Nstc / Pal

Dear all

I have looked at all the other recent postings regarding the perils of camcorders purchased in the US, could you kind people please clarify & advise me on the following please

1. A NSTC camcorder will not record onto a UK VHS video recorder?

2. It may play on a newer TV set through a scart, but this is not gospel?

3. I can burn onto a dvd via my computer in NSTC & it will play on a all region dvd player?

I hope somebody can help as Im at my wits end, I can get either a NSTC or PAL format in the states these being £100 different in price the more expensive being still £250 cheaper than the UK, should I plump for PAL or suffer the consequenses of NSTC???

Regards

Karl Wolstencroft

[LV426]

1. A NSTC camcorder will not record onto a UK VHS video recorder?
In virtually all cases, no, it won't. Some (very very few) VHS machines are multistandard. Note that the ability to replay NTSC tapes is NOT an indication of an ability to record in that format

2. It may play on a newer TV set through a scart, but this is not gospel?
If the TV is capable of NTSC replay via an AV input (eg SCART) then you will be able to watch your camcorder tapes. If the TV isn't specified as NTSC-able, then at best you may get a monochrome image and at worst nothing watchable.

3. I can burn onto a dvd via my computer in NSTC & it will play on a all region dvd player?
Probably. Most PC capture cards can deal with both PAL and NTSC. But some are PAL only. You need to find out what yours is capable of.
An 'all region' DVD player isn't necessary; home made DVDs are not region coded.
But, the disc thus produced will probably be in NTSC format. Now, your DVD player will almost certainly play NTSC - but can your TV display it? Back to the answer to Question 2.

should I plump for PAL or suffer the consequenses of NSTC???
I recommend PAL for use in the UK.

[Brian110507]

There is a bit more to it than your three questions, you may have an all region DVD player, but have all your family and friends, what about when your Mum or your Gran wants a copy of your video to take home to keep or you want to send a copy to friends in Europe etc. Secondly what about warranty - are you prepared to pack up your camera and send it back to the USA if something goes wrong, it is unlikely that a European office will cover warranty for a camera purchased outside Europe. If you are ordering the camera via post be prepared for customs and excise to slap duty on the price you pay, if you actually go to the US and come through customs with it you may get away with it, but you might also get stopped and charged with trying to escape import duty.

Also it is actually NTSC (not NSTC) if you remember Never The Same Colour which it was dubbed in the early days because of inconsistancies in the NTSC system

If you live in the UK I wouldn't consider anything but PAL

[MarkE19]

I've got to agree with the previous posts. PAL in nearly all cases for use in the UK.
I did advise a member to get an NTSC (Never Twice the Same Colo(u)r) cam as they were soon to move to canada (also uses NTSC) and also had relatives in the UK. This way the UK relatives would almost certainly be able to watch the DVD, but in the USA they would not if it was PAL! This is not the case for you so stick with PAL.
Also as mentioned you could get caught by customs with the cam. This is also the case in the future when returning to the UK after a holiday - they can still charge you import duty & VAT on an old cam.

Mark.

Gentlemen

you have solved a problem which I have been grieving over for weeks, I will now go for the Pal version, its still cheaper than in the UK

Thanks again

Karl Wolstencroft