Traveling to US need advice on PAL mini DV please

Zeropoint1 · 05-01-2008, 01:55

Hey, sorry if this is in the wrong forum...

I'm considering traveling to the US for a month or 2 in the next year and intend to take my (PAL) mini DV cam with me. Naturally I know that they use NTSC, but due to the nature of the trip (urban exploration) I would like to know if I should just stock up on PAL mini DVs or is it easy enough with a PC to burn my PAL tapes to PAL DVD (in the US) or convert them to NSTC on DVD and save on the ammount of tapes I will have to carry?

Or failing that should I just buy a digital camcorder that uses memory cards for storage and get around the whole standards problem that way?

And money is very much an issue so I can't afford a duel standard camera.

Thanks

Orbitalzone · 05-01-2008, 10:59

I'd avoid converting PAL to NTSC for several reasons, firstly it's not easy to do without good (expensive) software, secondly NTSC looks rubbish compared to PAL (seems a shame to deliberately ruin your footage!) and also you'd need a laptop to do this.

miniDV tapes are cheap, small and probably the best way to archive the footage.

I spent 3 months travelling the US in a car and would not suggest lugging any more equipment than necessary, having a laptop is a liability and might just get stolen.

If you have the ability, burning to DVD while there is an idea I guess, but then you're into MPG2 domain whereas keeping the original miniDV tapes keeps the footage at the highest DVAVI quality.

Finally, if it were me, I might well consider a tapeless camcorder, HD not DVD though, as long as you think it has sufficient recording space for a long trip (or just try and record carefully and don't be too touristy!)

Lots of choices, not really one answer!

Pingu · 05-01-2008, 11:28

All Mini DV tapes are the same - there's no such thing as a blank PAL or NTSC tape.

Orbitalzone · 05-01-2008, 12:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pingu

All Mini DV tapes are the same - there's no such thing as a blank PAL or NTSC tape.

Oh did I misunderstand the original question? hmmmm

Aren't miniDV tapes are marked as PAL or NTSC? - I believe the only technical difference will be that a 60 minute NTSC will run longer if recorded as PAL, due to frame rate being higher for NTSC. Or am I thinking back to analogue days!?? lol

mjk79 · 05-01-2008, 16:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orbitalzone

Aren't miniDV tapes are marked as PAL or NTSC?

No, they are a digital storage media recording compressed digital video (DV) only the camera itself will have a PAL/NTSC analogue output. Therefore you can buy a Mini DV tape anywhere and it will work in any Mini DV camcorder.

Quote:

I believe the only technical difference will be that a 60 minute NTSC will run longer if recorded as PAL, due to frame rate being higher for NTSC. Or am I thinking back to analogue days!?? lol

The Mini DV tape is designed to store a stream of digital data at a fixed bitrate regardless of resolution/frame rate so the length of DV video it can store is the same.

Pingu · 05-01-2008, 18:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orbitalzone

Oh did I misunderstand the original question? hmmmm

Aren't miniDV tapes are marked as PAL or NTSC? - I believe the only technical difference will be that a 60 minute NTSC will run longer if recorded as PAL, due to frame rate being higher for NTSC. Or am I thinking back to analogue days!?? lol

That was true of VHS - 'Exx' tapes were PAL rated runtimes, and 'Txx' for NTSC

Orbitalzone · 05-01-2008, 19:51

ah, i'm thinking of analogue.....

Zeropoint1 · 06-01-2008, 00:51

Thanks for the answers. I had no idea that mini DVs were "universal" untill I checked a tape I would swear blind they were marked PAL, however as mentioned it's just the camera that has a PAL analogue output. I guess as money will be tight I will just take as many tapes as is practical and then stock up later if needed.

Just one other question - How much lower is the quality in long play mode?

Orbitalzone · 06-01-2008, 11:17

I'd avoid long play not as it makes any difference to picture quality (it doesn't) but can potentially be troublesome when playing back as the same high data is put onto tape, it has to be squeezed more closely on the tape so any slight tape / camcorder problems can render it unplayable.

Do a Google search for something like 'miniDV LP problems' and see what you get.

One example http://www.2-popforums.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=82495 (See bottom post)

You'll see many people complaining that they're unable to play back their LP recordings at all.... so I don't think it's worth the risk.

