Guy from "Sopranos" country, USA, needs a favor.
 

Ivan wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
Adrian A wrote:
Ivan wrote:

I know that there's the voltage thing, but modern power supplies
should work OK even down to120 volts.. in fact to prove the point
I've been using a (cheap 'lightweight') Bush VCR906SIL which still
works quite happily when wound down to115 volts on a variac.

I have an old JVC which works perfectly at 80 volts, so I've no doubt
you're
right.

Ah, but does it work properly from a 60Hz power supply? It could well
do, but "hum bars" can be a problem when using mediocre 50Hz video
equipment from a 60Hz power supply, or vicer versa.

If you superimpose a small 50Hz sine wave on top of a 50Hz video
signal, part of the screen will be a little too bright. The bright part
might move up or down slowly. You'll barely notice it.

If you superimpose a small 60Hz sine wave on top of a 50Hz video
signal, then you'll get strobing bars on the screen.

Hence slight power supply problems which you'd never notice when the
field rate matches the power supply can become quite visible when
there's a mismatch.

It shouldn't happen with half decent equipment. But someone mentioned a
£30 VCR.

The virtually standard arrangement in the UK is that the 230v mains supply
feeds a bridge rectifier and a capacitor, which supplies the primary sideof
a sops power supply with around 300v DC.. I can't therefore really see that
the variation in mains frequency is going to make an awful lot of
difference, years ago I used to run a 115v NEC computer monitor in
conjunction with an auto transformer, and never experienced any problems.


Cheers,
David.

Your quoting is a bit messed up here. From the lack of quoting it
appeared that you wrote most of the above post, but in fact only the
paragraph starting "The virtually..." was yours - I can't imagine you
signed off "Cheers, David"!

Anyway, I speak only from real world experience of running UK equipment
in the USA, and US equipment in the UK. Results can be unpredictable.
Usually fine, but strange anomalies can creep in, usually when it
really matters!

Cheers,
David.

Guy from "Sopranos" country, USA, needs a favor.
 

Paul D.Smith wrote:

Umm, nothing that came with my video recorder says anything about needing
help from the TV to play an NTSC pictures, but it does, with all the clear,
precise, colour that you expect from NTSC ;-). Presumably this means that
almost all TVs will handle "NTSC-ish" pictures because I doubt my £50 video
has the processing power that you talk about below.

The frequency change is trivial. Converting NTSC to PAL colour encoding
isn't.

I seem to recall that videos don't have 625 (or even 525) line resolutionso
do they actually produce 300 (say) line pictures or do they fake up a 625
line picture?

No. I think some technology journalists were confused by this, so it's
not surprising us mere mortals can be too - but VHS tapes include the
full number of vertical lines 625 or 525. The 200 line resolution is
200 lines across the screen (horizontal resolution). In otherwords,
it's the reason that the picture from VHS is a bit soft.

If they produce 300 line anyway, does this mean that it
should be still relatively simple to get a US video to play PAL takes
(assuming that US TVs will handle PAL-ish formats - and I thought most TVs
these days use universal chipsets).

No again. Very few TVs in the USA will display a 50Hz signal, even
modern ones.

All modern TVs in the UK will display a 60Hz signal, and most have done
for a decade or more.

So although we in the UK can buy and play US DVDs, are you saying that
people in the US cannot buy UK DVDs and expect them to play?

That's right. Multi-region is virtually unheard of over there. Players
which convert 50Hz to 60Hz are uncommon over there. TVs which display
50Hz are uncommon over there.

If only my PC weren't 5 years old ;-). I was interested because having a
"will play NTSC" video, I was surprised that the reverse (play PAL in the
US) was not possible which is why I'm drilling for details. Never had to
send them anything yet but we do have friends who occasionally ask "could
you..." to which I currently answer "sorry but no".

They'll be able to play 625-line 50Hz DVDs on PCs over there (as long
as the discs themselves are region free, which home made ones should
be), so if you have a DVD recorder you can do something for them - but
to play on a TV, you need to convert, and a PC is the best (home)
option.

Cheers,
David.

Guy from "Sopranos" country, USA, needs a favor.
 

"Paul D.Smith" wrote:

A very good point. As someone who's worked over there, I really should have
known better. FWIW, if you find a "Crate and Barrel", you have a good
change of getting a tea pot these days, or a wide, squat, Boden (?) coffee
pluger/pot works a treat.

Now where do I get an electric kettle in the US, and would I trust the
monster cable required to get 2kW out of a 110V socket if I found one? ;-).

In the past year or so, decent cordless electric kettles have become widely
available in the area around NYC - even in discount-type chains.

Guy from "Sopranos" country, USA, needs a favor.
 

....Lots of stuff about US TVs, videos and DVDs only handling US format
content deleted...

So it's true that they really are as "closed" as people always claim.
Having said that, I do recall seeing some "lovely" RCA and similar badged
sets when I was last out there (only 8 years ago) that frankly looked like
they were made in about 1970 - and these were brand new, on the shelves. I
imagine they even had trouble with those modern DVD thingies ;-).

Paul DS.

Guy from "Sopranos" country, USA, needs a favor.
 

In article ,
Paul D.Smith wrote:
...Lots of stuff about US TVs, videos and DVDs only handling US format
content deleted...

So it's true that they really are as "closed" as people always claim.
Having said that, I do recall seeing some "lovely" RCA and similar badged
sets when I was last out there (only 8 years ago) that frankly looked
like they were made in about 1970 - and these were brand new, on the
shelves. I imagine they even had trouble with those modern DVD thingies

Doesn't Thompson now own the RCA brand?

