Multi-System VCRs; PAL N tape, PAL VCR

[darito]

Hi all, newbie here.

I will be capturing a few VHS tapes that were recorded in Argentina. According to Wikipedia Argentina has PAL-N system.
I now live in Canada and I want to transfer the tapes to DVD with a Toshiba D-VR7 (VCR/DVD recorder combo, does not play PAL tapes) so I guess I'm stuck with buying a converting VCR that can output NTSC.

Now, assuming that I can transfer the tapes that way, I have 2 main questions:

1) Will a PAL-N tape be read with acceptable quality by a PAL VCR? Is there a visually discernible difference?

2) The converting VCR that I have an eye on (Aiwa HV-MX1U) doesn't seem to have S-video connections. Will this make much of a difference in video quality? And any thoughts on that machine or suggestions for other options.

Thanks

[edDV]

How many tapes are you converting?

It may be cheaper to use a service. The equipment required is expensive.

[jman98]

I'm no expert, but Wikipedia claims that any PAL VCR that supports the European PAL formats will also support PAL-N fully.

We've got some members here who can speak directly to your technical questions. Hopefully they will chime in.

[darito]

It may be cheaper to use a service. The equipment required is expensive.

It's only like 6 tapes. But I can get the converting VCR for cheap and after using it selling it for $100 or more on ebay. Can you please specify why would I need extra equipment besides the converting VCR? And what kind of equipment?

[edDV]

I'm no expert, but Wikipedia claims that any PAL VCR that supports the European PAL formats will also support PAL-N fully.

We've got some members here who can speak directly to your technical questions. Hopefully they will chime in.

PAL-N is normal PAL for monochrome (625/50) but the PAL-N chroma subcarrier is at 3.58 MHz not the normal for PAL 4.43 MHz.

Now most Euro PAL players will play NTSC with NTSC chroma at 3.58 MHz, but will these players accept PAL (phase alternate line) at 3.58 MHz? That needs testing but it could be expensive to the OP to find out.

[darito]

I'm no expert, but Wikipedia claims that any PAL VCR that supports the European PAL formats will also support PAL-N fully.

I read that too, but I'm asking just in case because I'm not very sure how reliable Wikipedia is. So hopefully the experienced guys will contribute their experience.

[darito]

Do you think it's worth it to pay $50 for the converting VCR (Aiwa HV-MX1U) to find out? I see they are selling for $130 on ebay. And going back to my main concern: visually discernible difference; do you think that even if the VCR can "play" the tape it will look good/decent/worse/unacceptable?

[hech54]

Do you think it's worth it to pay $50 for the converting VCR (Aiwa HV-MX1U) to find out?

Is it being sold as "broken - for parts only"? $50 is way too low for a fully functional Aiwa HV -XXX converting VCR.

[darito]

Is it being sold as "broken - for parts only"? $50 is way too low for a fully functional Aiwa HV -XXX converting VCR.[/QUOTE]

No. It's working fine and I told the guy I was going to test it. It's not that cheap, they're going for like $130 on ebay.

[hech54]

I have one of those (in America - I'm in Europe right now) and it is a very nice VCR. Surprisingly nice quality output even when converting. Mine is the HV-MX100 or something similar. They've had two or three different model numbers for that VCR.

[sanlyn]

Panasonics in disguise. Aiwa (which used to be labeled "Roberts" years ago in the U.S.) hasn't made its own VCR parts in decades. The better AIWA multi's sold for over $500 in North America and I hear they were nice machines.

[hech54]

Panasonics in disguise. Aiwa (which used to be labeled "Roberts" years ago in the U.S.) hasn't made its own VCR parts in decades. The better AIWA multi's sold for over $500 in North America and I hear they were nice machines.

Yea....even at the height of VCR popularity there were only about a dozen companies who actually "made" the VCRs....everyone else just stuck their name on them.....we know that. That still does not change the fact that I own an Aiwa HV MV converting VCR and it is a very nice VCR. Even mechanically it sounds like quality.

[sanlyn]

Nope, I don't mean to cut down those Aiwa's just because Panasonic made the parts. There's nothing wrong at all with Panasonic's higher-grade VCR's,especially those made from the mid to late 90's. Don't let anyone try to dissuade you from what you have. Those were competent machines.

[misermidas]

S-video (or Y/C) connexion will usually be much better for S-VHS tapes but it will only be slightly better with VHS tapes.
Composite will give you more phase distortion than S-video .
S-video signal is sharper and may need more video noise and artefacts reduction than composite.

[2Bdecided]

PAL-N is normal PAL for monochrome (625/50) but the PAL-N chroma subcarrier is at 3.58 MHz not the normal for PAL 4.43 MHz.

Now most Euro PAL players will play NTSC with NTSC chroma at 3.58 MHz, but will these players accept PAL (phase alternate line) at 3.58 MHz?

It's not at 3.58MHz on the tape, only in the broadcast. A standard PAL VCR will probably heterodyne it back to 4.43 on the composite output. Never tried it myself though.

Cheers,
David.