Is it true all PAL VCRs can play NTSC, PAL, SECAM tapes?

[digicube]

Is it true all PAL VCRs can play NTSC, PAL, SECAM tapes?

[Baldrick]

Why a new thread ? Continue in https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/382594-Anyone-familiar-with-Hitachi-VT-F99EM-Multi-...=1#post2477957

[digicube]

Different question than the original thread.

[Gregg]

Short answer is: maybe not ALL but MOST of them can play them UNLIKE most NTSC VCRs .

[digicube]

Play them in full color? I can import a European PAL VCR and it can play American NTSC tapes in full color on a NTSC TV?

[hech54]

Play them in full color? I can import a European PAL VCR and it can play American NTSC tapes in full color on a NTSC TV?

I thought all of your problems were solved?

Thank you. After going through the menu systems, I manage to display it in FULL COLOR. This is why an operating manual is so useful.

[digicube]

I thought all of your problems were solved?

Yes and thanks to DB83 who solved it in 2 posts. This is a different question.

[DB83]

I inferred a reply to this topic in the other one.

A standard PAL vcr can not play back a Secam tape in color. But a standard PAL vcr can play back a NTSC tape in full color ON A PAL tv but not a NTSC tv.

[digicube]

But a standard PAL vcr can play back a NTSC tape in full color ON A PAL tv but not a NTSC tv.

Does this mean a standard PAL VCR can convert a NTSC signal to PAL? I though such converters are only available on expensive VCRs such as Panasonic AG-W1.

[DB83]

No.

The vcr alters the color carrier to PAL but leaves the playback/timing at NTSC speed. It is what is commonly refered to a PAL60.

[digicube]

Ahh got it. Can your ADVC300 process PAL60? My ADVC110 can't.

[DB83]

No.

As I said elsewhere, the signal must be pure. That is to say, either a NTSC tape played by a NTSC vcr. A PAL tape played by a PAL vcr. Or, of course, a full multi-standard vcr.

What I have found tho that if I use a PAL60 compatable capture device such as the Hauppauge usb-live2 and my ADVC 300 as a pass-thro to clean up typical vhs issues I can then capture a NTSC tape with PAL timings - not an ideal situation but a means to an end. I do not think the filters on a 300 are available on a 110.

[digicube]

Go it. Thanks. Yeah I'm thinking of getting these USB devices to supplement my ADVC110 too. EZCAP 116, I-O DATA GV-USB2, Hauppauge usb-live2.

[hech54]

Play them in full color? I can import a European PAL VCR and it can play American NTSC tapes in full color on a NTSC TV?

I thought this problem magically solved itself with a few menu clicks on your Hitachi VT-F99EM machine?
Why are you still asking about color, NTSC and PAL machines?

I manage to display it in FULL COLOR. This is why an operating manual is so useful.

[DB83]

^^ Because, if I read correctly, the OP has at least one Secam-france tape and that unit will not play it in color.

[digicube]

hech54, you are not helpful and behaving like a troll. How about never reply to any of my threads EVER? Go be useful somewhere else, OK?

[hech54]

^^ Because, if I read correctly, the OP has at least one Secam-france tape and that unit will not play it in color.

Yes....we went through that all once before. Never mentioned here though. Remember? I have a SECAML (France) tape here as well....only ever played in B&W.....later found the PAL version.

He doesn't get the answers he WANTS to hear so he starts yet another thread.....another thread full of his nonsense to confuse people who come here later for straight answers....straight answers that we BOTH have provided for him.

[digicube]

Be gone, troll. Be gone!

[hech54]

So you are looking for help with SECAM(L - France) and PAL?
That's a shame....I know nothing about that.

[hech54]

Yep....know nothing about that.....wish I could help.

[digicube]

It doesn't matter what you know if you aren't helpful to me. Look at the previous thread for example. I asked for anyone familiar with Hitachi VT-F99EM to help me. It's obvious you aren't familiar with this machine. Yet you are so sure of your answer and told me that's how the machine supposed to be, not listening to my explanations that it's no ordinary PAL VCR.

