[comp.dcom.telecom] Conversion of TV Transmission Standards

steff@cernvax.cern.ch (morten steffensen) (03/26/91)

I don't know much about this but ...

My friend has brought a television and a video with her from England
into Geneva, Switzerland. These are only capable of receiving the
British transmission standard: GB-I (PAL). Now in Geneva she would
like to be able to receive the Swiss and the French television (or at
least one of them). In Switzerland the standard is CCIR (PAL-SECAM)
and in France it is FR-L (SECAM).

The TV is a Toshiba 258T7B and the video is a Toshiba V-309B.

My question: Does there exists a commercial "plug-in-and-play"
converter box between these different signals.  What would be the best
for her to do?  Re-export the TV and the video?

Thanks in advance,

steff@cernvax.ch

crawford@enuxha.eas.asu.edu (Brian Crawford) (03/27/91)

In article <telecom11.245.7@eecs.nwu.edu>, steff@cernvax.cern.ch
(morten steffensen) writes:

> My question: Does there exists a commercial "plug-in-and-play"
> converter box between these different signals.  What would be the best
> for her to do?  Re-export the TV and the video?

Simple answer: No, unless you have a BIG FAT checkbook to purchase
this device.

This subject has been beaten to death over on rec.video.


Brian Crawford            INTERNET (current):   crawford@enuxha.eas.asu.edu
PO Box 804                         (permanent): crawford@stjhmc.fidonet.org
Tempe, Arizona  85280     FidoNet:              1:114/15.12 
USA                       Amateur:              KL7JDQ  

trebor@uunet.uu.net (Robert J Woodhead) (03/28/91)

steff@cernvax.cern.ch (morten steffensen) writes:

> My question: Does there exist a commercial "plug-in-and-play"
> converter box between these different signals.  What would be the best
> for her to do?  Re-export the TV and the video?

There are international VCR's that do what you want.  The Akihabara in
Tokyo is lousy with them, as they are a big hit with tourists.  These
VCRs can play PAL, SECAM and NTSC VHS tapes, and also have tuners that
can pick up all the formats.  They have an internal converter and, I
THINK, can drive a PAL, SECAM or NTSC tv or monitor.

One I saw recently has a front panel bevel with a map of the world on
it, with lots of little flags.  You just press the flag of the country
you are in to reconfigure the VCR.


Robert J. Woodhead, Biar Games / AnimEigo, Incs.   trebor@foretune.co.jp

wrs@mcshh.hanse.de (Wolfgang R. Schulz) (03/28/91)

steff@cernvax.cern.ch (morten steffensen) writes:

> My friend has brought a television and a video with her from England
> into Geneva, Switzerland. These are only capable of receiving the
> British transmission standard: GB-I (PAL). Now in Geneva she would
> like to be able to receive the Swiss and the French television (or at
> least one of them). In Switzerland the standard is CCIR (PAL-SECAM)
> and in France it is FR-L (SECAM).

> My question: Does there exists a commercial "plug-in-and-play"
> converter box between these different signals.  What would be the best
> for her to do?  Re-export the TV and the video?

Although I think that this matter is permanently discussed in
rec.video, I wish to point out, that really the British gear is rather
useless in the Swiss/French continental corner. Two major handicaps
are the reason:

a. The PAL standard and the FRENCH version of SECAM will only work
in one set (VCR or TV) when they are specially designed for it, mostly
because SECAM video is beeing broadcast NEGATIVE, while PAL is POSITIVE
(compare with a slide, you get almost the same negative results when
looking at them).

b. The audio/ video separation in a TV channel is different. So a
tuner made for the UK can only "listen" to British audio. CCIR has a
different separation and French TV another even.

c. UK equipment usually only has a tuner for UHF frequencies, while
on the continent you get the most channels on VHF.

Really, re-export it, and get something locally that is designed for
reception in that area. All dealers there will have sets which do well
on both systems.

Happy holidays!


Wolfgang R. Schulz, Hamburg, Germany ***BTX (and phone): 0405521878
Bang:     ...unido!mcshh!wrs      ***        UUCP: wrs@mcshh.UUCP  
Internet: wrs@mcshh.hanse.de      ***        MCI:  241-2526        

hsilbiger@attmail.att.com (Herman R Silbiger) (04/01/91)

In article <telecom11.251.1@eecs.nwu.edu>, kddlab!lkbreth.foretune.
co.jp!trebor@uunet.uu.net (Robert J Woodhead) writes:

> There are international VCR's that do what you want.  The Akihabara in
> Tokyo is lousy with them, as they are a big hit with tourists.  These
> VCRs can play PAL, SECAM and NTSC VHS tapes, and also have tuners that
> can pick up all the formats.  They have an internal converter and, I
> THINK, can drive a PAL, SECAM or NTSC tv or monitor.

The 47th Street Photo catalog shows several multi-standard VCRs, as
well as multi-standard TV sets and camcorders, all at prices not much
different from NTSC equipment.

They also have multi-standard coffee makers.


Herman Silbiger 

kludge@grissom.larc.nasa.gov (Scott Dorsey) (04/01/91)

In article <telecom11.251.1@eecs.nwu.edu>  kddlab!lkbreth.foretune.
co.jp!trebor@uunet.uu.net (Robert J Woodhead) writes:
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 251, Message 1 of 11

> steff@cernvax.cern.ch (morten steffensen) writes:

>> My question: Does there exist a commercial "plug-in-and-play"
>> converter box between these different signals.  What would be the best
>> for her to do?  Re-export the TV and the video?

> There are international VCR's that do what you want.  The Akihabara in
> Tokyo is lousy with them, as they are a big hit with tourists.  These
> VCRs can play PAL, SECAM and NTSC VHS tapes, and also have tuners that
> can pick up all the formats.  They have an internal converter and, I
> THINK, can drive a PAL, SECAM or NTSC tv or monitor.

Most of these units are VCR's that produce a PAL signal from PAL
tapes and an NTSC signal from NTSC tapes.  Changing from one scan rate
to another is very, very difficult (anyone remember the Eidekoscope
with the three storage CRTs?), but building equipment designed to use
either one isn't all that hard.  International VCR's will probably
work only with international TV sets.  You might be able to get your
NTSC TV to synch up on a european TV signal, although you probably
won't get the sound carrier and the color won't be there.

Oh, there are shops in NYC that do sell multistandard TVs and VCRs.  


Scott