PAL/NTSC Model difference - Techwatch: Satellite TV forums, FTA, Cable, Hardware, & Tech forums

alexar · 08-03-07, 08:14 AM

Hi,
I live in country where broadcasting is done using PAL system.
All my TVs are multisystem, and can display NTSC.
I see that different shops price PAL/NTSC camcorders slightly different - for some models PAL version is more expensive, for other NTSC is expensive (all shops are located in USA, so I thought they will price NTSC lower, as sales should be bigger).
Can I just by the "cheaper" one, doesn't matter PAL/NTSC it is ?
Or one of the formats is "better" for something ?

lovehateHDV · 09-03-07, 07:11 AM

Or one of the formats is "better" for something ?

Yeah, here in US NTSC is definitely better than PAL. It can be played back on any TV, player, etc. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING is PAL over here.

In the PAL world you are limited to your home TV's to watch and show off your video library (if you own NTSC cam and TV).

Otherwise, conversion is never perfect. I've shot a music video last summer in NTSC. Well, the band was from Europe and they took the video over there and fixed it in PAL. It looked BAD. They reshot most important scenes in PAL.

So, I suggest you figure out what you're gonna do with videos and where they are going to be played and make you choice.

alexar · 09-03-07, 07:30 AM

It would be just family/vacation movies, I don't plan to take over Hollywood with this

Moreover, I think most playback will be done not through camera - it would be played on/from PC after editing. So, in this case PAL/NTSC differences are meaningless, right ?

lovehateHDV · 09-03-07, 08:23 AM

Well, It's easier to extract 24P from 60i than from 50i. you'd have to settle for 25P with PAL.

Second, if you choose to burn a DVD of your footage- I mean a standard DVD, with the format other than what you have you'll have to transcode.

Which again isn't good.

Besides all of that- 60i produces a little smoother motion.

and yes, those differences are meaningless if you don't care about them .

08-03-07, 08:14 AM	#1 (permalink)
alexar Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 8 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	PAL/NTSC Model difference Hi, I live in country where broadcasting is done using PAL system. All my TVs are multisystem, and can display NTSC. I see that different shops price PAL/NTSC camcorders slightly different - for some models PAL version is more expensive, for other NTSC is expensive (all shops are located in USA, so I thought they will price NTSC lower, as sales should be bigger). Can I just by the "cheaper" one, doesn't matter PAL/NTSC it is ? Or one of the formats is "better" for something ?

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09-03-07, 07:11 AM	#2 (permalink)
lovehateHDV Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Seattle, Earth, Milky Way, the 4D Universe Posts: 171 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Or one of the formats is "better" for something ? Yeah, here in US NTSC is definitely better than PAL. It can be played back on any TV, player, etc. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING is PAL over here. In the PAL world you are limited to your home TV's to watch and show off your video library (if you own NTSC cam and TV). Otherwise, conversion is never perfect. I've shot a music video last summer in NTSC. Well, the band was from Europe and they took the video over there and fixed it in PAL. It looked BAD. They reshot most important scenes in PAL. So, I suggest you figure out what you're gonna do with videos and where they are going to be played and make you choice.

09-03-07, 07:30 AM	#3 (permalink)
alexar Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 8 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	It would be just family/vacation movies, I don't plan to take over Hollywood with this Moreover, I think most playback will be done not through camera - it would be played on/from PC after editing. So, in this case PAL/NTSC differences are meaningless, right ?

09-03-07, 08:23 AM	#4 (permalink)
lovehateHDV Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Seattle, Earth, Milky Way, the 4D Universe Posts: 171 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Well, It's easier to extract 24P from 60i than from 50i. you'd have to settle for 25P with PAL. Second, if you choose to burn a DVD of your footage- I mean a standard DVD, with the format other than what you have you'll have to transcode. Which again isn't good. Besides all of that- 60i produces a little smoother motion. and yes, those differences are meaningless if you don't care about them .