khaosworks | Contemplating electronics

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I've figured out that once I'm in the US I'm probably going to buy a region-free DVD player along with a multisystem VCR with a converter so I can watch my Doctor Who PAL tapes on a NTSC TV. I've been looking at prices and I've found a dealer in CA which does all this multisystem and multiregion stuff.

The question is, being an idiot in these matters, what do I need in the way of additional equipment (amplifier? little fiddly consoles?) to hook up these three things (or can I do without anything extra save cabling)? Budget-conscious solutions are best, of course.

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From:

khaosworks.livejournal.com

The problem with multisystem VCRs is that they can't PAL output to NTSC TVs unless they have a built-in converter, so you need a multisystem TV. That's also a wrinkle to consider, along with th voltage difference (110 in the US, 220 here).

That aside, though, I'd rather not have the VCR and DVD in one component - if the VCR goes, then the entire unit has to be sent in. Dual components would be less of a hassle.

Thanks for the suggestions, though. I'll check out the DV-NC70.

From:

pbristow.livejournal.com

There are places you can get an add-on PAL-to-NTSC converter. The simplest and cheapest are 50 quid (75 USD), the highest quality multi-standard ones reach hundreds of pounds. There are basically three reasonably inexpensive ways to get a *good* result (rather than a glitchy, "watchable but not pleasant" result", and then a couple of other options to consider:

1. Take your existing PAL VCR with you, and a gizmo to convert the mains voltages (check first that the VCR isn't already switchable to 110V). Buy a true multi-standard TV, that actually accepts the PAL signal unmodified, as well as NTSC signals.

Pros: You have a TV that will let you watch anything you throw at it, whatever combination VCRs etc. you have in future.

Cons: True multi-standard TVS are very expensive. Your tapes are still firmly PAL, and nobody but you can watch them. You'll need a separate NTSC VCR for recording/playing local material.

2. The half-way-house. Get an NTSC video player that reads the tapes in PAL format, and converts the colour signal to NTSC format, but does nothing to change the line and field rates. What you have now is a "quasi-NTSC" or "NTSC-50" signal. Connect this to a TV that's built for NTSC, but happens to be equally happy with line and field rates for either format.

Cons: This may involve buying two new pieces of gear, but...

Pros: Most modern TVs (anything built in the last 3 years, I would hope) can happily handle either 50Hz or 60Hz field rates quite happily.

3. Use your existing PAL VCR, and any NTSC TV, and put a converter box in between. Again, as long as the NTSC TV is happy with a PAL-style 50Hz filed rate, then all you need is a very cheap converter to change the colour signal from PAL-style to NTSC-style.

4. Get a true PAL to NTSC converter. These gadgets don't just switch the colour signal over to NSTC-style, they also generate the extra frames/fields necessary to shift a 50 field-per-second signal up to 60 fields-per-second.

Pros: You'll be able to create NTSC copies of your PAL tapes, and lend them to your American chums.

Cons: Converting frame/field rates between PAL and NTSC is a non-trivial task. Cheap boxes will just duplicate every 5th frame, and thus produce something that doesn't upset the NTSC TV at all, but is not too easy on your eyes! Expensive boxes can do a smoother, cleverer job, but they cost around the 900 to 2000 USD mark.

5. If the material concerned is black-and white, then you may get away with this: Connect your PAL VCR directly to an NTSC TV that can handle a 50Hz field rate. Check that the TV doesn't flash, roll, or make any strange noises, or get hot in places that it wouldn't normally. If it doesn't go bang within the first hour, then you're probably fine. Who cares about converting the PAL colour signal to NTSC? We don't need no steenkin' colour signal... =:o}

6. Of course, the final option, involving minimal initial outlay, is to find a source of the same material pre-converted to NTSC by competent people using professional-grade equipment - i.e., start collecting the Region 1 Doctor Who DVDs! =:o}