Converting NTSC through PC to Pal

[rlarden]

Hi,

I live in the UK, and recently purchased in a store Titanic on VHS. Found out actually that it is in NTSC format, but that is fine as my video supports this. I have decided to convert over to DVD, but this is where I am having problems.

Using the same video, I have connected this through a USB2.0 capture device, model DVD maker by Kworld. At the moment, it is currently running in Black & White. I have been through all the settings, and the only one I get a good picture on is NTSC-M, but stays on black on white. I am using Composite. If I use another program, say Movie Magix, I get a picture but also bars at the bottom of the screen.

Can anyone help? Perhaps guide me to the correct settings?

Thanks

[jimmalenko]

I would check your VCR to see what it is outputting. I'm guessing PAL as a B & W picture is a classical symptom of this.

[JohnnyMalaria]

This is a common issue with PAL VCRs that can play NTSC tapes. The problem is that what the VCR is doing is sending a hybrid signal - the frame size and frame rate are as for NTSC (525 line; 59.94 fields per second) but the colour coding is changed. NTSC encodes colour on a base signal of 3.58MHz, PAL uses 4.43MHz. In effect, what the VCR does is take the NTSC colour information but send it out at the PAL frequency (an oversimplification but that's the gist of it).

Now, your capture device isn't savvy to these hybrid signals. Based upon the frame rate and lines per field, it decides you have an NTSC signal and expects to find colour information at 3.58MHz - which it isn't. So, it doesn't detect any colour information - just the black and white.

Some PAL VCRs that can play NTSC have a switch to select 3.58MHz instead of 4.43. My 14+ year old Sony Nicam VCR does. I think more recent ones don't, though.

[rlarden]

Many thanks for that Info.

I will check to see if my VCR has the option. I don't recall seeing though.

Richard