How to convert an NTSC VHS to PAL format

[luketheduke]

I have a few VHS presentation tapes in NTSC format that I need to send to South East Asia. What do I need to convert these tapes into PAL VHS? Any advice would be appreciated.

[video_guy]

Hi luketheduke,

You can make this process pretty simple with the right equipment. Here is a quick guide to tell you how to convert your tapes:

1) I am assuming that you have an NTSC vcr as you want to convert the tapes to PAL. If not, you will need to buy one.

2) I don't think that there is any way around this - You will need to buy a PAL vcr. They have PAL & NTSC vcr combos, if you want to use it past this project. Since you will be making PAL tapes, you will need a PAL vcr, no other equipment can do this.

3) I believe that after this, the conversion is quite simple (someone PLEASE correct me if I am wrong, I do not want to be leading this guy in the wrong direction. I know that PAL=24 fps, and NTSC=29.97 fps).

4) Connect the NTSC vcr to the PAL vcr and you can dub from there.


I don not know if frame rate will be a problem. If I am wrong about just hooking up two vcrs tell me. If I am then you might have to import the video into your PC, and convert the video to NTSC. I own the Canopus-ADVC-100 and it can import PAL. You will need a capture card that can do that.

Hopefully it is easy for you!

[paulw]

I don't think I would bother converting it. Most PAL areas system will play both PAL and NTSC.. Send the tape and see what happens..

[SatStorm]

This is not so easy as it seems.

Maybe if you try this shall help:
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=209166[/url]

[luketheduke]

Thanks for the reply everyone. Video_guy, I like the idea of converting them using a NTSC vcr to PAL vcr. That seems simple enough for me. Has anyone proven this method with result. I will buy a PAL vcr if it really works. Satstorm, thanks for the detail guide. That is really interesting work you got there. I wish I could try that but at the moment lacking resources with video capturing hardware. I don't have the vhs contents in avi format. Anyway, please let me know if using a NTSC vcr to PAL vcr can do the job.

[FulciLives]

Thanks for the reply everyone. Video_guy, I like the idea of converting them using a NTSC vcr to PAL vcr. That seems simple enough for me. Has anyone proven this method with result. I will buy a PAL vcr if it really works. Satstorm, thanks for the detail guide. That is really interesting work you got there. I wish I could try that but at the moment lacking resources with video capturing hardware. I don't have the vhs contents in avi format. Anyway, please let me know if using a NTSC vcr to PAL vcr can do the job.

You need to actually convert the NTSC to PAL you just can't hook up a normal NTSC VCR to a PAL VCR because you will be feeding a NTSC signal to a PAL VCR and it can't copy NTSC only PAL.

So the cheapest way (and probably the best quality way) is to do it on the computer. Otherwise you can do one of the following:

Buy a VCR that does conversion. The Samsung models will accept a NTSC signal and convert to PAL and then you can record that to a VHS video on the Samsung giving you a PAL VHS video. At least according to LordSmurf the Samsungs work like this. Odd because most VHS VCR's that do conversion only do it on playback meaning you would need a converting VCR to play back the NTSC video as PAL and then another VCR to record in PAL.

Or you can just buy a run-of-the-mill PAL VCR and a separate digital converter. I have 2 of these myself. The output from your NTSC VCR goes through the converter which does the NTSC to PAL conversion then it goes to the PAL VCR for your PAL VHS copy.

Such converters are expensive though I have one I am willing to sell if you are interested

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[oldfart13]

If you want to do it yourself, you need a regular NTSC vcr for playback and one of these for record:

http://shopping.yahoo.com/p_aiwa-hv-mx100_hifi-vcrs_1990375901;_ylt=AnJW3D0qQLd82UH029...cf=description

Easiest is to see if anyone in your area does digital standards conversions. The one we have here will do a whole tape up to 6 hours for $25CAD! That's pretty inexpensive...

[luketheduke]

That looks like a good option for me, oldfart13. So, all I have to do is just plug my NTSC vcr to the Aiwa digital converter vcr and dubbed the tapes. Now, I'm curious about the tape. Do I need to get a Pal vhs tape for the recording? Can I use an NTSC vhs tape instead?

[tweedledee]

I don't think I would bother converting it. Most PAL areas system will play both PAL and NTSC.. Send the tape and see what happens..

I second this. The tapes will play in S.E. Asia.

[oldfart13]

Tape is tape. The vcr is what makes it into a PAL or NTSC tape. You can use NTSC blanks to record on your PAL VCR.

I don't know about SE Asia (never been there) but if it's a PAL country you're sending the tapes to and it's important, you might just want to make sure the tapes will play okay. If you're uncertain, better to make certain your client CAN play those tapes. DVDs are another matter since most of the Chinese made players of the past year or so will do NTSC/PAL conversions. I'd definitely go the multistandard vcr route if I was going to expect to get tapes back from SE Asia.