help, please help!

i bought a dvd from turkey.
i thought it was a dvd that can play in any machine, but i guess i was
wrong.
i think it was a pal dvd, but i'm not sure how to tell.
when i put it in my dvd player, the dvd plays but is in black and
white and it acts like the tracking is off.... the picture skips like
when the tracking is off in a vcr. i put the dvd in my ps2 and it says
"TV system doesn't match"
is this how a pal dvd reacts in an ntsc dvd player and in my ps2? how
can i tell if the dvd is pal formatted or what its format is? any help
would be much appreciated, thx.

userabuser333

(userabuser333) wrote in
news: om:

> i bought a dvd from turkey.
> i thought it was a dvd that can play in any machine, but i
> guess i was wrong.
> i think it was a pal dvd, but i'm not sure how to tell.
> when i put it in my dvd player, the dvd plays but is in
> black and white and it acts like the tracking is off....
> the picture skips like when the tracking is off in a vcr. i
> put the dvd in my ps2 and it says "TV system doesn't match"
> is this how a pal dvd reacts in an ntsc dvd player and in
> my ps2? how can i tell if the dvd is pal formatted or what
> its format is? any help would be much appreciated, thx.
>

Well this is the effct you get if you play an NTSC disk on a non
compatible PAL system, so yep I reckon you have a PAL disk.

I know nothing about PS2's dvd capability, but can your other
player fake an NTSC output your TV can cope with? Check the
setup menus to see if it has any options.

Lithurge

"userabuser333" <> wrote in message
news: om...
> i bought a dvd from turkey.
> i thought it was a dvd that can play in any machine, but i guess i was
> wrong.
> i think it was a pal dvd, but i'm not sure how to tell.
> when i put it in my dvd player, the dvd plays but is in black and
> white and it acts like the tracking is off.... the picture skips like
> when the tracking is off in a vcr. i put the dvd in my ps2 and it says
> "TV system doesn't match"
> is this how a pal dvd reacts in an ntsc dvd player and in my ps2? how
> can i tell if the dvd is pal formatted or what its format is? any help
> would be much appreciated, thx.

Yes.

Definately sounds like a PAL DVD in an NTSC player, or vice versa. You would
need a PAL compatible DVD-player (like a Pioneer - at least they are both
PAL/NTSC in Europe) or a PAL-NTSC convertor (rather expensive I think, and
hardly worth it for just one DVD).

If you put the disc in a computer DVD-player, and use f.ex. Power-DVD to
play it, you can check the properties of the disc to get a confirmation on
whether it's PAL or NTSC.

HTH
Hans Kristian

Haans

On Sat, 29 May 2004 12:47:56 +0200, "Haans"
<> wrote:

>Definately sounds like a PAL DVD in an NTSC player, or vice versa. You would
>need a PAL compatible DVD-player (like a Pioneer - at least they are both
>PAL/NTSC in Europe)

He's presumably already got a PAL-compatible DVD player, as he's
seeing a picture! It's his TV that isn't compatible.

When players like the Pioneer ones have a switch on the back for
PAL/NTSC, this generally only allows the choice of adding the local
colour signal to the video coming out of the machine - it does NOT
change the underlying video format.

The video format will be either 525 line, 60 fields per second or
625/50 depending on the disc. The Pioneer switch simply allows you to
add PAL colour at 4.43MHz or NTSC colour at 3.58 MHz to the video
format. This is useful because it allows, for instance, a TV that can
lock up to a 525/60 picture, but which only has a PAL colour decoder,
to be able to view an NTSC disc.

You can get DVD players that do have a true standards converter inside
- they will actually produce a 525/60 output from a 625/50 disc - but
the results are generally fairly poor.

>If you put the disc in a computer DVD-player, and use f.ex.
>Power-DVD toplay it, you can check the properties of the disc to get a confirmation on
>whether it's PAL or NTSC.

Yes, I agree this is the best way to do it. If you get a software
driver like AnyDVD from http://www.slysoft.com, it will allow any DVD
to be played on any DVD drive, irrespective of region codes etc. I
think you can download it and trial it free for 21 days...

