Member123

When we were in Ontario three years ago we had videoed my Gran saying Hi to her sister who lived in Belleville, ON.

However when we plugged it into her TV you could hear the sound perfectly but the picture just jumped all over the place and was useless.

We were debating whether to sell our camera because of this problem, but I was wondering if seperate cables or a transformer can be used when we actually will be living in Canada.

Probably be cheaper to buy a new camera out there eh?

ipevo

It's more to do with the PAL vs NTSC format the film was recorded in. In the UK the format for TV's is PAL in North America it's NTSC. Check to see if you video cam has the option to record in either, if it does then simply swap over to that when you move and all your clips can then be played on Canadian TV's.

Member123

Thanks ipevo...will tell husband and he can check as I have no idea.

iaink

I agree that its just a simple format conflict, you are playing a UK PAL format signal on an american NTSC set.

If there is no PAL/ NTSC output switch, which there probably isnt if it wasnt an upmarket camera when you got it there is an alternative;

If its an old camera its probably not a digital one, but you probably have the option to take the output and feed it directly from the old camera into a modern digital video camera (mini DV or whatever), which will convert the analogue signal to digital. Then you can output that digital signal to a PC which wont care about NTSC vs PAL.

Once in the computer you can do what you want with it and then record it to DVD in either NTSC or PAL.

So dont chuck that old camera and tape away just yet!

Good Luck

Member123

Thanks Iaink..it is only four years old, probably "old" in terms of modern technology..but I won't chuck it yet as it was rarely used.

I dare say there will be alot more outings for it in Canada though

iaink

Is it digital then? If you can edit it on the PC, then outputing it to either Pal or NTSC after the fact is no problem, just software.

Member123

Yep its a digital camera.

ipevo

Here's a couple of articles that might help:

http://www.deskshare.com/Resources/a..._PAL_NTSC.aspx

http://www.digital-digest.com/articl...DVD_page1.html

iaink

With the Intervideo WinDVD software that came on my PC its just a question of setting the options to save the DVD output in either PAL or NTSC format. Its not a permanent switch to the format as it is on the PC, so you can do copies in either or both formats. I think most DVD authoring software is the same?

So all you need to do to keep using the camera in Canada is make sure you can charge it on 110V power. You probably wont be able to play back direct through the TV through the camera though, as dual NTSC/ PAL format TVs are a lot rarer here than they are in the UK, but you will be able to edit it on the PC and then watch it after you save it to a NTSC format DVD.

On a recent visit to the UK we had no problem watching footage from my NTSC camcorder on my dads TV as it switches format automatically, but thats not likely true the other way round...I recall his camcorder having the same problems playing back on my TV that you experienced.

MarkG

I believe my Sony Z1 is the only reasonably priced camcorder that will record both PAL and NTSC video (though some can record 24fps, which is easily converted to either). I don't know of any which can convert PAL to NTSC on output from the camera.

I did plug the Z1 into my girlfriend's parents' HDTV and that displayed the PAL signal with no problems. I also tried her cousin's big HDTV and that displayed the 50Hz HDTV signal from the camera with no problems. So obviously at least some HDTV sets in Canada will display PAL and European-style HDTV signals even if older NTSC TVs won't.

As to whether to keep the camera, most chargers will work on 120V as well as 240V because people take them abroad on holiday, but there are a number of potential issues with shooting PAL in an NTSC country (e.g. flourescent lights tend to flicker). Probably best to keep it just for any video you might want to send back to Britain and buy a Canadian camera for anything you might shoot here.

iaink

I didn't understand the flickering light comment, is there a noticeable difference between 50Hz flicker and 60Hz flicker at 30 or 25 frame per second capture rates? I didn't notice a problem with 50Hz UK fluorescents using a 30fps NTSC camcorder, but I cant be sure if there were any fluorescents in use.

Nothing to stop you using a NTSC DV camera anyway and then edit and burn to DVDs as PAL to send back to the UK, so really there are two reasons to keep the old one...first to be able to watch old tapes on, and second, why buy a new one if you don't have to.

MarkG

If the lights flicker at 50Hz and you're shooting at 60Hz, you'll get a 10Hz beat frequency between the two. It's very obvious if you look for it, but might not be so obvious if you aren't looking. PAL in a 60Hz country doesn't seem to be as bad for some reason.

Keg and Mash

I've read this thread with interest as its just the information I've been looking for, but I'm ashamed to say I didn't fully understand all the answers - too many numbers or something!!

We want to record video in Canada and then be able to send copies of it to the UK - what would be the best way to do this?

We have a PC at home , but as you can tell we're not very technically minded - so a simple way to do this would be great!

Apologies if the answer is in the thread already!

iaink

You are probably going to want to edit what you send anyway, so the easiest way Ive found is to upload your digital video from your camcorder to your PC, then edit it. Once you are all set, burn it to DVD in PAL format. The camcorder does not matter, as long as you have a digital output. (Firewire, IEEE 1394, iLinc)

For short clips it doesnt matter as you can just creat a small WMV movie to email or whatever...computers dont care about PAL vs NTSC, but for the annual 1 hour holiday highlight reel that we inflict on family back in the UK, mailing out DVDs is the way to go.

I just remembered though that in the past, before we had a good enough PC to edit movies, we had success sending the actual miniDV tape back, the digital camcorders dont seem to care about PAL or NTSC formatting until it tries to output it to the TV, so the format as recorded on the DV tape is the same regardless of whether the camcorder itself outputs in PAL or NTSC. What that meant I think is that if you have old miniDV tapes, you dont need to keep the old camera to play them back on after all.

Keg and Mash

Ok, think I've got it now.

So, buying an 8mm RCA digital camcorder could work - we could send the actual tapes back to be played? And I really apologise for my ignorance, but how would rels back home play the tapes - in their camcorder?

I'm also not sure if our PC would be good enough to edit, and it definately doesn't have a burner.

But there are options, and I suppose upgrading our PC could be one of them?