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  1. Hi everyone,

    I have a PAL Format Videotape of home movies that I would like to transfer to DVD. I am in the USA so I know everything is NTSC (TVs/VCRs/DVD players)

    I currently have a PAL camcorder (Sanyo VMD-66P) that I can hook up to my Dazzle DVC100 capture card and transfer the tape to my computer using the Pinnacle software. Not the best quality, but it will get the job done this time.

    The tape plays the movie but it is in black and white with horrible horizontal lines through the picture (Will post a picture later) The Dazzle Pinnacle software reads the camcorder footage but the output is in black and white, same as the camcorder.

    I have a SCART to AV cable that can plug into the camcorder to a VCR but have no idea where to find A SCART supported VCR. My option, if I do this myself, seems to be to find a PAL supported USB capture card. Does anyone have recommendations on what to possibly purchase? I have 5 tapes.

    Thank you
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  2. Member DB83's Avatar
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    Not familiar with capture device but I have had a quick read of the manual.

    Assuming you are using the capture software that came with the device - the manual discusses MovieStar 5 - you must set a broadcast standard from the project profile dialog. Obviously this must be PAL (you might have yours preset for NTSC if you have used it before).

    Scart connections are only found on UK and European VCRs. Even if you outsource one of those you will still have the NTSC issue that has to be addressed in the capture software.

    There is another potential issue. Several analog capture devices do not work beyond WinXP. You do not state your OS but if it works for a NTSC tape then you can discount this remark.
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  3. Member DB83's Avatar
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    One other thing I forgot to mention.

    Let's assume that your capture was correctly done as PAL and you created a PAL DVD. That may still not display on a standard US tv. The best you can do is convert that PAL capture to NTSC and create a NTSC dvd.
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  4. Video Restorer lordsmurf's Avatar
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    SCART to anything adapters almost never work as you think.

    Honestly, if you have just 1 PAL Video8 tape, outsource it to a professional for quick process.
    Want my help? Ask here! (not via PM!)
    FAQs: Best Blank DiscsBest TBCsBest VCRs for captureRestore VHS
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  5. Originally Posted by lordsmurf View Post
    SCART to anything adapters almost never work as you think.

    Honestly, if you have just 1 PAL Video8 tape, outsource it to a professional for quick process.

    Thank you for the reply. I have a total of 5 tapes. Being in the USA, the SCART cable is no use to me. Couldn't I run AV cables from the camcorder through a PAL/NTSC converter to a capture card or from the camcorder through a PAL supported captured card?

    I am using a Windows 7 64-Bit HP Laptop.

    I was planning on looking into AM CAP.
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  6. Originally Posted by DB83 View Post
    One other thing I forgot to mention.

    Let's assume that your capture was correctly done as PAL and you created a PAL DVD. That may still not display on a standard US tv. The best you can do is convert that PAL capture to NTSC and create a NTSC dvd.
    I'm running this software on a Windows 7 64-bit laptop. That was my intention to convert PAL to NTSC and create an NTSC DVD. Is there a capture card or converter box to look into? I will likely look into a professional service as well.
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  7. Member hech54's Avatar
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    You need to set up your hardware and software as PAL.....capture the tape to your computer as PAL.
    Just get it to your computer in color first and foremost.....worry about NTSC next.
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  8. Originally Posted by hech54 View Post
    You need to set up your hardware and software as PAL.....capture the tape to your computer as PAL.
    Just get it to your computer in color first and foremost.....worry about NTSC next.
    That's my top priority right now. I've got the Pinnacle capture software set to PAL already. The tape playing on the camcorder (standalone and hooked into my laptop), as black and white with those horizontal lines. Not sure if I'm missing a step, just hoping it's not a tape issue.
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  9. Member DB83's Avatar
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    I think we also need to see a sample of the raw capture (not some youtube conversion etc.)

    It could be the camcorder and not the capture process.
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  10. Originally Posted by DB83 View Post
    I think we also need to see a sample of the raw capture (not some youtube conversion etc.)

    It could be the camcorder and not the capture process.

    Attached is a sample of what I captured with my USB Dazzle DVC100 Capture card. I have not cleaned the head on the camcorder to this point. The software was set to capture in PAL format.
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    • File Type: mpg 4.mpg (35.66 MB, 18 views)
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  11. Member DB83's Avatar
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    Once again, have you actually used this capture device under Win7-64 ?

    and are you absolutely certain that the camcorder is playing a PAL output ie PAL-B/G and not PAL-M or something similar(which is closer to NTSC than European PAL) and that the tape is also PAL-B/G

    There does appear to be significant timing errors here which is why I ask about the tape and how it was recorded. Same camcorder ?
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  12. Originally Posted by DB83 View Post
    Once again, have you actually used this capture device under Win7-64 ?

    and are you absolutely certain that the camcorder is playing a PAL output ie PAL-B/G and not PAL-M or something similar(which is closer to NTSC than European PAL) and that the tape is also PAL-B/G

    There does appear to be significant timing errors here which is why I ask about the tape and how it was recorded. Same camcorder ?
    Nothing in the user manual I've seen mentions PAL-M or anything different. The tapes were shot in Romania, so it could be a SECAM hybrid. These tapes are from the early 80's as well, I'm 25, so not 100% sure if this is the original camcorder.
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  13. Member DB83's Avatar
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    Well Romania was PAL-D/K which, it seems, is quite similar to PAL-B/G but not exact

    Romania, it appears, never used SECAM or its East European variants.

    Now if the camcorder that shot the video was targeted for the Romanian market there would have to be some modification since the normal practice would be to connect the camcorder to a tv for direct viewing.

    Most capture software does provide for these variants but you still have to select the right one. But if the camcorder was not the model that shot the video you may be wasting your time and just bite the bullet and put the tapes out to professional sources that can handle world broadcast systems.
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  14. Video Restorer lordsmurf's Avatar
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    I recently had zero issue playing Romanian PAL tapes in JVC HR-S7965EK deck captured with ATI AIW cards set to PAL I/B/G/etc.
    Want my help? Ask here! (not via PM!)
    FAQs: Best Blank DiscsBest TBCsBest VCRs for captureRestore VHS
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