PAL VHS Capture question

[mbtigger]

I have a typical North American VHS System.

If I put a PAL tape in the system will I get PAL output from it? Would I HAVE to get a special PAL VHS player? If I can capture the PAL output I would be home free. I have methods to create and watch PAL DVD's

Any help would be appeciated.

Thanks

MB

[Hambone]

I've tried this before. I tried capturing a PAL tape with my NTSC VCR, it didn't work. The output was all garbled.

I have a PAL<-->NTSC (Samsung) VCR and converted the tape to NTSC and then did the capture using my NTSC VCR. (The Samsung isn't connected to my PC, otherwise I could have done it direct)

[non-linear]

PAL and NTSC are completely different video formats, with different frame rates and resolution. The only way you're going to get the video captured is to use a multi-format VCR, or send the tapes to someone in a country that has PAL and get them to transfer it.

[DaveQB]

hmmm i have made a new thread bout my problem.

It would make sense to me that a mutli VCR (ie one that can play both PAL and NTSC) could generate a 'capturable' stream. But unfortunately this doesnt appear to be the final solution.

I think ya need a compatible capture card
ie an NTSC one to capture an NTSC tape (assuming the VCR plays it fine too)

[pijetro]

There are switchable PAL>Secam>NTSC vcr's, but they're around $600 in Canada...
In that case, just hook it up to an NTSC vcr, and start recording...
I personally use the PAL output, capture to PAL, and encode to NTSC.

[FulciLives]

If your capture card/device is capable of both PAL and NTSC then you want to get a multisystem VHS VCR.

Basically you have two types. One that will play any format and output it as the same. So NTSC outputs NTSC and PAL outputs PAL.

The other type of multisystem VHS VCR has a built-in converter. So you can still output PAL as PAL but if you want it will also convert PAL to output as NTSC

I think you are better capturing as PAL then doing the PAL to NTSC conversion in the digital domain (on the computer).

As you might have guessed a "normal" USA model VHS VCR will not play back a PAL VHS video AT ALL!

Here are some USA based on-line stores that sell multisystem VHS VCR units.

http://www.world-import.com/

I could list more but I looked at some of the sites I have bookmarked and this one has a TOSHIBA 6-Head Hi-Fi Stereo Multi-System VCR for the low price of $149.99

I have an older 8-Head TOSHIBA model and the picture from this thing beats any other VCR I have ever seen so my money is on this TOSHIBA and that is a very low price.

My 8-Head model (circa 1996 give or take) was something like $650

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

P.S.
I don't know if this new TOSHIBA is as good as the old models but for a LONG time you could not beat TOSHIBA for VHS quality. My old TOSHIBA does a better job than a much newer S-VHS JVC!!!

[DaveQB]

Lucky part of being in Oz, most all VHS' now have NTSC playback capabilities.

Although of the first variety you mentioned, output as NTSC, thus there some problems lie.
(see the thread i have posted in this forum)

[spiderman2k1]

I bought a world wide VCR for $400.00 dollars from Tweeter Samsung make's them. I like to use ATI AIW to do the noise reduction on the VHS