great - I tried a UK region 2 DVD straight after a Region 1 US dvd, IMHO hardly any difference in quality.

One of the 3-D graphics animators at work has one - he concurrs.

[This message has been edited by Paul Habgood (edited 21 November 2000).]

[This message has been edited by Paul Habgood (edited 21 November 2000).]

AWD

Cheers Paul

I will probably order an LG 3550 this weekend.

Dario

I'm selling a CDM-800 4MB Digital Standards Converter PAL-NTSC-SECAM/50/60htz - 500 line resolution - built in time base converter - cost £500 - amazing bit of kit, looking for £150 if anyones interested.

Dario

AWD

Thanks Dario but I've just ordered a LG DVD player which has a converter built in.

Have a look in

alistair

Dario,

What does it do ? I'm moving to the US in the New Year and am trying to work out what (if any) of my existing kit will work over there.

Dario

Hi Alistair,

it would allow you to convert all your PAL videos to NTSC or all your NTSC videos into PAL.

It would also allow you to use PAL game consoles on NTSC tv's etc and if you buy a NTSC video camera etc in the US - you could use the converter to convert the video into PAL to send home to UK.

You would need an adaptor for the power 240-120v volts to use it over there

Regards

Dario

AWD

Plus - because it is a digital converter you can record DVDs onto VCR as well.

Everybody's happy. Good price at £150.

btw I have no vested interest in getting this sold (as this is starting to sound like an advert)

The Zohan

AWD

Oh course this is only theroretical. We all know that you cannot copy Copyrighted DVD's
'cause this is against the law and noine of us would want to fall foul of THE LAW.

AWD

Paul

Is it illegal to make copies for your own use?

Of course I don't condone anyone copying anything from DVD...

The Zohan

I believe that it is illegal to make copies of pre-recorded tapes.

Try (not that anyone does) to read the long, boring text that comes up at the start of a film. Yes, I know the natural reaction is to f/forward through it, past the adverts straight to the start of the film.

I have heard that the film/distribution companies have real concerns about DVD's being copied. The DVD quality is so good (states the obvious) that even VHS copies made on a good VHS recorder will be as good as the copies available in the shops. Easy to start your own business running off copies of the latest releases. This is one of the reasons that the UK/US release dates are being brought in line. I 'may' have had a VHS a copy of 'Blair Witch' made from a US DVD on the same week as the UK cinema release.

Shi**y film I grant you but point made.

Any copies will pi$$ the major distributors off if they found out. unlikely I know.

AWD

Paul

I know that for music CDs it is meant to be ok to make recordings as long as you own the original and the recording is for your personal use only.

Also there is meant to be a twin deck DVD on the horizon (Christmas or early next year) which has one DVD reader drive and one VCD recorder drive on the same unit. Esimated price approx. £500!

All this is pretty academic to me, but I am interested in the legal toings and froings. I know that the DVD companies will be very keen to stamp any recordings out, due to te high quality (as you said) and also the speed of DVD releases from region 1 when compared to cinema and video releases in the rest of the world.

alistair

When I had my DVD chipped, that also bypassed the copy prevention thingy and so allows me to make backup tapes for personal use......

I'm still trying to figure out what will and won't work in the US. I've got a DVD that plays all regions and a video that plays PAL & NTSC and a new widescreen TV (All Sony). I know they will work together, but need to check they will work at 60Hz.

I can't decide whether to take the lot and buy a video when I get there and use that as a tuner or whether to store / sell the TV and buy a new TV out there.

Also it sounds like most relatively new kit can convert between PAL & NTSC so I need to check and see if I actually need a convertor or not.