From: giand@opencon.com (Deepak S. Gianchandani)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Re: Multi-System VCR..Help !!!
Date: 18 Nov 92 22:56:42 GMT
Followup-To: soc.culture.indian
Distribution: usa
Organization: OpenCon Systems, Inc.

In article <1992Nov15.223657.29849@informix.com> vemuri@informix.com (Sudhakar Vemuri) writes:
>In article <1992Nov12.213742.5811@nntpd.lkg.dec.com> raman@aeshna.zko.dec.com (Rajesh Raman) writes:
>>Hi Folks,
>>
>>I am planning to buy a Multi System VCR (especially which can
>>playback/record NTSC and PAL (Indian) system)...Could anyone who
>>has experience with this help me with this..specifically I need
>>to know :
>>
>>	1) Which brand to buy ?
>>	2) How much does it cost (approx.) ?
>>	3) What special features that I may get or should look for ?
>>	4) What features that I may have to sacrifice to get more
>>		than one system..
>>	5) I would prefer a stereo VCR if such is available..
>>
>>thanks in advance,
>>-/Rajesh Raman
>>
>>-- 
>>--------------
>>
>>  Rajesh Raman, ZKO3-2/S11, Digital Equipment Corp., Nashua, NH 03060
>The following is picked up from misc.consumers. Hope it answers some of 
>your questions and gives other netters who may need similar VCRs.
>Some stuff is removed to save the bandwidth.
>
>The article was originally posted by amc@berlioz.nsc.com (Andy McLean)
>
>
>There seems to be 4 "classes" of machines (and probably others):
>
>1) Units which will play tapes recorded with any (NTSC/PAL/SECAM)
>   recording format any output a TV signal in the SAME FORMAT.
>   Useful if all you want to do is not trash your VCR when you
>   move country.  Most will also accept different input formats
>   but again will only record in that SAME FORMAT.
>
>2) As 1) BUT the TV output can be in another format to the tape.
>   i.e. they convert at the OUTPUT. Useful to play PAL tapes with
>   your NTSC TV for example.

    *** I don't know about this, the older ones (pre 1988), one could
    only output to a TV of the same type the tape was. What you are
    stating above, from my knowledge, was not possible.
>
>3) As 2) BUT also provides a VIDEO signal suitable for input to
>   another VCR.  This is useful as a 2 video approach to converting
>   tape formats e.g. play your NTSC tape with this VCR set to
>   PAL output, use it as the input to a PAL-only VCR and then send
>   your tape to relatives in the UK!!
>
>4) Units which allow you to input, record and output in any format
>   and in any combination. e.g. input from a NTSC camcorder, record
>   in SECAM and then play-back on a PAL TV!
>
>There are also other units which have no tuner i.e. they can't record
>from the TV/Cable signal.
>
>Glossary
>--------
>
>"Multi-system" usually applies to 1). Most VCR's I have come across
>fall into this category.  They can be bought cheaply (from US$250
>if you shop around but they are usually based on a no-frills
>"engine" and are the most limited in their use.
>
>"Multi-converter" or "Multi-system converter" can apply to 2), 3) or 4)
>but unfortunately these terms seem to mean different things to 
>different manufacturers and can be VERY misleading. I am only aware
>of a handful of VCR's in these categories.  Price range US$700- ??
>depending on the features.
>
>Sudhakar Vemuri  (vemuri@informix.com)


	Forgot one type, which Plays back NTSC on an PAL TV and
Records and Play's PAL tapes on PAL TV.  The price range for this is
arount $350.00 (U.S.) has has nice feacture as Digital Tracking, Auto
Tracking, all recoding features in the USA one's, etc.  This save on
one buying a Multi-system TV (?, with reference to my earlier note).
The system is National's L-15 (1990).  I have heard of
Multi-Converters which now run for a little under $700.00 which allow
one to play any kind of tape on any kind of TV. But Why would one
want to spend that kind of money if a cheaper system can do what you
are looking for.  Additionally, remember the more expensive the system
the more expensive the DUTY in india. If Duty is not a problem then
what about Maintenance on the unit.  Majority of the Indian's in india
have National and they are easier to service due to that fact
(especially in New Delhi).
	

	5) I would prefer a stereo VCR if such is available..
	Remember this has to to with the system you are recording off
of.  NTSC, now has a stero more (after 1986), prior to that there was
no stero broadcast of NTSC.  I don't believe PAL is stero (I could be
wrong, as I don't know or keep up with technology on the PAL system,
Hey it's foreign). Any way the NTSC sytem will allow stero jacks (I
know the L-15 has it).
-- 
____________________   .    .   __         .       | Deepak S. Gianchandani
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.       .   ||      /--/--._________.----/   .     | To Boldly Go Where