--
From KT24 - in drought-ridden Surrey

Using a RISC OS5 computer

Guy from "Sopranos" country, USA, needs a favor.
 

charles wrote:
In article ,
Paul D.Smith wrote:
...Lots of stuff about US TVs, videos and DVDs only handling US
format content deleted...

So it's true that they really are as "closed" as people always claim.
Having said that, I do recall seeing some "lovely" RCA and similar
badged sets when I was last out there (only 8 years ago) that
frankly looked like they were made in about 1970 - and these were
brand new, on the shelves. I imagine they even had trouble with
those modern DVD thingies

Doesn't Thompson now own the RCA brand?

They did do, I think it's been sold again.
--
Adrian A

Guy from "Sopranos" country, USA, needs a favor.
 

wrote in message
oups.com...
Ivan wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
Adrian A wrote:
Ivan wrote:

I know that there's the voltage thing, but modern power supplies
should work OK even down to120 volts.. in fact to prove the point
I've been using a (cheap 'lightweight') Bush VCR906SIL which still
works quite happily when wound down to115 volts on a variac.

I have an old JVC which works perfectly at 80 volts, so I've no doubt
you're
right.

Ah, but does it work properly from a 60Hz power supply? It could well
do, but "hum bars" can be a problem when using mediocre 50Hz video
equipment from a 60Hz power supply, or vicer versa.

If you superimpose a small 50Hz sine wave on top of a 50Hz video
signal, part of the screen will be a little too bright. The bright part
might move up or down slowly. You'll barely notice it.

If you superimpose a small 60Hz sine wave on top of a 50Hz video
signal, then you'll get strobing bars on the screen.

Hence slight power supply problems which you'd never notice when the
field rate matches the power supply can become quite visible when
there's a mismatch.

It shouldn't happen with half decent equipment. But someone mentioned a
£30 VCR.

The virtually standard arrangement in the UK is that the 230v mains supply
feeds a bridge rectifier and a capacitor, which supplies the primary side
of
a sops power supply with around 300v DC.. I can't therefore really see
that
the variation in mains frequency is going to make an awful lot of
difference, years ago I used to run a 115v NEC computer monitor in
conjunction with an auto transformer, and never experienced any problems.


Cheers,
David.

Your quoting is a bit messed up here. From the lack of quoting it
appeared that you wrote most of the above post, but in fact only the
paragraph starting "The virtually..." was yours - I can't imagine you
signed off "Cheers, David"!

Anyway, I speak only from real world experience of running UK equipment
in the USA, and US equipment in the UK. Results can be unpredictable.
Usually fine, but strange anomalies can creep in, usually when it
really matters!


I hear what you're saying, and agree that even nowadays one can still
encounter some really weird faults, caused by things ranging from failing
capacitors, pick-up from badly routed leads, circuit board track leakage and
even (heat affected) glue used in manufacture for holding components in
position!

Re your comments on my 'messed up quoting'... the strangest thing, when I
attempt to reply to anyone else, after selecting 'Reply to Group' the
thingy's appear exactly as they should do, however for some strange reason
they do not appear when attempting to reply to any of 'your' posts, so I've
had to insert them manually!.. obviously the reason for your difficulty in
trying to separate original reply... I wonder if any computer literate guys
or gals out there would know the reason for this? I'm using Outlook Express
6.



Cheers,
David.

Guy from "Sopranos" country, USA, needs a favor.
 

Ivan wrote:
snip
I hear what you're saying, and agree that even nowadays one can still
encounter some really weird faults, caused by things ranging from
failing capacitors, pick-up from badly routed leads, circuit board
track leakage and even (heat affected) glue used in manufacture for
holding components in position!

Re your comments on my 'messed up quoting'... the strangest thing,
when I attempt to reply to anyone else, after selecting 'Reply to
Group' the thingy's appear exactly as they should do, however for
some strange reason they do not appear when attempting to reply to
any of 'your' posts, so I've had to insert them manually!.. obviously
the reason for your difficulty in trying to separate original
reply... I wonder if any computer literate guys or gals out there
would know the reason for this? I'm using Outlook Express 6.

Google for OE-QuoteFix, it has several useful features.
--
Adrian A

Guy from "Sopranos" country, USA, needs a favor.
 

"Adrian A" wrote in message
...
Ivan wrote:
snip
I hear what you're saying, and agree that even nowadays one can still
encounter some really weird faults, caused by things ranging from
failing capacitors, pick-up from badly routed leads, circuit board
track leakage and even (heat affected) glue used in manufacture for
holding components in position!

Re your comments on my 'messed up quoting'... the strangest thing,
when I attempt to reply to anyone else, after selecting 'Reply to
Group' the thingy's appear exactly as they should do, however for
some strange reason they do not appear when attempting to reply to
any of 'your' posts, so I've had to insert them manually!.. obviously
the reason for your difficulty in trying to separate original
reply... I wonder if any computer literate guys or gals out there
would know the reason for this? I'm using Outlook Express 6.

Google for OE-QuoteFix, it has several useful features.
--

Thank-you Adrian, I quickly found 'Quote fix' (a freeware programme)
installed within seconds and even appears to colourise quoted text into the
bargain. I'll play about with it for couple of days and if it's is good as
it looks at first sight, then I'll probably send a donation.

Cheers Ivan



Adrian A