[pcc4199]

Can any electronic techno-types please explain why PAL format DVDs, (region 0), give a crystal clear picture on my NTSC format DVD player/TV? I know that the two systems are incompatible and I have read, that, a converter is needed.

MTIA.

Andy,
Burlington, Ontario.

 

[darobi]

You'll probably find that the TV is both PAL and NTSC just not advertised that it is. I think now days every TV is produced in the far east and most are multi format. This is so they can sell to PAL territories and claim NTSC compatibility for people who use region1 DVD's etc. It was the manufactures way of telling Hollywood to get stuffed over region coding. That's why they grouped Japan (NTSC) with Europe (PAL) as region2 to get around it.

To save costs now days they will just build the same internal's and only re-badge the name/model for different area's but keep quite about it.

Over here in the UK even the small 14" portable tv's will display NTSC and most DVD players are multi format and will play all regions so it isn't really an issue here anymore.

As region 0 can be played on any DVD player your TV must be capable of displaying PAL images.

The converters you are talking about are now in built on the PCB inside the TV and why they just stick them in all TV's to save having to do a different build for North America.

You'll find that it will have been Hollywood who made the manufactures hide the PAL display facts from the descriptions.

Darren

 

[pcc4199]

Darren,

Many thanks for your reply.

If your theory, about TVs being all the same internally, for all regions is correct, I wonder how long this has been done, as I have a ten year old Panasonic unit, that reads the PAL signal.

Over here, local electronic stores will advertise multi-format TVs at a premium price.

Andy

 

[darobi]

Over here they have been around a little longer than that but did used to cost a hell of a lot more back then. I had a US Pioneer brought form from the American PX near Bremen in Germany when I was serving with the UK army back in the late eighties and that was multi region and also multi voltage for obvious reasons.

Like everything else the local chain will always try and up the price. The ones we have over here aren't the cheapest and knowledge wise leave a lot to be desired but they are getting better.

A bit like finding a good model shop, when you do they are a god send, same for electronics in general.

All you need now is a multi region DVD player and this will open up a whole new line of DVD's to watch. They are dirt cheap over here but the voltage issue is actual more of a pain to you guys than it is to us. I suppose we are used to step down transformers!!

At least you know now you can watch PAL dvd's if you can get your hands on a region2/multi player.

Maybe if you want to try a portable player first as they are cheap and run of batteries so you only need a new charger and most of these have the same connections for the DC input worldwide.

Has your PC got a DVD drive in it and also an option for Video out? Most computers allow you to change you DVD region about 4 times before it is set permanently so you could use this to check out the TV more throughly with a region2 DVD.

I am currently going about things the other way as my Plasma will only do High Definition at 60hz not 50hz as we use so I am having to buy a US Playstation3 to take advantage of it!!

Hope it all works out and you can get yours hands on the vast PAL releases.

Darren