This is tangentially Avid-related, but please humour me..

Someone's just asked for a job shot in NTSC. We're in London and all our stuff is PAL.

A colleague suggests it's as simple as switching the camera's internal menu from 50i to 60i - does this sound plausible?

Thanks

J

Hi J,

What kind of camera?

adios,
Carl 

Carl

Thanks for replying

It's a Sony HVR-Z1- know it?

J

Hi J,

I've never used it, but according to this link, the HVR-Z1 can switch from NTSC to PAL.  If I were you I'd wait for confirmation from someone who has actually used it though.  :)

good luck,
Carl 

Thanks, that seems to confirm what I was told..

Don't really know the difference between PAL and NTSC. NTSC is 30 fps, not 25, so upping the frame rate seems logical. But isn't it lower res too? Something to do with the number of scan lines...?

J

You will find all that you need to know about NTSC here, Joe.  And yes, it has fewer scan lines.  PAL and SECAM generally use 625 lines, while NTSC uses 525 lines.  I say generally with PAL, because there are 525 line PAL variants used in some South American countries.  They aren't common though, and with the digital TV revolution are becoming less and less of an issue.

jwrl:

I say generally with PAL, because there are 525 line PAL variants used in some South American countries.

lol OMG you have got to be kidding me...

Menno

Baklap:

you have got to be kidding me...

I also remember similar problems with (I think) Paraguay.