Betamax pal and ntsc play back

[hdfills]

help if anyone can :/ .... im in the uk but ive been asked to transfer some american ntsc betamax tapes to dvd but im finding it hard to get a player or model names of any players that support both formats .... can anyone help please

[hech54]

I highly doubt a PAL machine is going to play an NTSC BETA tape. You are going to need an NTSC machine for that.

[hdfills]

ive found a couple of sony machines that support it but non for sale

[DB83]

Well you do surprise me since I would concur with hech54 - and also confirmed with this article...

http://www.colin99.co.uk/beta.html

..that whilst the cassettes are identical the recording format is not.

Now it could be that those Sony's were for the Japanese market - they were produced for Japan 'til 2002 - and they could possibly be multi-standard just like certain VHS models.

But it would be hard enough to get a single-standard Beta machines now let alone a multi-standard one.

(And I was one who invested £££'s in a large Betamax video collection only do trash most of them when machines became unavailable)

[hech54]

Just the timeline/history of BETA tells it all. Even the very early PAL VHS machines were NOT multi-standard....that came only after VHS won the war.

[hdfills]

Sony SL-T50ME ---> managed to order one but they are very few that can toshiba also have a machine that does it aswell

[jagabo]

If that multi-standard Sony deck is like the VHS decks it does not put out an NTSC signal when playing NTSC tapes -- it outputs PAL60, NTSC timing with PAL chroma. Many capture devices cannot capture PAL60. Or will capture it in black and white. You're probably better off buying a pure NTSC deck and a separate PAL deck.

[hech54]

So you'll be capturing it as NTSC?

[hech54]

I'm reading it also has BNC connectors?

[DB83]

Well good luck with that Sony. 1983 vintage. That model was for the Middle East market hence the ME in its nom. And methinks it will convert to PAL output and not multi-standard output since it also supports MESECAM.

[hech54]

I'm a bit confused by this one:
The SL-T50ME is a multi-standard video recorder/player. Front loading with an attractive design and simple controls layout. Rich honey gold exterior. Features include:

• Plays and records five video standards:
PAL, SECAM B and G, NTSC 3.58 and NTSC 4.43
• Also plays French SECAM

The SL-T50ME cannot change one format to another (example: play PAL recordings on an NTSC television). To do that you need a multi-system converter (available from a number of online vendors). The SL-T50ME can record and play tapes in the following formats. NTSC standard Beta in BII and BIII, PAL and SECAM single speed of 18.73 mm/sec. It can also play French SECAM. Tapes recorded in SuperBeta can be played with this unit but they may exhibit picture noise. Tapes recorded in standard Betahi-fi will play correctly in the SL-T50ME as well as those recorded in monaural.

[hech54]

I hope you are not doing this as a business. I'd cancel that Beta machine order and send those tapes back to the owner.
Just my 2 pence.

[hdfills]

thank you hech54 ... requested refund and not going to bother untill i can find a ntsc deck ... thanks all for your feedback

[DB83]

Of course there are several NTSC decks for sale at fleabay.com (rather than fleabay.co.uk).

A quick look shows that many will ship to the UK but that will be expensive and the deck could well chew up your customer's tapes (like a VHS has been known to do )

But there is little chance in getting a ntsc deck other than from the US.

[RichHI]

Hi. Came late to this. Some good advice here, some not so much. A lot depends on what you have on the tapes and what purpose you have for them.

