USA camcorder

sharkman

If I buy a Camcorder from the USA will i be able to re-record the footage on my VCR by connecting via the scart ????

thesteve

as long as the VCR can read an NTSC signal, I don't see why not

ZENER

I think you will be hard pushed to find a vcr here that will record and NTSC signal, I'm not saying impossible but I imagine the extra you would pay for that feature might cancel out any saving on buying the camera in the US.

Along with that it will make distributing the tapes recorded rather difficult. IMO it would be ultimatly cheaper and more convenient to buy one here or in the UK.

Tinky

thesteve

it doesn't have to record in NTSC, just read an NTSC signal which most recorders these days can... when it records, it will record in PAL, hence being able to be read in all VCR's (here anyway)

ZENER

Have you actually done this successfully ? Do VCRs have NTSC to PAL transcoders built in now ?

Tinky

thesteve

i've done it with an NTSC DVD, to a mitsubishi VCR that can read NTSC (and its even about 7 years old)

ZENER

I suppose with modern TV sets being able to playback NTSC you could get away with this.

The tapes from this procedure would still have a field rate of 60Hz and would in effect be pseudo PAL or PAL-M. If the tape was given to someone with a TV unable to view NTSC or PAL-M the picture may be unwatchable ar at worst damage their set.

I still say it would be better to buy a camcorder in Europe and a DV model would be even better.

Strictly speaking there is no such thing as a PAL or NTSC DVD. The data recorded on the disc contains no colour encoding information of this format. It contains digitised video files in resolutions similar to the PAL and NTSC formats. When you play back an "NTSC" or region 1 DVD the player outputs the picture through its video circuitry which for most of Europe is PAL.

Tinky

thesteve

true, true... if only our prices were as good as the states!

ZENER

I've seen people bring back NTSC camcorders and have problems distributing the tapes to family. Recording video from an NTSC recorder/player to a PAL recorder is not the same as recording an NTSC DVD on a PAL recorder as I explained above in my last post.

Tinky

thesteve

My DVD player in my PC was a philips drive which used a TV out via a Realmagic card... which I bought in the states, hence outputting in NTSC, and it still worked

I am not doubting what you are saying in regards your family/home movies, etc.... but the fact remains that this worked perfect for me.

ZENER

I'm not trying to score points or argue with you here but there others here that may read this thread and assume that buying a camcorder in the USA is ok 'cos it will work here in Ireland. I think it's important that people realise the problems they may encounter.

As I said recording from a region 1 DVD does not mean its NTSC. The Realmagic cards have both PAL and NTSC encoders on board but the output colour format is set when you install the card i.e. Ireland = PAL output through it's CVBS connector this may or may not have been the case in your setup - I don't know for sure.

A camcorder is a different kettle of fish though, an American model will have a pure NTSC output complete with chroma subcarrier frequency etc. A PAL video recorder of the normal domestic variety is unlikely to be compatible with this system and may not record the colour information if it records at all.

Care is required when giving this sort of advice here, it could involve someone making a very expensive mistake and end up with a product that is unsuitable for their needs.

Tinky

zilog_jones

Yes, I don't think it'd be a good idea. I've tried recording 60Hz video on two fairly new VCRs (a Panasonic and a cheaper JVC - both which can *play* NTSC tapes) with no luck - one wouldn't stick to the 60Hz signal - it would keep changing back to 50Hz intermittently - very messy. The other was just totally scrambled, though normal (non hi-fi) sound was OK, but then again I think I was using a Macrovision DVD. So it probably is possible to record 60Hz video on some VCRs here - NTSC colour is another thing, though...

I've also come across what appeared to be at first a pretty much average 14" Ferguson TV here (about mid-late 90's model), but amazingly it was able to display a proper normal NTSC 3.58 signal in colour through the composite connections! There wasn't any tint option on the OSD though, so it was kinda over-reddish (proper NTSC TV sets have a tint control), but still - NTSC colour! That's the only Irish TV I've ever seen that can do that, but there's most definately others, though it's definately not that common, and it will usually just come out in black & white.

The only other possible way to watch full NTSC colour in colour is if you use a proper RGB SCART connection where possible - all DVD players sold here have that (I think), as do the majority of home computers (NOT modern PC graphics cards though - they're always s-video, unless you some re-wiring) and most games consoles with some multi-pin AV-out socket (usually a 9-pin DIN socket on older systems). I have yet to see a video camera with RGB outputs though - analogue outputs are usually just S-video and composite, to save space (and for the fact that domestic Japanese and Korean TVs don't use SCART or any other RGB connections), but there's always digital outputs like FireWire and USB 2.0, which would also solve the problem. Your picture's still going to be in 60Hz though...

Though saying all this, I've used a pretty recent Sony Digital 8 camera, and on the options somewhere there was an option for either PAL or NTSC 4.43 (i.e. PAL-M, PAL-60, etc. - a 60Hz signal with PAL colour), and possibly even NTSC 3.58. And with more high end miniDV cameras, I wouldn't be surprised if they had options like that too as to cut down on costs so they wouldn't have to make different models for different regions and such.

Also, we're forgetting another important point - in the US they use a 110V mains voltage, compared to our 240V system. There may be the problem that the battery charger will only work at 110V, so you'll have to get a step-down transformer in order to not MELT the thing. Though saying that, many camcorder chargers are multi-voltage (as they took into account how people may travel abroad with them), so it might just be a matter of changing the plug.

Another point to consider would be the warranty, which probably would be invalid over here.

leonotron

Why not just buy a pal camera from the states. I've just bought a Sony DCR-TRV 950 Pal from the U.S. For €1600 (€100 of that is shipping), the same camera in the Sony Centre here is €2849. That's a pretty big difference. It seems to me these stores are getting their equipment cheaper due to the value of the Euro against the Dollar but fail to pass it on to the consumer. Bunch of cúnts