From: hughes@gary.enet.dec.com (Gary Hughes - VMS Development)
Subject: Re: Please advice on Multi System Converters
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 16:56:51 GMT


If you want complete flexibility in coverting, you probably want the Panasonic
AG-W1. It will convert to/from anything, so you can feed it a PAL signal and
make an NTSC tape, play a SECAM tape and generate an NTSC signal etc. It also
functions as a converter, you don't need to record or play a tape to convert.
It also offers support for LP/SLP speeds, HiFi audio in all formats and S-VHS
playback. To the best of my knowledge, the AG-W1 is the only converting VCR
that offers HiFi audio in all formats.

Some of the Instant Replay machines produce an NTSC-like signal that is
viewable on most systems but not tapeable. I've heard that they now offer
machines that do true conversion, but I don't have any further info. I don't
know what options they offer.

If the objective is to watch NTSC signals/tapes in a PAL country, you will
probably find more options by shopping in the target country. There are various
VCRs that will convert NTYSC to a PAL-like signal that most PAL TVs will
display (but PAL VCRs will not be able to tape).

Finally, the following info on Aiwa came over the net some time ago.

gary
===============================================================================
From: ins_wayne@actew.oz.au
Newsgroups: rec.video
Subject: SUMMARY: AIWA HV-M300 PAL/NTSC VCR
Date: 18 Mar 92 05:57:07 GMT
Organization: ACT Electricity & Water


  Hi again everyone,

  Thanks to everyone who responded on my query regarding this standard-
  converting VCR.  Unfortunately, I've only had one response from an
  actual owner, but that response was quite positive.  I include the
  relevant specifications.

  On to the summary:

From: uta.fi!f1sami (Samu Mielonen)

  Please send me a summary (or even better post it to rec.video) about the Aiwa 
  HV-MG300 info you receive. I think there are several dozens of people besides 
  me willing to kill for this information. Personally I haven't even seen the 
  beast yet (not imported to Finland). [...]

From: fergus@areaplg2.corp.mot.com (George Fergus)

  Those units are not directly available here in the US, altho one
  importer is selling them here as "gray market" goods, i.e. without
  any warranty.  He also says they are made by Sony (which has some
  connection to Aiwa, but I'm not sure exactly what it is).

  They seem to be cheaper (approx US$1000) than the equivalent AG-W1
  by Panasonic (approx US$1700), which is the unit I have.  Do you
  have any specs or relative prices on the 3 Aiwa units?

  [I enclose the specs at the end of this summary]

From: magundi@obelix.gaul.csd.uwo.ca (John Macdonald)

  The HV-M100 and the MC-WX3 are only about $500 canadian (450 US $) 
  and they are not gray market and have a full 1 year warranty.

  The HV-MG300 is about a $100 more.

From: ucsvc.ucs.unimelb.edu.au!U5557908  (Ronnie LI)

  The VCR is a AIWA HVM100sh without turner. I paid HK$3200(approx.A$550) in
  Hong Kong last year. I have made PAL recording from NTSC laser disc. The 
  tape can then be play by any PAL VCR, the picture is good.  I am not sure 
  of the conversion method, but experience no problem in recording the 
  converted signal.

[Technical information, summarized from the AIWA catalogue]

		    HV-MG300		HV-M100		MC-WX3

Video		PAL/MESECAM
System		625 lines/50 fields	ditto		ditto
		NTSC 3.58,4.43
		525 lines /60 fields

Broadcast	PAL-B/G, SECAM B/G 	no tuner	no tuner
System		(SH type) PAL-B/G,
		D/K, SECAM D/K, B/G
		(KE type)

Recording	2-head helical		ditto		no transport
System

Record/		4h max E-240 (PAL/SECAM) ditto		no transport
Play time	2:40 max T-160 (NTSC)

Tape 		PAL/SECAM: 23.39mm/s	ditto		no transport
Speed		NTSC: 33.35mm/sec

Horizontal	PAL/SECAM: 240 lines	ditto		not given
Resolution	NTSC: 230 lines	

Audio Freq	200Hz-8KHz		ditto		ditto
Response

RF Output	UHF 30-39, G/K,		ditto		n/a
		KE type only

Channel		B/G-VL: E2-E4,		no tuner	no tuner
Coverage	VH: E5-E12,
		UHF: 21-69;
		D/K-VL: E2-R5,
		VH: R6-R12
		UHF: 21-69

(All three have universal power supplies, AC 90-260V).

  Note the frequency response and head specs.  These would all appear to
  be "very ordinary" machines, in all respects other than the conversion
  hardware, which is digital.  I would say that they were equivalent to
  a non-HiFi Stereo HQ VCR (No mention is made of "HiFi" anywhere.)

  (My interpretation!)  The implication in the catalogue is that you can:

       	. Play PAL, (ME)SECAM, or NTSC (3.58/4.43) tapes on either PAL
  	  or NTSC composite output (or RF out, UHF);
       	
	. Record PAL/(ME)SECAM broadcasts on either PAL or  NTSC tape;
	  but you CANNOT record NTSC broadcasts;

	. Record PAL, (ME)SECAM or NTSC video-in on either PAL or NTSC
	  compatible tapes;

	. "Play-thru" an NTSC LD (say) from video-in to display directly
	  onto a PAL TV.

  The HV-M100 is an HV-MG300 without tuner or timer.  The MC-WX3 is
  only a digital standard converter - video in/out, no tuner or tape
  transport.

  On the basis of this information, and given that I already have an S-VHS deck
  and a very good VHS deck, I would buy the MV-M100 given the choice.  There
  is reason to believe that only the HV-MG300 will be imported into Oz. :-(

  In closing, I agree with Bob Niland in that ST:TNG is a good excuse to
  invest in multi-system hardware.  Depending on which exact models appear on
  the market here, I'll either buy on of these decks, or a pure NTSC HiFi player
  and (say) a Sony KV-2900AST multi-standard set.  I suspect the latter
  would give better results, but the former would make me very popular
  and get me LOTS of new friends and program material :-) :-)

  I also received several generous offers of "care packages" of ST:TNG
  tapes on PAL VHS :-)  Your anonymities are preserved, worry not! :-)
  I shall review my options, and be in touch.  (See my summary to follow.)

  Thanks for your input,

  "Engage..."
-- 
Wayne Myles             Email: ins_wayne@actew.oz.au, wsm@ccadfa.cc.adfa.oz.au
System Manager,	        Snail: GPO Box 366, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia.
ACT Electricity & Water	   Ph: +61-6-248-3143 (w)  Fax: +61-6-248-3439

From: magundi@obelix.gaul.csd.uwo.ca

Just an extra note on this unit.


You can record in any of the formats available.
You can only record the same format as being input into the VCR.
Unfortuneately the covnversion hardware is only on the output
stage of the VCR.

SO this is great if you want to play all kinds of tapes, but
not great if you want to send tapes to people that have a different
format.

Unless you buy two.  :-(

I suppose if you knew what you were doing it would be simple
to put the conversion hardware between your source and the
record head...

From what I remember of the units I do not believe that they
are stereo.  

john macdonald
magundi@uwo.ca