How to play NTSC tapes in the UK

A quick FAQ

Introduction

This was written as a result of a rash of questions about NTSC playback in the UK. This FAQ is a rough guide; it does not attempt to pursue the technicalities of NTSC nor its superiority or inferiority over PAL, nor does it attempt to make recommendations about the specific model of equipment to use. What it does do is tell you what you need to know to be able to go out and buy equipment that will enable you to play NTSC videos in the UK. Note that this document makes reference to but does not include DVD's in its remit.

What are standards? Who uses what?
NTSC and PAL - Why did they do it?
Frame or scan rates. Who uses what?
So what is the problem when you try to convert?
How do I play back my US tapes?
I hear people talking about PAL60. What is that?
Does the same thing apply to Laser Disks?
What about DVD's?
How do I record an NTSC programme?
What is MacroVision?
Mono? Stereo? What's the problem?
Where do I buy this kit?
I have bought my kit, now how do I get the videos?
Something has gone wrong with this tape!
This is the BBFC...
How do I pay for US videos?
Spotted a fault in this faq?

1. What are standards. Who uses what?

Colour Television was originally designed around the existing black and white formats originally designed back in the 1930's. The idea was that the signal that defined colours could be overlaid on the existing signal so that it did not interfere with the picture on a black and white set, but would produce a colour picture on a set that could make sense of the extra signals.

However there were a number of different signals invented for this purpose, known as colour standards. There are three major standards in use; NTSC, PAL and SECAM.

For the purposes of this document, SECAM is not important. NTSC is used mostly by the United States and other areas influenced by them. PAL is used mostly in Europe and other places influenced by them.

2. NTSC and PAL - Why did they do it?

or Why did we use PAL when the US didn't?

It should be realised that NTSC was created first. That is a fact of life. It should also be realised that NTSC had problems that PAL was supposed to correct. In the intevening years, these problems have been solved by various related technology so that you would probably never know the difference if you were to watch one alongside the other. However it was for that reason that the Germans created, and we adopted, PAL as our colour standard. Once in place, a standard is extremely hard to change, not to mention costly, therefore it remains a problem. It should be noted that other countries also suffer this problem, some using NTSC such as Japan, others using PAL such as Australia, then there is SECAM which originated in France which, though essentially just a perverted PAL, is just different enough to cause more problems!

3. Frame or scan rates. Who uses what?

A picture is constructed of lines, each line constructed of elements of light of varied luminance. In constructing a picture, each of these lines is drawn on the screen sequentially, one after the other, until the screen is filled. The process then begins again from the top. The rate at which this happens, that is the number of lines needed to fill the screen and the amount of time needed to do it is known as the scan rate.

The scan rate is often tied to the AC power frequency, though obviously the advent of microprocessor control means that this is not as important as it used to be. In the UK and a fair chunk of Europe, that frequency is 50Hz, while in the US, it is 60Hz (Hz means "Hertz" or cycles per second). There is a formula which is then used to work out the optimum number of lines per frame. I shall not bore you with it here, but as you could probably guess, this means that there is a difference between UK and US frame sizes. In fact the US uses 525 lines per frame, while the UK (again in line with a fair chunk of Europe) uses 625. (It should be noted that neither the UK nor the US necessarily broadcast on every single line, but for the purposes of the discussion we should ignore any drift in that direction).

4. So what is the problem when you try to convert?

Converting between NTSC and PAL is laughably easy nowadays. It is just a matter of taking the input signal through what is usually a very small componant set and outputting the PAL equivalent. That can be done in real time with no other effort. That is NOT the problem. What IS the problem is the scan rate (see 3). Try to play back a US scan rate on a UK set, even if you have changed the colour standard, and you will get some strange results! Essentially this is because it just does not fit! The flyback is in the wrong position each time, the number of lines are wrong; the usual effect is that the picture fades and curls back on itself (at least in my experience it does!)

Just think of what happens when you try to pour a set amount of water into a bucket. If the bucket is too small or the amount of water too much, it overflows. If the bucket is too big, or you don't have enough water, the bucket doesn't fill.

