Greek DVD Standards

[pseconds]

I'm preparing to send a DVD of our home video to a friend in Greece. I want to export the movie from Premiere.

Can I just go with the default DVD NTSC settings or do I need to do anything special, like make it PAL or anything? I want to make sure she can play it on her DVD player.

Thanks

[bugster]

Please do not post the same question in multiple forums. Other topic Closed

[Gil T Pleasure]

since Greece uses the PAL format, you should go with that too.

[energy80s]

It would make sense to use PAL as only America and Japan use NTSC, however as virtually all DVD players in Europe are multistandard, NTSC will play OK too, so unless you are good at NTSC-PAL conversions, it might be better to keep it in its native NTSC format.

[video-phile]

DVD players may be, but TV sets are usually not multi-system.

[Dragonsf]

DVD players may be, but TV sets are usually not multi-system.

Most of the lastest (< 5 years) TV-Sets can play PAL/PAL60 and NTSC in PAL-land.And most of PAL DVD players can convert from NTSC to PAL as well.

[SatStorm]

Since I'm from Hellas (Greece) I can answer this.

We use PAL B/G here.

Most TV sets are not PAL 60 compatible. Only few, branded ones, are, but also only few can buy them. From the other hand, the NTSC compatible TVs are about half TVs-sets around. (maybe that's why PAL 60 is rare...)

Most DVD Standalones are the cheap made in china ones, MV and Region Free. Virtually all the DVD standalones we have in our market here, do realtime NTSC to PAL convertion. Region 1 DVDs are very common on rentals, many use them insteed of the not so well made Region 2 ones.

So, in short terms, do your DVD as usual (NTSC) send it and one way or other, your friend won't have a problem watch it

[Dragonsf]

So they build special TV sets for Greece.I didn't know that.

[SatStorm]

No, but Greeks use to buy products from less well known brands which are cheaper.

Just count: Your salary is about 600 dollars per month. A typical 4:3 TV set @ 28" with 100Hz technology, cost about 400 Dollars. It is SECAM/PAL and NTSC compatible and comes from JVC, Telefunken, Panasonic, Comet (Radiotone), LG, Samsung and Philips. Those TVs are the most common today, philips use to have PAL 60 but not true NTSC. Unfortunatelly, only few buy Philips (bad distribution...)
Of course we have the latest from all those bradns (including Sony ones), but they cost triple the price. A good 32" Sony for example, costs ~1200 Euro.
The choice is obvious...


A minority buys Hi End TVs, but most use the cheaper ones. On those, PAL 60 is not common....

[Dragonsf]

I think, I'm going to sell TV sets in Greece.In Germany the lowest price for brand TV sets (52 cm) starts from 99 Euro. For 1200 Euro you get a 16:9 1m Screen.Are there any import taxes on such goods?
Is SECAM still active in Greece?

[SatStorm]

The last SECAM transmission, was from the third national channel in 1991!

Basicly, SECAM used by the national television (ERT) between 1979 - 1989. They switch to PAL officially in 1989. Unofficially all the other channels are using PAL since 1986 (The first private TV stations in Hellas started that year). Only the 3rd national channel continued SECAM untill 1991.

TV sets 4 years ago, use to be very expencive, so the cars and PCs! Nowdays the prices are about the same with Germany, if not cheaper. The salaries are really different... A typical salary for a Greek, is about 500 - 550 Euro...
Add the economical crises we all have because of the Euro adaption, and you get the picture!

The costumers attitude is totally different than yours in W.Europe. For example, if a TV set broke, everybody choose to repair it than replace it with a new one, even if today this is about the same price and the new one gonna be a far better product! Why? Because the mainstream Greek feel that the prices are what they used to be couple of years ago! You can't change this fast, only young people adapt fast...
It is not only the prices of the products, it is also the attitude we have to change here. Those things need some time, let's say 10 - 15 years?

So what happens: Everyone, keep using the TVs they bought really expensive some years ago, and not replaced them with new ones. Also, since in Hellas we don't have 16:9 transmissions (we don't even have stereo transmissions! Only 2 channels offer stereo sound...), we don't have cable (everything is terrestrial analogue and free!) and the satellite DTH reception is still an exotic thing, the interesting to replace old TV sets with new ones, is very rare. Only DVD standalones created needs, but the mainstream Greek feels okey watching Letterbox a movie on a 4:3 screen, than buy a 16:9 one just to use on DVD movies! Since anything is 4:3, why to bother?
Meanwhile, young couples / new households don't have money to offer to buy branded new products, so they choose cheeper ones. Technologies like flat screens for example, don't concern big deal. The main attitude is like: "IF it shows and it is big (~30"), it's okey".
I think same story is on all the mediterenean countries (South italy, South France, Spain, Portugal, Israel, Turkey, etc...)

[hech54]

So they build special TV sets for Greece.I didn't know that.

Have you seen the inside of a TV recently? It's two circuit boards...a big picture tube that resembles an old car headlight (though MUCH bigger)...and some speakers. That's it...nothing else in there. Change the appropriate circuit board and now it is compatible in "that" country...

[Dragonsf]

So they build special TV sets for Greece.I didn't know that.

Have you seen the inside of a TV recently? It's two circuit boards...a big picture tube that resembles an old car headlight (though MUCH bigger)...and some speakers. That's it...nothing else in there. Change the appropriate circuit board and now it is compatible in "that" country...

To be honest, no I didn't.But why in the world would a global company produce TV sets with reduced funcionallity without reason?I can understand some localization for menu languages/tuner presets, but removing PAL60 as possibility seem rediculous (because it's the same PAL chip operating at a second frequency).