[Standard] Secam to PAL signal conversion

[pablitooo66]

Hello, everyone

I'm facing several difficulties when digitizing VHS tapes. My goal is to digitize at a lower cost and at the most original quality.

This is why I use a passthrough via a camcorder (Sony DCR-TRV345E) to my PC via Firewire (picture below).

*It's a PAL camcorder*

I was able to do this, but some of the tapes didn't show colour with a degraded image. (like this)

*VCR (Sharp VC-MH68FPM) can read PAL/SECAM/MESECAM*

I could deduce that the problem came from the formats, I am French, here we used SECAM/MESECAM and SCART.
About the VHS that I can't digitize, they have TV/Film recordings and footage from camcorders (I think VHS-C, which uses the SECAM standard recording in France)

I have heard that there's a way to convert this signal to PAL, using :

- DVD burner to be placed between the VCR and the camcorder
- VHS/DVD player/writer that replaces my current VCR
(advantages: S-video output and 6 playback heads)

How do I know that these can do this function?
Is it a Macrovision protection problem?
What will you do in my place?

Thank you for your time and your answers.

[dellsam34]

Or just get a decent NTSC/PAL/SECAM capture device and don't have to worry about converting the signal which always come at a price or quality loss.

[hech54]

MESECAM is not the same as French SECAM. France used SECAM - L at one time. It was very similar to what East Germany used from what I've heard.

[pablitooo66]

Or just get a decent NTSC/PAL/SECAM capture device and don't have to worry about converting the signal which always come at a price or quality loss.

Okay, and which model seems decent enough?

I had a 25$ HD PVR but I couldn't capture properly, I tried everything, connections, drivers, software, etc...
At best I had a stable picture for 5 min with a crackling sound. At worst the image freezes and no sound.

[DB83]

MESECAM means Middle East Secam - a broadcast standard for the Middle East which allowed one to record the Secam standard for that country but displat it in standard PAL.

Secam-L, as noted, is specifically the French system. If memory serves, Secam-M was the East European system. If you have a French camcorder then I suspect that used Secam-L and a French tv expected that signal.


A pure French Secam-L recording gives you very limited choices. If the camcorder can output Secam-L, you can use a standard usb capture device from camcorder to PC setting the format to Secam.


A somewhat more expensive option is to use a ADVC 300 from the camcorder to PC over firewire which 'converts' the Secam output to Pal input .


The final option, as again stated, is a multi-system vcr that outputs pure Secam-L which then allows you to capture as in the first option.


Not having such a vcr, a 'shot in the dark' is to set up your vcr for Secam but the capture device as Pal

[oln]

- DVD burner to be placed between the VCR and the camcorder

Think it's been discussed in some threads here yeah - I believe european panasonic dvd/hdd-recorders (at least from 2005 and on) will accept SECAM and output PAL on s-video/composite (or component/hdmi), same with the Pioneer units from at least 05/06 and on and newer Sony ones that share the guts with them afaik. It all goes via digital component internally in the device whatever the input system. Check manual to be sure if you want to go this route.

[Bwaak]

MESECAM means Middle East Secam - a broadcast standard for the Middle East which allowed one to record the Secam standard for that country but displat it in standard PAL.

MESECAM is not a broadcast standard, but specifically a video recording format, that indeed allowed to record SECAM programs using PAL-compatible approach. I don't know whether the recorded tape would become effectively PAL. But AFAIK the quality would be lower than recording true PAL or true SECAM.

Secam-L, as noted, is specifically the French system. If memory serves, Secam-M was the East European system.

No need to rely on your memory if you can look it up.

[dellsam34]

The OP has stated clearly that he has true SECAM VHS tapes, The reason why he is getting B&W is because the camcorder he is using in Passthrough does not support SECAM.

[hech54]

I have one French SECAM L tape I tried to capture here in Europe. I failed. I found an identical straight PAL version of the tape.
Vualá.

[pablitooo66]

I have one French SECAM L tape I tried to capture here in Europe. I failed. I found an identical straight PAL version of the tape.
Vualá.

It's true that this would have solved the problem but I have vhs copies of SECAM camcorder recordings

[hech54]

I have one French SECAM L tape I tried to capture here in Europe. I failed. I found an identical straight PAL version of the tape.
Vualá.

It's true that this would have solved the problem but I have vhs copies of SECAM camcorder recordings

I was just trying to explain the difficulties I had.
I once made a list of the VCRs that were made with SECAM L capabilities....and searched Ebay for over a year with no luck in finding one.

[dellsam34]

He already has the SECAM VCR, He doesn't have a way to capture native SECAM tapes, He used a PAL camcorder as a capture device to DV that is obviously incompatible with SECAM, I gave him the solution in the second post.