TV and DVD recorders: PAL/SECAM dual compatibility?
Sep 23rd 2006, 11:20 pm
#1
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2006
Location: Brussels
Posts: 2
TV and DVD recorders: PAL/SECAM dual compatibility?
Hello all,
I'm quite sure this has been discussed somewhere else, but anyway....
I'm a Brit working in Paris. When I moved here I bought a French TV and DVD recorder. However, I've now been offered a new job in Brussels and will be moving there in the New Year.
Unfortunately, I am now concerned about how compatible my French TV will be in Belgium (France being SECAM and Belgium being PAL).
The user manual says under "Tuner/Reception/Transmission" gives the TV system as "PAL, SECAM", which I take to mean that the TV (bought new in February 2006) is one of these machines that can take both SECAM & PAL.
However, the rather helpful (not!) call centre woman told me when I rang up that they are in no way compatible.....which flies in the face of everything I've ever heard before....
On a related note, would anyone know if this PAL/SECAM issue is likely to affect my being able to use my DVD recorder in Belgium? The DVD manual says that the TV system as PAL which to me would suggest that it should be okay, but......
Any one technically minded have any bright words of wisdom??????? If it came to it, is there any way of buying some sort of adaptor for this thing? (he says optimistically!!!)
Thanks in advance
I'm quite sure this has been discussed somewhere else, but anyway....
I'm a Brit working in Paris. When I moved here I bought a French TV and DVD recorder. However, I've now been offered a new job in Brussels and will be moving there in the New Year.
Unfortunately, I am now concerned about how compatible my French TV will be in Belgium (France being SECAM and Belgium being PAL).
The user manual says under "Tuner/Reception/Transmission" gives the TV system as "PAL, SECAM", which I take to mean that the TV (bought new in February 2006) is one of these machines that can take both SECAM & PAL.
However, the rather helpful (not!) call centre woman told me when I rang up that they are in no way compatible.....which flies in the face of everything I've ever heard before....
On a related note, would anyone know if this PAL/SECAM issue is likely to affect my being able to use my DVD recorder in Belgium? The DVD manual says that the TV system as PAL which to me would suggest that it should be okay, but......
Any one technically minded have any bright words of wisdom??????? If it came to it, is there any way of buying some sort of adaptor for this thing? (he says optimistically!!!)
Thanks in advance
Nov 4th 2006, 5:01 pm
#3
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2005
Location: GTA
Posts: 80
Re: TV and DVD recorders: PAL/SECAM dual compatibility?
Well France's terrestrial reception system is not just SECAM it's SECAM LL'. It's not used anywhere else in the world as far as I know - probably all harks back to some sort of protectionism.
Anyway to answer your question I doubt very much that your TV will NOT work in Belgium, ie: it'll work. Pretty much all TV's I've seen in Belgium are dual standard - SECAM LL' and PAL BG compatible. Since in Wallonie people can watch French TV from France. If you can watch any foreign channels on your TV (via cable/satellite) then you're watching a PAL broadcast without realising.
I have a Thomson TV which receives just about everything in Europe. There's a special 'France' setting in the set-up menu since it's so completely incompatible with anything else!! If you play around with your TV/DVD recorder you will probably see one for 'Europe' and one for 'France' too
Anyway to answer your question I doubt very much that your TV will NOT work in Belgium, ie: it'll work. Pretty much all TV's I've seen in Belgium are dual standard - SECAM LL' and PAL BG compatible. Since in Wallonie people can watch French TV from France. If you can watch any foreign channels on your TV (via cable/satellite) then you're watching a PAL broadcast without realising.
I have a Thomson TV which receives just about everything in Europe. There's a special 'France' setting in the set-up menu since it's so completely incompatible with anything else!! If you play around with your TV/DVD recorder you will probably see one for 'Europe' and one for 'France' too
