DVD-R advice

[Jovi2]

Hello all:

Please, forgive me if this question was already posted or asked but I could not find it.
I want to buy a DVD recorder to record some TV shows. The issue is that I will be moving to S. America soon and down there they have PAL tv. So the question 'd be: In order to play the DVD's recorded here in NTSC, should I try to make the DVD recorder region free first and then record the TV shows or should record them first and then make the DVD recorder region free?
Thanks a lot!!

[daamon]

Hi Jovi2,

Welcome to the forums.

You're confusing two things that aren't related:

1) The region setting, and;
2) The recording format (NTSC vs PAL).

The first is a way of restricting what disks the machines can play, the second is the way in which the video is recorded.

If you make your recorder region free then it'll still record in NTSC format - all it means is that you'll be able to play a disk with any region code, but that disk will still have to be in NTSC format for it to play back (assuming the recorder doesn't support PAL).

[Jovi2]

Thanks for the prompt response!

Yes, I'm a little confused...
A dvd recorded in a DVD recorder here in the US will be a DVD disc with a US region code + NTSC norm, right? So, in order to see it in a PAL tv, what should I do? I will use the same DVD recorder machine to play it..., should I make the DVD recorder region free and that's it?

Thanks again!!!

[FulciLives]

Any DVD you record yourself will always be region free. This is true when it comes to DVD burners on a computer as well as stand alone DVD recorders.

A stand alone DVD recorder that is region one still creates (records) DVD discs that are region free. The region one thing is only for restricting playback (to discs that are coded region one or region free).

So with your hardware you will be creating a region free NTSC DVD.

Now to play the NTSC DVD in a country that uses PAL means you need to convert from NTSC to PAL and that can be rather tricky.

However you may not (stress MAY not) have to do that. It is very common for DVD players in PAL countries to have the ability to play back a region free NTSC DVD.

However that ability is not 100% guaranteed.

If this is something for a friend or two or some family then you can try sending one region free NTSC DVD to see if their equipment can handle it. If so then there you go ...

If not or if this is something more "serious" ... like something you are selling ... then you probably want to convert it to a PAL DVD but that can be a tricky thing to do.

If you think you want to try converting to PAL then it is best to cover all your hardware (DVD players and recorders like stand alone units plus do you have DVD ripping and burning capabilities on a computer).

Also what is the source? Is it camcorder footage from a DV cam or something else etc.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[Jovi2]

This is the point: I want to record (do not laugh!) some "Noggin" channel shows (if you have a kid you will understand...) from the TV and then send them down there. I know that TVs down there are usually bi-norm (Pal-N/NTSC) so, when I get there I want to use the DVD recorder I bought here in the US either to record or to play DVDs and also be able to watch the DVDs I recorded here. Does it make sense?

Thanks!!!!!!!!!

[daamon]

So you want to:

1) Record in the US (NTSC) and send discs to a PAL country.
2) Record in the US (NTSC) and play back on the same machine in a PAL country.
3) Record in PAL country using an NTSC machine and playback.

From the above comments, I believe the following applies:

1) Is likely to be OK as players and TV's usually are OK with NTSC.
2) Is likely to be OK as TV's usually are OK with NTSC.
3) Not sure - someone knowledgeable from an NTSC country should be able to comment.