Playing French Videos

[cinewlyn]

Hi all,

 

The modern Languages Dept. is on at me to get them some VCRs that will play the french SECAM tapes they have. Our PAL VCRs will read them of course but will only play them in black and white due to the difference in the colour encoding on broadcast.

 

I've searched the internet for multi system VCRs but all the ones i have found have been for the american market and state they play meSecam. I know the French system is SECAM L. Does anyone know if these american VCRs will a: work on PAL tvs and b: play French SECAM L tapes.

 

Or if anyone has found a true MULTI system VCR could they let me know details.

 

Craig Newlyn.

AV Technician,

The King’s School,

Canterbury,

Kent CT1 2ES.

[email protected]

[Michael]

As you correctly said, PAL and SECAM consist of 625 lines updating at 50Hz. NTSC consists of 525 lines updating at 60Hz.

 

Here's a good reference of which country uses which standard:

 

Afghanistan - SECAM & PAL

Albania - PAL

Algeria - PAL

Andorra - PAL

Angola - PAL

Antarctica - NTSC

Antigua & Barbuda - NTSC

Argentina - PAL

Armenia - MESECAM

Aruba - NTSC

Austrailia - PAL

Austria - PAL

Azerbaijan - MESECAM

Azores - PAL

Bahamas - NTSC

Bahrain - PAL

Bangladesh - PAL

Barbados - NTSC

Belgium - PAL

Belize - NTSC

Benin - MESECAM Bermuda Island - NTSC

Boliva - NTSC

Bosnia - PAL

Botswana - SECAM Brazil - PAL-M

British Indian Ocean Territory - NTSC

Brunei - PAL

Bulgaria - SECAM Burma - NTSC

Burundi - MESECAM

Byelarus -ME SECAM

Cayman Island - NTSC

Camaroon - PAL

Canada - NTSC

Canary Island - PAL

Central African Republic - SECAM Chad - SECAM

Chile - NTSC

China - PAL

Columbia - NTSC

Congo - SECAM Cook Island - PAL

Costa Rica - NTSC

Crete - PAL

Croatia - PAL

Cuba - NTSC

Cyprus - PAL

Czech Republic - PAL

Denmark - PAL

Djibouti - SECAM

Dominica -... NTSC

Ecuador - NTSC

Egypt - PAL

El Salvador - NTSC

Equatorial Guinea - SECAM vertical

Estonia - SECAM & PAL

Ethiopia - PAL

Falkland Islands - PAL

Faroe Island - PAL

Fiji - NTSC

Finland - PAL

France - SECAM

Gabon - SECAM Gambia - PAL

Georgia - SECAM Germany - PAL

Ghana - PAL

Gilbralta - PAL

Greece - SECAM Greenland - PAL

Greenland USAFB - NTSC

Grenada - NTSC

Guadeloupe - MESECAM

Guam - NTSC

Guatemala - NTSC

Guinea - PAL

Guyana - NTSC

Guyana (French) - SECAM

Haiti - NTSC

Honduras - NTSC

Hong Kong - PAL

Hungary -PAL

Iceland -PAL

India -PAL

Indonesia - PAL

Iran -ME SECAM Iraq - MESECAM Ireland - PAL

Israel - PAL

Italy - PAL

Ivory Coast - MESECAM

Jamaica - NTSC

Japan - NTSC

Johnston Island - NTSC

Jordan - PAL

Kampuchea - PAL

Kazakhstan - SECAM

Kenya - PAL

Korea (North) - PAL & NTSC

Korea (South) - NTSC

Kuwait - PAL

Kyrgyzstan - SECAM

Laos - PAL

Lativa - SECAM Lebanon - SECAM vertical

Lesotho - PAL

Liberia - PAL

Libya - PAL

Lithuania - SECAM Luxembourg - SECAM & PAL

Macao - PAL

Macedonia - PAL

Madagascar - MESECAM

Madaira - PAL

Malawi - PAL

Malaysia - PAL

Maldives - PAL

Mali -ME SECAM

Malta - PAL

Marshall Islands - NTSC

Martinique - MESECAM

Mauritania - MESECAM

Mauritius - MESECAM

Mayotte -ME SECAM

Mexico - NTSC

Microneisa - NTSC

Midway Island - NTSC

Moldava -ME SECAM

Monaco - SECAM & PAL

Mongolia - MESECAM

Montserrat - NTSC

Morocco - MESECAM Mozambique - PAL

Myanmar - NTSC

Nambia - PAL