5. How do I play back my US tapes?

VHS tapes are recorded as an analogue representation of the signal that you would expect to see on the TV. In other words, if it was recorded in NTSC 525/60 then that is how it will play back. Therefore you need to intercept that signal somehow. There are three ways of doing this:

(a) Get an NTSC TV and NTSC VHS system
Obviously this gives the best performance of the lot, but can be expensive and is no use whatsoever if you want to use it as normal PAL kit. Multi- standard TV's do exist, however, which can bring this cost down a bit over running two entirely different sets of equipment.
(b) Get a converting video system
This will normally use a frame store (an area of memory, similar to that used by computers, into which frames can be stored in a format that can be used to reconstruct a PAL 625/50 picture) to produce a picture on a normal PAL TV. The down sides of this are that the result often looks jerky and rough, mostly due to the inherant deficiencies of VHS in general, and that there aren't that many videos that can do this.
(c) Get an NTSC playback video and a variable scan rate TV This might sound daunting but is perfectly possible. In fact you may already have the equipment to hand! What happens is that the tape signal is changed from NTSC to PAL but is left at 525/60. The video tells the TV that this has happened and the TV changes its own screen to suit. However you MUST check that your TV can do this (if in doubt, go ask your dealer).

6. I hear people talking about PAL60. What is that?

PAL60 is the term used by some to describe a tape signal that has been converted from NTSC to PAL but has not been changed from the US frame standard of 525 lines at 60Hz, hence PAL60. The UK standard signal is often referred to by these same folk as PAL50. See 5(c).

7. Does the same thing apply to Laser Disks?

Mostly yes. You should consult your dealer or instruction manual for details of how (and if) you can adapt your player to play back US disks.

8. What about DVD's?

The DVD is a new technology which is totally digital in nature. The signal that is recorded on it is totally digital and does not become encoded for PAL or NTSC until the modulation stage of the player* (depending on whether this is a stand alone player, where the modulator sits in the box or a DVD ROM drive where the modulation depends heavily on the video system or card used by the host machine). The difference for DVD's comes in the form of region locks, which are an arbitrary locking mechanism put on the disk at manufacture which stop the disk being played outside the region(s) that it is meant for, and in the screen shape (see 3 above). DVD's also make common use of MacroMedia protection (see below).

* It should be noted that certain American interests were involved in the setting up of DVD region locks so as to protect their markets. Another thing these interests did was to maintain analogue colour encoding on some of the DVD's produced, so that the picture is physically encoded as NTSC on the DVD. Of course this can result in reduced quality, and can also lead to decoding problems if you attempt to watch the DVD using equipment unsuited to conversion.

Just another example of good old US politics and unilateral protectionism getting in the way of a good idea, I guess!

9. How do I record an NTSC programme?

WARNING!!! The recording or copying of media off or on air may contravene the relevant Copyright laws of your country. You should only copy if you have the express permission of the copyright owner, or that you are working in line with any and all copy laws in your country concerning private copying. (In other words, though I write this bit below, if you do it and break the law, on your own head be it! I warned you!)

The copying of tapes will always lead to a copy of inferior quality due to losses caused by cables and by mismatches in timing between video systems. You can minimise this by obtaining the relevant equipment for timing correction and properly shielded cables from any video specialist.

Copying tapes from an NTSC source can be done in three ways:

(a) NTSC to NTSC
Expensive, but neatest solution. The copy you get is NTSC. Obviously you need two NTSC videos for this.
(b) NTSC to PAL60
Some videos actually allow the recording and playback of PAL60, though it is not an official standard. Other machines will spit out PAL60 recordings, therefore it is best to check to see what your machines are capable of.
(c) NTSC to PAL50
The panacea for pirates! For this you will need a target recorder (anything within reason will do) and a full conversion system (either LD, DVD or a full converting video system (see 5(b))). Note that DVD's have the ability to insert a new Macrovision anti-pirate system into them at manufacture, so check. Video to video copying can be a bit hit and miss as the jerky quality of PAL50 conversion tends to be emphasized on a copy. I repeat here, just in case you missed the above warning; Copying any programme can be illegal! You do it at your own risk (which could be risk of fines, imprisonment, confiscation and so forth, depending on your country's current laws.)

10. What is MacroVision?

MacroVision is a trademark of a company and its anti-pirating dongles. It is used on tapes and so forth in a way that is supposed to defeat the copying of tapes by a special signal which causes the target video to scramble itself, rendering the resulting tape unwatchable while allowing the watching of the original tape with no noticeable problems.

