Capturing NTSC VHS becomes black and white !

[gneseew]

Hi ...

I have problems capturing NTSC tapes to PC. As a color video becomes black and white. Not sure where to start to troubleshoot. When I connec the VCR to TV, it will show as color. But when I capture to PC it's Black and white. ???

I'm in PAL land, using a Sony Pal VCR which has options play 'NTSC on Pal TV'

Capturing to PC using Kworld DVD Maker.

Can anyone help ?

thanks..

[2Bdecided]

The output of such a VCR is not real NTSC, but some variant of PAL60. Many PC capture cards can't handle this - check the manual.

Cheers,
David.

[hech54]

Most likely it is a problem with your VCR not putting out a true
NTSC or PAL signal. It is outputting what is called a "quasi"
signal. OK for viewing....bad for capturing.

[jman98]

You'll have to either buy a capture card that can capture PAL60 (there are supposedly a few that can do it - do a Google search) or buy a converting VCR that can output a true NTSC signal. It would probably be easier to buy a converting VCR, but more expensive.

[DB83]

Capture cards with a BT878 chip will handle PAL60.

Another option is a digital standards converter which takes a PAL60 source from the VCR and converts it to true PAL for input into the capture device. Careful here because a standard NTSC to PAL converter will NOT work as, has been said, the signal is not pure NTSC. These are not cheap 100UKP + but still cheaper than a multi-standard VCR

[edDV]

Alternative way.

Capture from an NTSC VCR to computer capture card (in NTSC mode).

Then author an NTSC DVD. This will play on computers and in most PAL DVD players.

[ponygirloz]

I can't believe I am seeing this post, it is the exact same situation I am in. I have a bunch of old NTSC tapes that will no go to DVD & want to put them off the tapes before they die & my vcr dies.

I also have a sony vcr that has NTSC playback

I know that Sony use to have a vcr (back in the VCR heyday) that also outputed & recorded NTSC as I worked for them in tech support for 4 years.


after some renewed search from information off this thread, I found that panasonic have a current model that is a VHS/DVD recorder that records in NTSC DMR-EZ47V $549 RRP

It is pretty functional, and I guess it means I could get rid of my DVD rec & VCR for the one unit. But not sure I want to spend another $500 odd dollars.

so you can playback your NTSC tape in it and record directly onto the DVD in NTSC.

thanks guys for some idea's

[hech54]

That is my "Dummies" version of this scenario. If your VCR cost around $400-$500....it is a true converting VCR. If your VCR cost $150....it's outputting a quasi signal.
Sad but true.

[2Bdecided]

The cheapest solution is to buy a half-decent NTSC VCR from America (or the UK - Broadcast Supplies had loads), and a voltage converter to step down 230V to 110V. Real NTSC! Job done.

There's no point buying an expensive converting VCR, since the whole point is that you don't want to convert.

If you really want true PAL from an NTSC source, capture the NTSC version then convert in software. However, it's better to stick with NTSC - most UK TVs and DVD players will handle home made NTSC DVD discs just fine.

Cheers,
David.

[danno78]

On back VCR set the switch on NTSC 4.43 (right position for my unit, true NTSC signal) and in capture software set NTSC (720x480 and 29.97FPS).

[gneseew]

thanks a lot for all the answers guys.... it is finally shedding a light on what I'm doing. By the way is there any way to identify whether my chip is a BT878 and if yes how do I set it ?

[DB83]

You can check the chip through

http://btwincap.sourceforge.net/ where there is an additional driver specially for BT878 cards and PAL60

or also download DScaler. This works without an additional driver. If you see a full colour picture in the preview window when you have selected your card and PAL60 as the video input then you are cooking.