[sci.electronics] PAL to NTSC video tape conversion

gat@robotics.Jpl.Nasa.Gov (Erann Gat) (07/25/90)

Does anyone know how to convert a PAL (european) format video
tape into NTSC format?

Thanks in advance,
Erann Gat
gat@robotics.jpl.nasa.gov / gat@ai.mt.edu

wrs@mcshh.hanse.de (Wolfgang R. Schulz) (07/29/90)

gat@robotics.Jpl.Nasa.Gov (Erann Gat) writes:

>Does anyone know how to convert a PAL (european) format video
>tape into NTSC format?

>Thanks in advance,
>Erann Gat
>gat@robotics.jpl.nasa.gov / gat@ai.mt.edu
Amazing how often this question is asked lately.
Once again: the conversions between PAL and NTSC,
any direction, need a digital converter if you want
a good quality. These converters cost between some
30,000 and 300,000 US$. To rent time on them, at least
here in Europe, you pay between $3 and $6 per minute (!).

A simple method, which results in low quality, would be
to play a PAL tape and regular PAL equipment/monitor,
place an NTSC camera in front of the monitor any record
the image on an NTSC recorder. You get a 10 Hz flicker that
way, depending on the kind of camera you are using.

There are also circuit boards available called "Image Translators",
if I am not mistaken in the $400 range, which you can have built into
you NTSC machine so that it converts the PAL coding into NTSC
coding. But be aware: You still get a 50 frame /625 line image,
and some TV sets may not accept that. The picture may "run" and you
may be missing 100 lines ( a circle may look like an egg ), but it
is a compromise. You CAN NOT dub these tapes to an NTSC machine!

Greetings,
Wolfgang R. Schulz

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