PAL/NTSC confusion

[alanparrott]

OK I am confused. I have read all of the interesting articles and forums and I still can't manage to get it right. My first post BTW.

This looks like the best and most appropriate site so I am hoping someone can help.

Whatever I do, whichever program I use including Virtual dub, virtualvcr etc the same thing happens.

I am in the UK and using a DVBt (Freeview) box using composite output to my MSI FX5700 input.

I either get a PAL jerky picture in the correct format (4:3 or 16:9) or NTSC good picture but in a squashed (anamorphic?) mode. Also some of the programs do not have a PAL/NTSC switch so I get the last setting from another program. I thought the UK is PAL-I so why does NTSC work and look better? I am not looking to convert from one to the other - or am I??

I am guessing it is probably to do with interlacing, frame settings or my graphics card. At this stage I am really only trying to watch/preview the picture and maybe that is not possible and the correction has to be made to a captured file.

I understand that another input say Svid would be better but can not believe it is that that is causing this issue. For the future I plan to get an internal TV card and hope there is no problem there, in addition I want to capture recordings from my Sky+ PVR for burning to DVD.

I really would appreciate any help I can get, I am happy to follow all the instructions and find some of the guides fascinating yet I am getting frustrated by not solving this issue.

Thanks in anticipation

Alan

[flaninacupboard]

there are two different "languages" for capturing video, VFW and WDM. your capture board is quit enew so it's probably a WDM model, and Vdub and virtual vcr are both VFW apps.

Grab a copy of Dscaler, this prog uses it's own drivers so you should get a stable picture out of it. if Dscaler works ok then try showshifter for capturing, Dscaler is only for viewing. If you get no joy with Dscaler holler back

[alanparrott]

I'm hollerin' back!

I actually tried Dscaler first, but thought I would run it through again before posting.

Using Dscaler 4.1.8 I get a problem switching between NTSC & PAL i.e. it freezes. I have set the search and lock interlace and it uses Video TomsMoComp.

Whether it is my Video card or what but Dscaler seems pretty unstable on my setup.

I have tried a few different settings but there are so many options and values that I thought I'd wait for help!

Thanks for help.

[flaninacupboard]

haha, ok.

it's worth checking you have the latest drivers for your card, and also have DX9 installed. (i imagine you have) It's a bit odd that Dscaler would throw up problems...
have a look here http://whitebunny.demon.nl/hardware/chipset_nvidia.html
scroll down to utlities, there's a simple WDM capture app that may at least get us started.

i'm still at a loss though on why your freeview box would output NTSC at all. have you got anything else you can hook up (video player, playstation, something like that) ?

[alanparrott]

Thanks yep, I have MSI update and as have just built the PC the first thing I did is check all drivers, yep to DX9.

I'll check out whitebunny.

I am using a cheap (Dixons closing down sale) Ferguson/Thompson DVBt box, so I too am not sure about the NTSC.

To be honest I am confused in general about PAL/NTSC etc.

Cheers

[alanparrott]

Had a long drive today so was able to mull a few things over and the following occurred to me, not sure of the relevance, but offered just in case.

I looked at the whitebunny site but think it is just a driver not an application. In any case I downloaded/installed it but I guess I already had it (via MSI?) as the first thing it did was UNinstall! However the words on the site made me think that because I have a number of these apps installed I have conflicting PAL/NTSC keys.

"European users: don't forget to change the "VideoStandard" registry-keys from NTSC to PAL (key can occur multiple times in Registry), or change this value in the "nvcap.inf" file before installation."

My other thought was remembering something I saw on the MSI FX5700 spec shown here the extractsays "• Integrated NTSC/PAL TV encoder support resolutions up to 1024x768 without the need for panning with built-in Macrovision copy protection"

It is also worth noting that whilst I accept Descaler, Virtualdub etc may be better than the likes of WinDVD creator etc that they all give me a picture but all have the same problem.

Waiting in hope (that I haven't bought the wrong V Card "

[flaninacupboard]

hmmm.

"• Integrated NTSC/PAL TV encoder support resolutions up to 1024x768 without the need for panning with built-in Macrovision copy protection"
That's actually in reference to the TV -output- side of the card, not the tv input. i've been trying to find which capture chip MSI uses, but no luck so far. i take it this is your card? http://www.msicomputer.co.uk/Products.aspx?product_id=703434&cat_id=78 i can see a phillips chip on the card, but they don't say what one it is......

[alanparrott]

I am sure it has the same components but mine is here

http://www.msi.com.tw/program/products/vga/vga/pro_vga_detail.php?UID=561

It is not a TV card just has composite and svid inputs.

Cheers

[alanparrott]

Interesting that the uk and tw pics for the same item are different!

What chip are you looking at as I'll check the card.

Thanks

[alanparrott]

Just checked mine is definitely the one on the tw site with the E3 Power Cube.

[flaninacupboard]

Is the one i'm looking at. i think it's a philips chip, any chance you can stick down any numbers on it?

[alanparrott]

As follows:-

SAA7115HL

RA2746.1

kS03461

[flaninacupboard]

ok, i googled SAA7115HL - that's your video encoder chip. Seems the chip is also used the hauppage WinTV PVR-350, so the best advice i can give for now is to look that card up here. really this topic also belongs in the capturing forum, not the digital TV one (as you're capturing in the analouge domain, not digital) hopefully someone there with the same encoder chip can help!

[alanparrott]

Many thanks I'll try over in capture.

Cheers

[flaninacupboard]

we've been moved

[alanparrott]

There does not seem to be much reaction to this post so I thought I would post my findings with the problem.

See here

Thanks