about a PAL / Secam / Mesecam vcr-dvd combo

[glitch]

Hello! I have a question regarding the PAL/Secam/Mesecam colour systems. I have an old Panasonic VCR which unfortunately for some reason can't connect to my PC anymore. This VCR has a button which switches between two options - 1) Secam 2) PAL/Mesecam. My main vhs players are to Samsung dvd-vhs combos, which connect without problems, have good audio/video but as you may guess they play some of my old Panasonic recorded tapes in black and white . Now I am looking for a vhs-dvd combo which can play both colour systems. I could also try an older vcr, but I'm not sure it will connect to my PC, so far the combos are the only ones who don't make problems. So my questions is about this combo - LG DVC5931 DVD VHS. In this closeup https://ibazar.focus.bg/photosbazar/06/pics/06666c48490c82f997a5e1ca2b60a072.jpg it shows that is labled as PAL / Secam, not just PAL as my 2 combos. Do you think this LG DVC5931 will do the thing ?

[hech54]

Change the settings on the capture device first before you start guessing at which VCR won't end up at an obsolete paperweight.

[glitch]

Which settings on my capture device are you referring to ? I use an external usb tv tuner https://www.avermedia.com/tv_more/product/tv/avertv_hybrid_volar_hd and a pci tv tuner AVerMedia A177 , used with Cyberlink PowerDirector and AverTV 3D respectively. After I configured them I haven't really touch any of the settings but I don't remember seeing any options regarding colour systems. Maybe I am missing something with the settings but I honestly can't see what. If you mean the troubled pc connection with my old Panasonic vcr...I really have no idea what goes wrong. The vcr seems to be working fine. I actually got it right once, with the pci tuner and AverMedia Center program, but after being on for a few hours it just disappeared. It was normally connected with one of my older tuners, Asus-ES3-110/PTS/FM/AV/RC, but unfortunately for me it crashed.

[hech54]

I'm honestly having trouble following your explanation of what is going on, but my point is that almost every "PAL" VCR I have ever come across says it has the ability to do mesecam, secam or both.
Looking at your capture device, it appears that the only input is via the "TV Cable connection"? I've never captured with that output. S-Video, SCART or RCA/cinch connections are the norm. I'm not saying it's impossible, but to me that is your weakest link....or software setup. Look for "tuner settings" in the software.

[glitch]

I tried that already, doesn't work at all. The funny thing is this is actually the only way I'm able to get any connection - using the "Tv cable". Same way with the pci tuner. I've got all sorts of SCARTs, RCAs etc. and they bring no signal. With the plain old tv cable I managed to get a crystal clear video/audio (well, you know, for a vhs) out of all 5 different types of vcr I've used in the past years. I apologize for the long and probably chaotic explanations, I'm just trying to put all the information related to the situation. My current 2 vcr-dvds (and my previous one as well) are all PAL and they don't do Mesecam. My old vcr is PAL/Secam and has two options - one for Secam and second for Pal/Mesecam, which I also don't understand because I always thought the Mesecam system was an edited version of the Secam. Anyway, my main question was about this LG DVC5931 DVD VHS combo and its ability to do Mesecam.

[hech54]

Anyway, my main question was about this LG DVC5931 DVD VHS combo and its ability to do Mesecam.

I just can't think of any scenario where mesecam would be your problem....unless you are buying old secamL tapes from France, and even those would not play in a standard PAL machine.
I think you are chasing the wrong problem.

[glitch]

The tapes for which I need that vcr, are not original tapes with movies sold in the stores. I'm talking about tapes with home made records from TV, just like some of my own. You leave by mistake the colour system button switched at the wrong option, you press REC and there you have it - a record that would be played in b/w if on a vcr without colour multisystems. Believe me, tapes with that kind of records don't play in colours in a PAL machine.

[DB83]

It may assist if you were to explain in which country you recorded the tapes that do not play in colour on the PAL machine.

It is my understanding that MeSecam is purely a broadcast standard. The vcr would record that but output it in PAL for playback.

Maybe I misread what my friend wrote but Secam can also cover a multitude of incompatable standards >> France ,Eastern Europe, Middle East........ The French Secam ie SecamL only plays back back as Secam. There is no in-built standards converter.

[glitch]

The tapes were recorded in Bulgaria (Eastern Europe) mainly from the Bulgarian National Television (BNT) during the 1990's. As far as I know BNT broadcasted in Secam until july 2001, after that they switched to PAL. This change is clearly visible through my usb tv tuner - a pre 2001 tv record will have good, clear and bright colours all the time while a +2001 record will get a certain yellow/green shade from time to time (no matter what vcr device you use). That is kind of strange too, because with a PAL vcr it should have been the other way around. As for the Mesecam - I thought it was only available as an extra on some vcrs, not an actual broadcast standart that televisions would use. hech54 was right that it would be better and easier if I can just connect my old vcr to the PC instead of firing a shot in the dark for a combo that could be useless to me. Unfortunately I'm having no luck with my attempts so far.

[DB83]

I stand corrected. I had understood that 'Me' stood for Middle East as a broadcast standard. It was actually a method of recording a Secam signal on to video tape.

Bulgaria did use Secam. Not the French system but a variant called Secam-D/K. Methinks your only way to get the content off those tapes is to use a full multi-standard vcr or outsource to a company that offers such a service. I say this since many moons ago I had a Secam VHS tape that originated in Russia and was able to find a service in the UK that converted it.