Pal and NTSC

From: Lawrence Walker <lgwalker_at_look.ca>
Date: Thu Nov 9 19:01:44 2000

> >
> > I have an old famicon game system that is PAL-compliant.
> > Other than a PAL/NTSC converter or PAL TV is there any way of
> > hooking this up. ?
>
> Apart from the obvious answer 'to a PAL monitor', I can't think of any
> way of viewing the signal which doesn't involve a device that directly
> displays PAL encoded signals (TV or monitor) or a device that conerts
> PAL to something else that you can display (converter to NTSC or RGB
> or...)
>
> I am going to assume that the signal is the European PAL format (there
> are other PAL standards, but I've not seen a computer that uses them).
> The main differences between that video signal and the one used in the
> States is :
> Europe USA
> # lines 625 525
> Vertical Freq 50Hz 60Hz
> Horiz Freq 15.625kHz 15.750kHz
> Colour encoding PAL NTSC
> (Subcarrier) 4.43MHz 3.58MHz
>
> So to produce a genuine USA TV signal from a European one, it's not
> just a matter of converting the colour encoding (which is a relatively
> simple process -- there are plenty of RGB <-> TV colour encoding chips
> about for all the common standards), but also a scan rate conversion
> (a lot harder).
>
> But you can probably get an RGB monitor in the States that can take
> RGB signals at European rates (they are available in the UK -- in fact
> most TVs over here will do that). So you'd then need a decoder from
> PAL to RGB -- which is a fairly simple circuit, but probably not one
> you want to design yourself...
>
> > I do have a kaleidoscopic collection of monitors as well as
>
> Got any composite-input colour monitors with a PAL input?
>
 Despite all the bloody monitors I'm carrying ,I don't think so. An
obvious gap in my collection if only to be able to play some of those
PAL formatted Atari games.

> > several VCR tape decks and a JDH Videomate external VGA/TV
> > adapter which allows me to use my NEC multisync as an all-
> > purpose viewer. It has an H-Phase pot whose response on the
> > monitor is a shift to the side of the display and otherwise not
> > causing any picture distortion. I recall on my Atari there were
> > programs that shifted from 60mhz to 50mhz and allowed you to
>
> You mean 60Hz and 50Hz, surely... Not millihertz
>
What's a mil- more or less :^) oops.
> > play PAL formatted games, but in this case there is no computer
> > intervention with the JDH. It is a straight-thru switch.
> > I don't consider this OT since the PAL/NTSC is a problem for all
>
> No, it's certainly on-topic...
>
> > collectors who are internationally-connected in this media.
>
> Well, those of us who collect mostly largre machines that either have
> teir own monitors (workstations) or which use serial terminals
> (minicomputers) don't have this problem too much :-)
>
> -tony
>
 Considering the amount of space I'm already using for my micros,
the last thing I need is to get into minis. Get thee behind me Satan.

 Seems like I'll just have to try some combinations. So far I've only
tried my Sony TV/JVH VCR that I usually use for my Game boxes.
 I've heard of the Ch35 thing and also that some VCRs or TVs will
work. Possibly one of my configurable monitors has something I've
overlooked. I"m more interested in seeing that the Famicon system
does work than in using it. There's a considerable number of
emigres from PAL areas here in Toronto so it shouldn't be a
major problem finding a cast-off PAL TV.

Thanks all

larry


Reply to:
lgwalker_at_look.ca
Received on Thu Nov 09 2000 - 19:01:44 GMT