Topic: NTSC / PAL Problem

[Simon]

I know this isn't PC related, but I wondered if we had any TV Techies about?  My cousin has just bought a Toshiba DVD player, which is multi-region, but he has now discovered that his old Sony TV won't play NTSC. Well, it does, but not in colour!  

I suggested to him an NTSC - PAL Converter, currently on offer at Maplins for £29.99. He phoned Maplins, but they have told him that for the converter to work, he needs a 60 Hertz TV, and his Sony is only a 50 Hertz, so it won't work.  

Well, I was under the impression that most TVs were either 100Htz, or 50Htz - I don't think I've ever come across a 60Htz model, so one of us must be wrong!    :-

Could someone please clear this up for me? Am I correct in thinking that most TVs are 50Htz, and that either Maplins have got it wrong, or my cousin misunderstood? Further, will an NTSC - PAL converter work with a 50Htz TV?  

Thanks for any help!  

[Scrumpy-Jack]

Hi SIMON !    


Yes the PAL TV transmission system used in Europe displays 625 lines at a 50hz refresh rate, whereas the NTSC TV transmission system used in the USA/JAPAN and some parts of South America displays 525 lines with a 60 Hz refresh rate.

This used to be a BIG problem for displaying and recording NTSC originated material in Europe , since not only is the COLOUR system different (PAL/NTSC). The number of lines (525/625) and the refresh rates are ALSO different.  

However since the advent of INTEGRATED CIRCUITS  IC'S , its  easy to make the required Timebase and Colour decoder chips include facilities for operating on both systems. There WAS an overlap period however when the chips did not support the FULL features of ALL the systems.

A common configuration for quite some while was for the TIMEBASE (Line/Refresh)chips to support 525 / 60 Hz displays, but for the COLOUR DECODER chips not to be able to decode the NTSC Colour.  

This results in a FULLY LOCKED but BLACK AND WHITE display.

This sounds like the situation with you're cousins older television.

However , as you'll have noticed from what I've stated above . If the television is capable of giving a perfect BLACK AND WHITE picture when displaying NTSC sourced material .It is therefore capable of displaying sources which have a 60 Hz refresh rate.

Therefore judging by what the person at Maplins has said, the NTSC  convertor should work fine with you're cousins TV    

Hope this is of some assistance  


Best of luck  !



Scrumpy  Jack !  

[bat69]

Get the box Simon ... carefully unwrap it and try it ... if it don't worrk .. take it back. You'll only get a credit note, but I'm sure there will be something else in Maplins to play with.

Might be worth checking *cough* over the phone that they accept returns first tho  

[Simon]

Thanks guys, I'll pass that on.  

[Adept]

Might be worth checking *cough* over the phone that they accept returns first tho  

That's a nasty *cough* you seem to have developed there Bat. Have you seen the doctor about it?

[bat69]

Only seem to get it when talking about buying things