You have multiple options:
a Purchase a European Multi Standard machine which will likely output NTSC at 4.43 Chroma and with a 625/50 rate. This can be recorded on DVD's but it can lead to problems as it is not a broadcast standard. Any defects in the tape can lead to phase drift and other synch problems.

b Purchase a true Multi Standard machine. Some Middle Eastern machine and some Asian machines (Japan) output true NTSC 525/60 in either USA or Japanese format. Providing you use composite video and not RF the US/Japan differences are not too concerning. You would then be able to produce a DVD from a DVD Recorder that works with 525/60. DVD's are not really PAL/SECAM or NTSC due to the digital manner of storing the image data but they are locked to 525/60, 625/50 or some odd variations in South America. A DVD recorded thus will not play unless your DVD player can play 525/60 disks, either transcoded for a 625/50 signal to play on most modern regular UK TV sets or output pure NTSC 525/60. DVD players that are multi standard tend to use composite, component or HDMI output and not rf but modern tv's all have non RF connections.

c Purchase a regular US (you can chose Japan, S Korea or other market but menus may mean you need language familiarity) machine and one of the video to Digital devices apps for your computer. You will need to use a step down transformer to run a 120 v 60 cycles machine on 230 v 50 cycles AC. DO not worry about the cycles as Japan uses 50 and 60 cycles so very little in modern electronics (post 1960's) is AC frequency dependent. The worst that will happen is you may have a different speed on Betamax clock. More important is to make sure you use a suitable transformer and you have maintained any polarity. Machines of this vintage were not grounded (earthed) in US or Japan using Ground at the Power Station via Neutral. You should make sure you are not connecting Hot (Line) on one side of transformer to Neutral on the other. May work with no issues but can make chassis live and in rare cases cause fires. No need to buy double coil isolated transformer as the able if not the 2 pin plug will be polarized with a line or strip. You then record onto your computer and burn to DVD in your chosen format. It will depend on you app as to how much control you have on phase adjustment or Black Level Change. Pro here is items will be cheap and plentiful.

d Purchase US Beta and US DVD Recorder. Cheap, easy to find, produces US standard Discs. Most need Step Down Transformer 120 v 230 v.

e.) My favourite. If you have material which you have copyright control over, ie material that is not copyright protected and for which you do not have written permission to make copies (This means Commerical TV programmes, commercial movies or recordings of performances by an artist. You just look up one f the many companies in USA (or there are some in UK) which will transfer them for you. You need to find the right house for your needs. If it is priceless memories you may want to ensure that any tape defects such as synch loss, phase errors (either in recording or subsequent tape wear or damage) are corrected. You can also get image optimization done to produce the highest possible image quality. Now if you have an early Beta and worse still recorded at Beta III you are not going to get much but an annoying phase shift in middle of tape where everything after has green faces will not be good.) As you are going to DVD I presume it is domestic use so you have no need to worry about Broadcast Standard Requirements. Now if you have a nice ED Beta you can produce an image that is superior to NTSC Broadcast and could look at Storing it using a modern Video Codec in MP4 etc on your computer or alternate on Bu Ray DIsc. (We can forget 4K). This will give best reslts if you choose the right house to do it. Too cheap it will be crap, too expensive you are paying for facilities you do not need. If you are not using for commercial broadcast you do not want to pay for each to be colour corrected and luminance to be equalised etc.) You do not take any risk buying equipment thatmay not work properly or chew your tapes. If you are only doing a few then you are not lumbered with kit to store and not use. Pricewise if you only have a few tapes it could be much cheaper. Particularly if your equipment acquires a fault and needs parts and maintenance or shreds a vaulable tape. Turn round speed is normally quite rapid. Make sure any tapes are sent in suitable packaging as they will attract attention from Security on Air SHipping of Freight or Mail and they will attract attention from Customs in both countries not only looking for value but also copyright breach and prohibited items such as certain forms of pornography, terrorist incitement materials etc.) If you go this route you can keep a master so further copies can be produced for peanuts.

Long answer to what should be easy. Having done international stuff i Beta from Beta I to HDCAM SR and various Digital storage systems between US/Japan and the UK I wanted to ensure you knew what to avoid in order to minimize frustration. If you have access to professional facility houses, budget and travel between the countries regularly everything is easy, if not then you can hit snags. Basically the electronics and Media businesses collect profits globally bit they are extremely parochial in the marketing.You can forget multi country support from companies like Sony.

Best of luck. Hope you get just what you want in the way that works best for you.