05-01-2008, 01:55	#1
Zeropoint1 Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Derbyshire / UK Posts: 3,754	Traveling to US need advice on PAL mini DV please Hey, sorry if this is in the wrong forum... I'm considering traveling to the US for a month or 2 in the next year and intend to take my (PAL) mini DV cam with me. Naturally I know that they use NTSC, but due to the nature of the trip (urban exploration) I would like to know if I should just stock up on PAL mini DVs or is it easy enough with a PC to burn my PAL tapes to PAL DVD (in the US) or convert them to NSTC on DVD and save on the ammount of tapes I will have to carry? Or failing that should I just buy a digital camcorder that uses memory cards for storage and get around the whole standards problem that way? And money is very much an issue so I can't afford a duel standard camera. Thanks

05-01-2008, 10:59	#2
Orbitalzone Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Sussex Posts: 12,173	I'd avoid converting PAL to NTSC for several reasons, firstly it's not easy to do without good (expensive) software, secondly NTSC looks rubbish compared to PAL (seems a shame to deliberately ruin your footage!) and also you'd need a laptop to do this. miniDV tapes are cheap, small and probably the best way to archive the footage. I spent 3 months travelling the US in a car and would not suggest lugging any more equipment than necessary, having a laptop is a liability and might just get stolen. If you have the ability, burning to DVD while there is an idea I guess, but then you're into MPG2 domain whereas keeping the original miniDV tapes keeps the footage at the highest DVAVI quality. Finally, if it were me, I might well consider a tapeless camcorder, HD not DVD though, as long as you think it has sufficient recording space for a long trip (or just try and record carefully and don't be too touristy!) Lots of choices, not really one answer!

05-01-2008, 11:28	#3
Pingu Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cornwall Posts: 10,529	All Mini DV tapes are the same - there's no such thing as a blank PAL or NTSC tape.

05-01-2008, 12:28	#4
Orbitalzone Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Sussex Posts: 12,173	Quote: Originally Posted by Pingu All Mini DV tapes are the same - there's no such thing as a blank PAL or NTSC tape. Oh did I misunderstand the original question? hmmmm Aren't miniDV tapes are marked as PAL or NTSC? - I believe the only technical difference will be that a 60 minute NTSC will run longer if recorded as PAL, due to frame rate being higher for NTSC. Or am I thinking back to analogue days!?? lol

05-01-2008, 16:07	#5
mjk79 Forum Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Central London Posts: 6,845	Quote: Originally Posted by Orbitalzone Aren't miniDV tapes are marked as PAL or NTSC? No, they are a digital storage media recording compressed digital video (DV) only the camera itself will have a PAL/NTSC analogue output. Therefore you can buy a Mini DV tape anywhere and it will work in any Mini DV camcorder. Quote: I believe the only technical difference will be that a 60 minute NTSC will run longer if recorded as PAL, due to frame rate being higher for NTSC. Or am I thinking back to analogue days!?? lol The Mini DV tape is designed to store a stream of digital data at a fixed bitrate regardless of resolution/frame rate so the length of DV video it can store is the same.

05-01-2008, 18:54	#6
Pingu Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cornwall Posts: 10,529	Quote: Originally Posted by Orbitalzone Oh did I misunderstand the original question? hmmmm Aren't miniDV tapes are marked as PAL or NTSC? - I believe the only technical difference will be that a 60 minute NTSC will run longer if recorded as PAL, due to frame rate being higher for NTSC. Or am I thinking back to analogue days!?? lol That was true of VHS - 'Exx' tapes were PAL rated runtimes, and 'Txx' for NTSC

05-01-2008, 19:51	#7
Orbitalzone Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Sussex Posts: 12,173	ah, i'm thinking of analogue.....

06-01-2008, 00:51	#8
Zeropoint1 Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Derbyshire / UK Posts: 3,754	Thanks for the answers. I had no idea that mini DVs were "universal" untill I checked a tape I would swear blind they were marked PAL, however as mentioned it's just the camera that has a PAL analogue output. I guess as money will be tight I will just take as many tapes as is practical and then stock up later if needed. Just one other question - How much lower is the quality in long play mode?

06-01-2008, 11:17	#9
Orbitalzone Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Sussex Posts: 12,173	I'd avoid long play not as it makes any difference to picture quality (it doesn't) but can potentially be troublesome when playing back as the same high data is put onto tape, it has to be squeezed more closely on the tape so any slight tape / camcorder problems can render it unplayable. Do a Google search for something like 'miniDV LP problems' and see what you get. One example http://www.2-popforums.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=82495 (See bottom post) You'll see many people complaining that they're unable to play back their LP recordings at all.... so I don't think it's worth the risk.

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Traveling to US need advice on PAL mini DV please