Nepal - PAL

Netherlands - PAL

Netherlands Antilles - NTSC

New Caledonia - MESECAM

New Zeeland - PAL

Nicaragua - NTSC

Niger -ME SECAM

Nigeria - PAL

Norfolk Island - PAL

Northern Marina Islands - NTSC

Norway - PAL

Okinawa - NTSC

Oman - PAL

Pakistan - PAL

Palau - NTSC

Panama - NTSC

Papua New Guinea - PAL

Paraguay - PAL

Peru - NTSC

Philippines - NTSC

Poland - PAL

Polynesia (French) -SECAM

Portugal - PAL

Puerto Rico - NTSC

Quatar - PAL

Reunion - MESECAM Romania - PAL

Russia - SECAM Samoa (American) - NTSC

Samoa (Western) - PAL

Sao Tome - PAL

Saudi Arabia - SECAM & PAL.

Senegal - MESECAM

Seychelles Island - PAL

Sierra Leone - PAL

Singapore - PAL

Slovakia - SECAM & PAL

Slovenia - PAL

Somalia - PAL

South Africa - PAL

Spain - PAL

Sri Lanka - PAL

St. Grenadines - NTSC

St. Lucia - NTSC

St. Marino - PAL

St. Pierre Miquelon - MESECAM

St. Vincent - NTSC

St. Kitts - NTSC

Sudan - PAL

Surinam - NTSC

Swaziland -PAL

Sweden - PAL

Switzerland - PAL

Syria - PAL

Tahiti -MESECAM Taiwan - NTSC

Tajikistan - MESECAM Tanzania - PAL

Thailand - PAL

Togo - MESECAM

Tonga - NTSC

Trinadad & Tabago - NTSC

Tunesi - MESECAM

Turkey - PAL

Turkmenistan - MESECAM

Uganda - PAL

Ukraine - SECAM

United Arab Emirates - PAL

United Kingdom - PAL

Uruguay - PAL

USA - NTSC

Uzbekistan - SECAM

Venezuela - NTSC

Vietnam - SECAM & NTSC

Virgin Island (American) - NTSC

Virgin Island (British) - NTSC

Yemen - SECAM & NTSC

Yugoslavia - PAL

Zaire -MESECAM

Zambia - PAL

Zanzibar - PAL

Zimbabwe - PAL

 

MESECAM appears to be a different standard from standard SECAM, but what the differences are, I'm not entirely sure!

I've managed to find a VCR which does NTSC/PAL/SECAM, but it isn't cheap! I'm not sure why it's so important that for a language lesson you need to view a video in colour. Your alternative to paying so much for an all in one VCR would be to import some from France itself. In my opinion this would probably be much cheaper!

[alan-d]

Would it be cheaper in the long run to convert the videos to DVD?

[cinewlyn]

I have come across this Samsung beast in my search, but dismissed it thinking I might find a cheaper one. Doesn't look like it. One option is to buy one, then use it to convert all their tapes to dvd.

Does anyone know of any french suppliers who would ship to the uk.

[Andrew_C]

Amazon.fr might be a good start. Beware though, once you have a SECAM player, it will output the signal in SECAM. You still need to convert to PAL. If I was at work I'd look up the name of the box I use. I think CPC do one, but I'm not sure.

 

I did have the same problem, and once DVD writing became sensible, I did what has been suggested and converted them all. Saves having SECAM players scattered around the dept.

[cinewlyn]

Yes CPC do one,

 

Begs the question, will it convert the output from a PAL VCR playing a SECAM tape into a PAL output.

 

Saves buying the french VCR at all.

[Andrew_C]

Nope. Sorry!

[deerwood]

Just a thought,

Is it the VCR that's at fault or the TV you are playing them on?

Is it possible to bypass the PAL system of your TV (by using Scart, RGB, or whatever) or maybe even use a monitor rather than a TV tuner?

[Andrew_C]

Both need to be SECAM capable, or you need to use a converter to turn the VCR output into PAL.

[Ric_]

You could buy a SECAM TV as well as a VCR