DB83 provided me with a troubleshooting step that helped me find a solution to my problem. This is how you help people.

[usually_quiet]

Go it. Thanks. Yeah I'm thinking of getting these USB devices to supplement my ADVC110 too. EZCAP 116, I-O DATA GV-USB2, Hauppauge usb-live2.

The Hauppauge USB Live 2 can capture a PAL60 signal. (You can thank hech54 for sharing that information with the forum a few years ago.) I don't know about the others.

The I-O DATA GV-USB2 is fine for NTSC. I don't know anything about its ability to work with PAL or PAL60. User reports here for the EZCAP 116 from ezcap.tv indicate worked well enough for PAL. I don't recall anything about PAL60. If you buy from somewhere other than ezcap.tv, you might get the same hardware or you might not.

[DB83]

As for the Ezcap116, which is the only 'official' easycap around, I would concur that its PAL60 capabilities are unknown (to me).

And I did acquire the usb-live2 after the heads up from hech54. I still have an ancient Hauppauge WinTV card, also PAL60 compatable, slotted in to my PC although that does not work beyond WinXP.

The easycapDC60+ also claims to capture PAL60 but it is an minefield to determine if you have an official product and not a cheap knock-off. Which is why official easycap became Ezcap. Even then it was not long before fakes came around with that name. So you can only be sure by acquiring from the official source and not via an attractrive flea-bay listing.

[digicube]

Unfortunately, the official EZCAP is doing some price gouging for USA customers at $135. http://www.ebay.com/itm/200623434994

I'm gonna gamble and get a cheaper version.

[dellsam34]

It is best to get a VCR that plays PAL/MESECAM/SECAM/NTSC tapes natively without conversion for the best quality, However SECAM is an odd ball, There is a lot of VHS decks that can play PAL/MESECAM/NTSC without conversion but SECAM tapes can be played only in monochrome, In the other hand for S-VHS decks as far as I know the only deck that plays PAL/MESECAM/NTSC without conversion is the JVC HR-S7600AM, As for SECAM tapes you will have to get a separate VCR for that from France.

[aazlm]

Giving an answer to the original question :

Is it true all PAL VCRs can play NTSC, PAL, SECAM tapes?

No, all PAL VCRs can't play NTSC, PAL, SECAM tapes, but their is some that do that. French VCRs support the 3 formats for example.

You should know that for these VCRs, the NTSC feature is called "NTSC Playback". The thing is that it will read all NTSC tapes but the output signal is actually in PAL60 format. So you need to ensure that your TV/recording device is compatible with PAL60. Otherwise if your device only read PAL/NTSC, you'll end up with black and white image in NTSC channel, or colored image but black strips covering nearly half of the screen in PAL.

Cheers

[RichHI]

No
As observed some sets and players can adopt a work around but the only way to play tapes properly with correct image (including Chroma and Luminance) and sound (Stereo, Roll off etc) is to buy equipment designed for that standard. This can be domestic equipment from a country that historically used that format or certain professional machines which are very costly.

If you live in the US or Canada or Japan there are fewer work around options available. As many non NTSC products stemmed from modified NTSC designs.

So today... if you are recording off air, the proliferation broadcast standards coupled with HDCP have made life harder. They want you to pay to download and use not own. It is not just 1080p folks,,,

But.. The bonus today is once you have gathered you information off the analog tape into a digital format you can manipulate everything with ease on a home computer. It is also less prone to damage as tapes decay over the years causing issues from drop outs, synch loss, phase error to chewed tapes that are useless. Nothing lasts forever, DVD's degrade over years but if you have a clean digital file that you keep updated to current standards and back up multiple copies you are fairly risk free.

One note, you are much better off with Beta tapes as they rely less on crispening or ringing to give an apparent perceived increase in detail, it does in fact degrade the image. Taking as pure signal as you can and then using modern digital techniques produces far superior results.

The other good news is camcorders are far smaller and many find phone recordings good enough. The problem with those is they often produce skew and smear on fast moving objects.