[net.micro.amiga] NTSC vs PAL

phil@runx.OZ (Philip Holmes) (07/02/86)

	I am about to become an amigos gringos and have a little query.
The video output is NTSC and as I live in Australia (we have PAL) this is 
not much use to me.
	I am not too cluey on video etc and would like to know if the only
difference that this will make is that I will not be able to use a TV as a 
monitor.
	Are there any other problems that it will cause. i.e. maybe with
future video input digitizing, etc?
	Also, is CBM intending to bring out a PAL version?

						phil...

Don't ask me what the difference between PAL & NTSC is. I'm only
an Electrical Engineer.

grr@cbmvax.cbm.UUCP (George Robbins) (07/05/86)

In article <1345@runx.OZ> phil@runx.OZ (Philip Holmes) writes:
>
>	I am about to become an amigos gringos and have a little query.
>The video output is NTSC and as I live in Australia (we have PAL) this is 
>not much use to me.
>	I am not too cluey on video etc and would like to know if the only
>difference that this will make is that I will not be able to use a TV as a 
>monitor.
>	Are there any other problems that it will cause. i.e. maybe with
>future video input digitizing, etc?
>	Also, is CBM intending to bring out a PAL version?
>
>						phil...

Commodore has already 'launched' the 'European' version of the Amiga.  
assume it will eventually work it's way to Australia.  One of the problems
with this international stuff is that you need to make 13 different keyboard
arrangements and provide software support for non-ascii characters, dead
keys and the like...
-- 
George Robbins - now working with,	uucp: {ihnp4|seismo|caip}!cbmvax!grr
but no way officially representing	arpa: cbmvax!grr@seismo.css.GOV
Commodore, Engineering Department	fone: 215-431-9255 (only by moonlite)

daveh@cbmvax.cbm.UUCP (Dave Haynie) (07/07/86)

> 
> 
> 	I am about to become an amigos gringos and have a little query.
> The video output is NTSC and as I live in Australia (we have PAL) this is 
> not much use to me.
> 	I am not too cluey on video etc and would like to know if the only
> difference that this will make is that I will not be able to use a TV as a 
> monitor.
> 	Are there any other problems that it will cause. i.e. maybe with
> future video input digitizing, etc?
> 	Also, is CBM intending to bring out a PAL version?
> 
> 						phil...
> 
> Don't ask me what the difference between PAL & NTSC is. I'm only
> an Electrical Engineer.

If you want to use an NTSC Amiga Down Under (or anywhere else PAL is the
common system) and you have (1) an NTSC monitor, like the US 1080, and
(2) a voltage converter that'll give you the 110V of the USA versus the
220V of most PAL countries, you're ALMOST in business.  You'll still have
two problems.  The first is that the CIA chips have timers in them that
count 60Hz pulses.  When you feed these parts 50Hz, your timing functions
will be off.  Version 1.2 of the OS will cause correct timing on either a
PAL or NTSC Amiga, but I'm not certain if it'll correct for an NTSC machine
running on 50Hz.  The other problem will only arise you you're using 
flourescent lighting.  These lights will flicker at 50Hz, where your
NTSC monitor will flicker at 60Hz.  The result of this is that you get a
beat frequency of 10Hz on the monitor, which can be annoying.

There is a PAL version of the Amiga, which I believe is either selling or
soon to be selling in Europe, and probably Australia shortly after that.
This includes PAL support in the Kickstart, 220V power supplies, PAL
monitor, etc.

-- 
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Dave Haynie    {caip,ihnp4,allegra,seismo}!cbmvax!daveh

   A quote usually goes here, but its currently being rennovated.

	These opinions are my own, though for a small fee they be yours too.
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