However it doesn't always work. In some applications it causes effects on the original that can make it difficult to watch, plus of course those that have to watch through two videos or something similar like that end up wishing they had never bought the tapes! It also has no effect on video recorders over a certain age, and there are "bugblasters" available that can get around the effects (the "bugblaster" was originally invented as a cleanup tool for people copying their home recordings from specialised video camera tape stock to VHS, but it wasn't long before someone spotted the potential! Nowadays, bugblasters can only be bought via mail order, so don't ask for them in your local high street shop!)

11. Mono? Stereo? What's the problem?

This relates to the ability of any given video to play back the sound track in stereo or mono. Many videos will use a sound head that picks the sound up from the video record; this has been developed for some time as a replacement for the originally designed audio linear track on the tape which used to suffer from timing trouble as the tape grew older, and also reduces flutter compared with the linear track.

However the linear track is maintained for one reason: not all videos can read their sound back in that way. This provides a cheap get out for some video manufacturers who then stick a fixed head for audio in the system thus saving dosh on the extra gubbins in the video head. This applies a lot in NTSC playback videos, though if you are careful you can find the right models.

12. Where do I buy this kit?

My first reaction would be to go and buy yourself a video guide, for example something like What Video. In these books you tend to find all sorts of obscure hardware as well as folk that will sell it to you. You might even find that your local specialist will oblige though often you will need to order ahead and wait. The other option is to go to the Oxford Street/Charing Cross Road end of Tottenham Court Road in London. A small ghetto of video and television outlets has sprung up there over the years specialising in higher quality and obscure hardware, and most are helpful and will bend over backwards for a sale! Be sure about what you want and how much you want to pay though. In all cases, let the buyer beware!

13. I have bought my kit, now how do I get the videos?

That is simply a matter of knowhow. If you are on the internet, you will find many US companies that will sell to you. Similarly there are magazines that will also provide such information (a good source, for example, would be Animerica). There are companies in the UK that also sell US titles, such as Otaku, and there is a small second hand market as well if you keep your eyes open. The various fan conventions (Minami, Ayacon, Not-Shinnenkai) also sometimes have stock for sale. You are spoilt for choice really, if you are prepared to put the time in.

14. Something has gone wrong with this tape!

Return it to the supplier. If the supplier has a procedure for returns, such as a phone number that you need to ring to get a return number, do it! Be prepared to bear costs if it turns out that your player is at fault. Obviously the sales of goods from outside the UK are subject to laws covering sales of goods in those countries.

15. This is the BBFC...

All video output is governed by law in the UK which states that videos may not be redistributed without a certificate granted by the British Board of Film Classification (in other words, those odd symbols with U, PG, 12, 15 or 18 on them). It is therefore unlawful to import videos for the purpose of retailing those videos.

It is, however, perfectly legal to import videos for personal use, providing that the content does not contravene the current pornography laws. In other words, if you decide to import hentai, keep everything crossed! It can be confiscated by Customs if they decide that the video is pornographic to the extent that it breaks the law, and there is no compensation! Titles may also be confiscated if bought by a person within the UK from a company outside the UK (say, on a foreign website).

16. How do I pay for US videos?

If you are buying from someone like Otaku, then don't worry.

If you are buying from the US, however, then you must remember one thing. The US folk, they don't go a bundle on no sterling stuff! So it has to be dollars cash, on the nose. You have a couple of ways around it.

(a) See your bank about arranging a foreign currency cheque.
They will usually charge an arm and a leg for it, but the result is that you will be left with a cheque drawn against an American bank for the amount that you need.
(b) Don't forget your flexible friend.
Access (MasterCard), AmEx and Visa are all capable of foreign transactions. All you do is give them your number, expiry date and card name, just as you would in this country, then the banks sort out the conversion for you.

I have also heard of folk using travellers' cheques, but I couldn't comment on it.

17. Spotted a fault in this faq?

If you spotted anything that I missed, or think that there is something that could be added, please email me and let me know. Don't email me just to yell at me or praise me on my efforts; that sort of thing is better done on the uk anime forum on Usenet, uk.media.animation.anime

Chris Johnson
28.1.99 (Updated 15.9.03)

How to play NTSC tapes in the UK

A quick FAQ

Introduction

Contents

or Why did we use PAL when the US didn't?

8. What about DVD's?