NTSC vs PAL

[kiran_sham]

Hi there... I got this question when I was watching a movie and need to find an answer.. did a lot of googling but could not find an answer... Here are the questions:

1. Does any TV (that has NTSC/ATSC tuner) available in the US market shows the picture if PAL signal is given as input?

2. If the answer to the above question is "NO", would it work if I input the PAL signal to a DVD recorder and then pass the output of the DVD recorder to the TV? In other words, would the recorders available in the market do the conversion of the signals based on the necessity?

I am very confident that the answer to #1 above is "NO". But am more curious in knowing the right answer for #2.

Any information in this regard would be highly appreciated!

 

[BMXTRIX]

I've never tested it but would expect that the answer to both questions is a big 'it depends'.

#1 is far more likely to be 'yes' but it will be display dependent. That is, many new displays, since it they all use digital processing, don't have a huge issue accepting a PAL format and converting it to properly display on the screen. But, I don't think at the core they change the refresh rate from 60hz (NTSC) to 50hz (PAL). I think they just convert the signal to something that the display is happy with.

So, the real answer to your specific question is no. ALL TVs won't do it, some will and you will likely see specifications for those TVs that say PAL compliant somewhere for signal compatibility.

#2 is more likely a 'no' I would believe instead of a yes. That is, the DVD recorder FIRST must be PAL compliant (not as likely) and then would likely just record in the PAL format to disc. There is no necessity to convert from PAL to NTSC for the recorder to work, and the burden is on the TV to go from PAL to NTSC, not on the player. Better DVD recorders designed for world use, likely will do this processing on board and you will be able to specify output, but this is not something I would ever consider 'standard'. Many DVD players DO have the ability to read PAL discs and convert them to NTSC quite easily. This is not the same as passing a signal through the DVD player though. So, once again, player dependent.

 

[kiran_sham]

Thanks BMXTRIX!

Actually, I have to move to Asia and want to take my Samsung HL-S6187W with me. Also, I have a Panasonic ES10 DVD recorder, which anyway has a tuner in it (not sure if it is capable of receiving PAL). Since the cable would be passed thru the DVD recorder, I am not sure if the recorder would understand it.

After I posted my previous post, I realized that you get PAL to NTSC video converters. But my initial guess is that they convert everything into analog format. So I would lose the HD programming if that is the case.

The other option I guess is to replace the tuner in my TV with a tuner I could buy once I go there. Do you know good an option that would be? If I do that, I don't know how would the DVD recorder work.

So am really in a confused state. Don't want to take such a big TV and end up not using it there
May be another option is to get a cable box (which includes a tuner anyway) that takes PAL input and gives NTSC output.. but I am not sure if there is any cable box made with that feature at all