Question:
Okay guys - hope you can help.
I will very shortly be moving to settle with my wife in Vancouver, Canada. So what to do with all my PAL DVDs and home theatre equipment?
I am looking for solutions and will accept any info you lot can supply.
Here are the options I am aware of so rate these or add others.
1. Settle for NTSC only (not really an option if superior PAL additions exist).
2. Buy a DVD player with PAL to NTSC converter (do they exist and what's the quality like?)
3. Buy a multi standard TV (seemingly so much more expensive than any other 110 volt TV)
4. Buy a whole bunch of Volt converters and hang on to my existing equipment?
I look forward to hearing from you
thanks
kc
You can buy multi region DVD players very cheaply - large consumer chains like Best Buy, Walgreens and Fry's (all of which are present in parts of Canada) sell Apex players which can be handset hacked to do just about everything. I've had an Apex player for 4 years now (bought it while living in the US and kept it when I came back just because it's so feature packed) - the quality's excellent for what is essentially a budget machine.
Apex players are selling for around $60 for a cheap model to up to $200 for a better quality one.
However, bear in mind that even though it'll play PAL it will output a hybrid signal which on an NTSC set may appear stretched. You will then need to route the signal through either a digital converter (can be picked up for $100 or thereabouts) or a multi standard VCR. The Apex machines allow you to disable macrovision, so getting the signal out won't be a problem.
As for the TV; I really wouldn't bother - TVs are cheap over there, multi standard TVs aren't. The same applies for multi-standard VCRs. I bought an Aiwa multi standard machine for $800, 6 years ago and while it still works perfectly, it was a hell of a lot to pay. I believe you can get them (Samsung also do a similar machine) for around half that price now.
Your audio equipment will work there just fine; just get a number of voltage converters.
Of course, you could always have two set-ups - bring all your PAL stuff over with you for what you have now and buy NTSC stuff for what you have over there.
there have been other threads on this in the hardware forum, Kryten had experience of this.
Off to the hardware forum with you! :)
Originally posted by threadkiller
there have been other threads on this in the hardware forum, Kryten had experience of this.
Yep. I have a Malata 520 from HKFlix.com and its a superb player for converting all my PAL discs to NTSC. About $280 delivered so not cheap, but definately the best on the market (unless you can get the older 996 model which did DVD-A too). I think it may now have been updated to a newer model, but still in all my research this was the best available player for doing the conversion due to the fact that it has Progressive Scan and X-Y independant scalling and zoom which most of the cheaper ones (e.g. the Apex) don't have and can be essential to get the aspect ratio to look perfect. I have mine playing through a 47" High Definition Progressive Scan TV and am very impressed with the results.
...in all my research this was the best available player for doing the conversion due to the fact that it has Progressive Scan and X-Y independant scalling and zoom
Kryten
This Malata seems to be the solution from my research too, I was just concerned about the PAL-NTSC conversion - but yo seem to be happy with it, Yes? No notable loss in quality?
kc
Originally posted by kerbcrawler
Kryten
This Malata seems to be the solution from my research too, I was just concerned about the PAL-NTSC conversion - but yo seem to be happy with it, Yes? No notable loss in quality?
kc
Not really any noticeable loss if you have a TV with Progressive Scan, but I imagine if you have a regular TV then you wil get the obvious loss in lines and see the lines on the NTSC set, but that will happen with all players/TV's unless you get an Multi-format TV. The only thing which is occasionally noticable is the odd frame skip on very fast moving scenes (usually once per film at most I notice it) and in a similar related note, if you have it in the wrong mode (it has Film, Camera, Still and Smart Video Modes) then you get some tearing and instability, but a change of mode fixes this.
I will very shortly be moving to settle with my wife in Vancouver, Canada. So what to do with all my PAL DVDs and home theatre equipment?
I am looking for solutions and will accept any info you lot can supply.
Here are the options I am aware of so rate these or add others.
1. Settle for NTSC only (not really an option if superior PAL additions exist).
2. Buy a DVD player with PAL to NTSC converter (do they exist and what's the quality like?)
3. Buy a multi standard TV (seemingly so much more expensive than any other 110 volt TV)
4. Buy a whole bunch of Volt converters and hang on to my existing equipment?
I look forward to hearing from you
thanks
kc
Answers:
You can buy multi region DVD players very cheaply - large consumer chains like Best Buy, Walgreens and Fry's (all of which are present in parts of Canada) sell Apex players which can be handset hacked to do just about everything. I've had an Apex player for 4 years now (bought it while living in the US and kept it when I came back just because it's so feature packed) - the quality's excellent for what is essentially a budget machine.
Apex players are selling for around $60 for a cheap model to up to $200 for a better quality one.
However, bear in mind that even though it'll play PAL it will output a hybrid signal which on an NTSC set may appear stretched. You will then need to route the signal through either a digital converter (can be picked up for $100 or thereabouts) or a multi standard VCR. The Apex machines allow you to disable macrovision, so getting the signal out won't be a problem.
As for the TV; I really wouldn't bother - TVs are cheap over there, multi standard TVs aren't. The same applies for multi-standard VCRs. I bought an Aiwa multi standard machine for $800, 6 years ago and while it still works perfectly, it was a hell of a lot to pay. I believe you can get them (Samsung also do a similar machine) for around half that price now.
Your audio equipment will work there just fine; just get a number of voltage converters.
Of course, you could always have two set-ups - bring all your PAL stuff over with you for what you have now and buy NTSC stuff for what you have over there.
Answers:
there have been other threads on this in the hardware forum, Kryten had experience of this.
Answers:
Off to the hardware forum with you! :)
Answers:
Originally posted by threadkiller
there have been other threads on this in the hardware forum, Kryten had experience of this.
Yep. I have a Malata 520 from HKFlix.com and its a superb player for converting all my PAL discs to NTSC. About $280 delivered so not cheap, but definately the best on the market (unless you can get the older 996 model which did DVD-A too). I think it may now have been updated to a newer model, but still in all my research this was the best available player for doing the conversion due to the fact that it has Progressive Scan and X-Y independant scalling and zoom which most of the cheaper ones (e.g. the Apex) don't have and can be essential to get the aspect ratio to look perfect. I have mine playing through a 47" High Definition Progressive Scan TV and am very impressed with the results.
Answers:
...in all my research this was the best available player for doing the conversion due to the fact that it has Progressive Scan and X-Y independant scalling and zoom
Kryten
This Malata seems to be the solution from my research too, I was just concerned about the PAL-NTSC conversion - but yo seem to be happy with it, Yes? No notable loss in quality?
kc
Answers:
Originally posted by kerbcrawler
Kryten
This Malata seems to be the solution from my research too, I was just concerned about the PAL-NTSC conversion - but yo seem to be happy with it, Yes? No notable loss in quality?
kc
Not really any noticeable loss if you have a TV with Progressive Scan, but I imagine if you have a regular TV then you wil get the obvious loss in lines and see the lines on the NTSC set, but that will happen with all players/TV's unless you get an Multi-format TV. The only thing which is occasionally noticable is the odd frame skip on very fast moving scenes (usually once per film at most I notice it) and in a similar related note, if you have it in the wrong mode (it has Film, Camera, Still and Smart Video Modes) then you get some tearing and instability, but a change of mode fixes this.
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