Markus

right, there is a very lively discussion going on in the technical department today. And the topic is about A/V Equipment, more specifically taking UK equipment to Canada.

I've been on to a very nice A/V Center In Ontario, and they really do have some very good prices for kit, so I was thinking of just shipping over my nice stand, my four B&W DM601's, and then getting a TV, DVD player, A/V Amp and VCR over there, mainly as I don't want the power conversion problem, plus I don't have a TV at the moment, I'm borrowing a friends, and a nice 34" digital flat widescreen TV for about 1300 quid does appeal

So, the question about NTSC vs PAL came up.

I have a few Region 2 DVD's encoded in PAL, plus loads of PAL videos, plus loads of Region 1 DVD's encoded in NTSC.

The R1 DVD's fine, no problem.

It's the PAL R2 and PAL vidoes that are causing the livley debate.

I'm under the impression that a Canadian TV won't understand PAL, as it's a different format. Anyone confirm/deny this? I know it works from 'our' side, ie; displaying NTSC on PAL as we have more lines than NTSC does.

I assume the DVD player won't convert the PAL signal to NTSC so the tv can display it?

The interesting point has been raised by our Technical Director, who reckons that we're idiots and that S-Video solves the problem, he says that by using an S-video lead betwen the Canadain DVD player and Canadian TV will allow it to display the PAL dvd properly.

So, can anyone confirm/deny this, or tell me what I can do. I'm not too bothered about the videos, it's the DVD's though, I know I could re-purchase them for a quarter of the price, but I'd rather not have to.

Claudius

Not sure about the S-video / PAL / NYSC thing, but to play R1 DVDs surely a DVD player bought in Canada would help?

Markus

lol, yup, I will be getting a DVD player in Canada, it's just I wanna watch the R2's I have from here.

workshy_fopp

Most tellies in the US and Canada don't support PAL, though I'm sure a few will. Might struggle to find a PAL video and DVD over there.

Edit - thats pants about the S-Video cable btw - it doesn't change the source signal, just how the colours are handled.


[Edited by workshy_fopp - 3/14/2003 2:43:02 PM]

Claudius

I know you can get a converter, but they are expensive. In Europe anyway.

BTW, did you know NTSC means Never The Same Color?

Markus

Yeah, our MD always quotes that at us when we are out in the USA

Tommy 2000

It really depends on what the TV, Video, etc supports.

I have a Japanese spec Sony TV and Video that are both 'multisystem' and so both support PAL, NTSC, Secam, etc. Therefore, I have been able to play anything I want through them.

As above, S-video is a medium for transferring data, it will not change the source signal from PAL to NTSC, etc.

Just make sure you get decent kit that supports the formats you need!

clarence

TVs in Canada/USA doesn't accept PAL signal, not even from the A/V sockets (that isn't the case for European TVs, as NTSC is usually supported via the A/V sockets). Even multi-system VCRs cannot convert NTSC into PAL, whereas it is ok vice-versa.
It's a one way street I'm afraid, maybe u need to get a signal converter.

Tommy, the TV u have is not Jap spec, it is Asian spec. Jap spec TVs accept NTSC only, & run on 100v electricity. Asian spec (esp. Hong Kong) accepts nearly all standards, and are multi-voltage. This is because most DVDs on sale in Asia are NTSC & LDs were popular before then, whereas most TV programmes are broadcasted using PAL.


[Edited by clarence - 3/14/2003 4:11:16 PM]

The Zohan

Is Canada 120 or 240v?

Diesel

Just bought a Samsung SV 5000 W VHS for our US office. $299 to do PAL to SECAM, NTSC and back (used to be well over $1000) It also has a 'through' mode to allow conversion only. It's not a clever conversion with motion compensation etc (the Alchemist PHc Platinum for example costs £60,000 to do the conversion job nicely...)

Remember the TWO standards to get your head around this -

TV LINES - is it 525 or 625
COLOUR CODING - PAL OR NTSC (Phase Alternate Line or Never Twice The Same Colour

The S Video idea was probably OK - there is no NTSC coding on RGB/Component/S-Video - but it would still be 525 line of course.

Off to pack me anorak away...

D

clarence

Canada is either 110v or 120v, don't remember.

hades

NTSC/PAL is the colour coding, so S-video (or better still RGB/Component video) gets round that. However, US signals are 525 line and 60Hz frame rate, whereas UK are 625 line 50Hz. Guess that means I'm agreeing with Diesel's anorak, but adding mittens held on by string.

You need to check the spec on the TV and DVD you are likely to be getting. I'd be amazed if you can't do multi-region DVD players over there. Email the shop and ask them! The TV tube is almost certainly going to be capable of displaying 625 lines (or probably much better), and the DVD is almost certainly going to have the same electronics as ours, just different software, so it's a pretty good bet you'll be fine.

If you're really worried, you could always give me all your R2 DVDs?

gareth123

I just took a PAL/NTSC TV with me I moved over here. It's not a problem getting hold of region free players.

And ordering UK DVDs for delivery to North America from amazon.co.uk is often cheaper than having them shipped within the UK - Amazon UK don't charge you VAT on exports and this saving is often more than the cost of the postage