Recording NTSC on UK Lite-On

[colonel32]

I have a UK model Lite-On LVW-5025GHC DVD Recorder. The specs seem to suggest that it will record NTSC signals as well as PAL.

Now, all my VCR and TV equipment can output and display NTSC, but it is PAL60 not true NTSC, which of course doesn't record.

My questions are:
- Will the UK model LVW-5025 record from a US model VCR?
- If so, will it make PAL discs or NTSC discs?
- Or, would I be better exploring other alternatives like NTSC to PAL converters?

Has anyone with a UK Lite-On managed to do this sucessfully?

[hech54]

Chances are pretty good that it will. My old Philips DVDR985 can record both so there ARE quite a few recorders that can do it. Let's hope a 5025 owner posts and verifies.

[colonel32]

Well, the good news is I now have a US VCR so I can test this myself.

The bad news is that I don't get a recordable picture. I have options for buying an NTSC to PAL convertor, but I want to understand the problem first:

I have a flicker-free picture, in colour. It is stable, in that it does not roll vertically at all. However, the top 10% of the picture is at the bottom of the screen, with the ugly top of frame black bar in between.

What does this indicate? What is the technical cause? Are there any adjustments that can be made to "roll" this picture to the correct position? Are there any options other than an NTSC to PAL convertor?

I'm sure lots of knowledgable people know this right off the top of their head - I hope they're reading this thread!

Cheers, Robin

[jman98]

colonel32 - Your post sounds suspiciously to me that you are trying to record commercial VHS tapes to DVD. Commercial VHS tapes use Macrovision. Macrovision does some strange stuff to the video output signal that generally aren't a problem for TVs but cause recording devices to have a variety of problems. If this is the case for you, you will need to find some kind of device that defeat Macrovision because you have a problem with Macrovision, not NTSC to PAL. I have read that some have said that a video stabilizer device will do the trick, but I have no idea if that is true or not.

[hech54]

Also...record to an RW(if you haven't already) then test it in your computer. It might be that your TV can only handle a quasi signal...not a real NTSC signal.
I doubt it but it is worth a try. I know my conversions look like crap in "real time" but turn out nice once completed.
Worth a shot.

[colonel32]

I found the answer to this here.

Older Lite-Ons can record true NTSC, but only by explicitly switching to NTSC mode in the menu, formatting a DVD, then recording to that DVD.

Newer Lite-Ons like the 5025 GHC+ have had the menu option removed, so can't use this technique.

People recording on Lite-Ons without such an "NTSC formatted" DVD have reported exactly the same bar at the bottom of the picture as I described.

There is speculation that the menu option is just hidden rather than removed, like the region menu, but no-one has yet enabled it.

Looks like I have to use other means to do what I want! Thanks for the help, guys.