VIDEO TAPES from EUROPE

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 18 Jan 2002 9:30 pm

I just received a video tape from Europe that was prepared by a skillful Forumite. It is little more than garbled audio with no pix at all, except for black and white horizontal bars that cannot be minimized by "tracking" adjustment.

Would this suggest a vast difference in recording VCR and playback VCR? Or, would this suggest an X-Ray by the postal authorities that raised havoc with the content? Audio is barley understandable and video is non-existant.

Joerg Hennig · Post by **Joerg Hennig** » 19 Jan 2002 1:20 am

I have the same problem with a tape I got from America. It´s probably due to the different systems (NTSC in the U.S., PAL in Europe.) There are VCRs capable of playing both, but I don´t have one yet.

Fernando Fernandez · Post by **Fernando Fernandez** » 19 Jan 2002 1:34 am

Yes Joe, you're right !!

Ray the tape it's sure in Pal system because I know this problem very well.
As Joe says you need a video capayable of playin both.
There's a lot of videos that work fine with both system, but it must says NSTC / PAL in somewhere.
I had to get one of this videos to see tapes from U.S.A, years ago.

Mike Fereday · Post by **Mike Fereday** » 19 Jan 2002 4:37 am

Ray

Suitable VCRs in the UK usually have a sticker saying "NTSC playback on PAL TV". They seem to be very common now.

I guess they may well have VCRs in the US saying "PAL playback on NTSC TV"

Mike

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 19 Jan 2002 4:51 am

As an Englishman transplanted here only five years ago, I have literally hundreds of VHS tapes recorded in the PAL format. In Britain it is fairly common for a VCR to accommodate both PAL and NTSC(US) tapes, and at no discernible extra cost, although this is, admittedly, only with the higher quality machines.

Here, it's a different story. You won't find such an item anywhere in the usual 'chain store' electronics outlets - I've tried; I eventually found one by putting 'multi-standard VCR' in the 'Google' search page.

After investigation, I opted for a system called 'World Wide Video'. Just using a standard 'multi-system' VCR may require you to buy a special TV set, but my 'WWV' VCR works fine with our ancient RCA reciever. The machine will play back, and also record, in NTSC, PAL and SECAM (I don't know that one), so it's pretty versatile - allowing me to 'dub' tapes to suit any format.

It is, however, expensive at $460.00, but now I can watch all those wonderful 'Ealing comedies' from the 1950s - I'd almost forgotten what it was like to watch TV without 'commercials'

!

Another bonus is the perfectly clear freeze-frame facility - ideal for close examination of the Budmeister's right-hand......

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Roger Rettig
Emmons LGIII(S10/D10)& MCI D10

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Roger Rettig on 19 January 2002 at 04:53 AM.]</p></FONT>

Dan Dowd · Post by **Dan Dowd** » 19 Jan 2002 8:56 am

I had one a while back and had it converted to VHS. It cost aprox $12. There is a place in Paducah KY and there are probably some in all cities that will do this.

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 19 Jan 2002 10:13 am

Thanks to each of you for your contributions and suggestions. I've been going out of my mind; anxious to discover what excitement is there in that VHS pkg........ Many Thanks.

Winnie Winston · Post by **Winnie Winston** » 19 Jan 2002 8:08 pm

The problem is that PAL uses more lines than NTSC.
So while it is easy to get a player that will play lower quality NTSC on a PAL TV, it is almost impossible to get a low quality NTSC TV to play PAL stuff.
Here in NZ it is easy to get a VCR that plays both. I have never seen the rebverse in the USA.
There IS a small problem, and that is the color with NTSC tapes is sometimes qa bit off on the PAL players. A friend said "NTSC" stans for "Never Twice Same Color."
Winnie

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 20 Jan 2002 8:45 am

Nice to see you here, Winnie - do you remember playing at a pub in Twickenham, in south-west London, some years ago?

Gerry Hogan called me to come and play with you - I don't remember if Gerry and I both played guitar, or what, but I do remember a thoroughly enjoyable evening. It was, I believe, some sort of 'folk-music' night at the pub - I guess they were a little unsure of how to categorize you!

I trust you're well....

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Roger Rettig
Emmons LGIII(S10/D10)& MCI D10