Steve

The Doctor Who Restoration Team Website
http://www.restoration-team.co.uk

Steve Roberts

"Steve Roberts" <> wrote in message
news:...
> On Sat, 29 May 2004 12:47:56 +0200, "Haans"

>> He's presumably already got a PAL-compatible DVD player, as he's
> seeing a picture! It's his TV that isn't compatible.

You're most likely right about that

> When players like the Pioneer ones have a switch on the back for
> PAL/NTSC, this generally only allows the choice of adding the local
> colour signal to the video coming out of the machine - it does NOT
> change the underlying video format.
>
> The video format will be either 525 line, 60 fields per second or
> 625/50 depending on the disc. The Pioneer switch simply allows you to
> add PAL colour at 4.43MHz or NTSC colour at 3.58 MHz to the video
> format. This is useful because it allows, for instance, a TV that can
> lock up to a 525/60 picture, but which only has a PAL colour decoder,
> to be able to view an NTSC disc.
> You can get DVD players that do have a true standards converter inside
> - they will actually produce a 525/60 output from a 625/50 disc - but
> the results are generally fairly poor.
>

Not sure I follow you here. As far as I know, the Pioneer is capable of
playing both formats and outputting them correctly (a PAL disc will be
output as PAL, NTSC as NTSC if the switch is set to auto). It also converts
PAL to NTSC and vice versa, at the cost of some quality. I guess that's what
you stated above, only in tech terms? The thing with the Pioneers (and
some other players that have converters) is that they allow you to watch a
PAL disc on an NTSC TV, not perfectly, but at least it's watchable.

I've never tested the converter on my Pioneer, as my TV accepts both systems
and the switch on the back of the Pioneer is set to Auto.

Haans

On Sat, 29 May 2004 13:22:56 +0200, "Haans"
<> wrote:

>I've never tested the converter on my Pioneer, as my TV accepts both systems
>and the switch on the back of the Pioneer is set to Auto.

Things may well have changed, but my old Pioneer 717 had an NTSC /
Auto / PAL switch on the back and all it did was to specify the type
of colour signal that was added to the composite and S-Video signals -
it didn't change the underlying video format.

In NTSC, both 525/60 and 625/50 discs play back with NTSC 3.58 colour
carrier.

In Auto, 525/60 discs play back with 3.58MHz NTSC colour, 625/50 discs
play back with 4.43MHz PAL colour.

In PAL, both 525/60 and 625/50 discs play back with 4.43MHz PAL
colour.

Things might have changed - but that's the way that Pioneer players
worked for years.

Steve


The Doctor Who Restoration Team Website
http://www.restoration-team.co.uk

Steve Roberts

"userabuser333" <> wrote in message
news: om...
: i bought a dvd from turkey.
: i thought it was a dvd that can play in any machine, but i guess i was
: wrong.
: i think it was a pal dvd, but i'm not sure how to tell.
: when i put it in my dvd player, the dvd plays but is in black and
: white and it acts like the tracking is off.... the picture skips like
: when the tracking is off in a vcr. i put the dvd in my ps2 and it says
: "TV system doesn't match"
: is this how a pal dvd reacts in an ntsc dvd player and in my ps2? how
: can i tell if the dvd is pal formatted or what its format is? any help
: would be much appreciated, thx.

================
Go to Sam's Club and buy the Cyberhome 300 they have on sale for $40.
It can play anything.
power on - menu - 1 - 9 set region to 0
==================

Richard C.

"Steve Roberts" <> wrote in message
news:...
> On Sat, 29 May 2004 13:22:56 +0200, "Haans"
> <> wrote:
>
> >I've never tested the converter on my Pioneer, as my TV accepts both
systems
> >and the switch on the back of the Pioneer is set to Auto.
>
> Things may well have changed, but my old Pioneer 717 had an NTSC /
> Auto / PAL switch on the back and all it did was to specify the type
> of colour signal that was added to the composite and S-Video signals -
> it didn't change the underlying video format.
>

Hm okay, I'll just take your word for it, as it's evident you know much more
than me about this stuff. I use the 717 myself (and a cracking player it
is). I was told, and just assumed that it was indeed a convertor inside.
Fact remains, it will at least show a PAL disc in colour on an NTSC TV,
though with loss of quality.

Thanks for clearing stuff up Steve!

Haans