Multi-standard VCR

The quality of the picture created through this technique depends upon the capturing and storage method used. Digital TV (DTV) is comparatively a new format, having a high quality picture presentation and has practically become the standard in television video. The 3D-video is digital video in three dimensions, first premiered at the end of the 20th century. This technique utilises six or eight cameras, capturing 3D-video streams with real-time depth measurement.

There are certain standards that are followed in video formatting. These are, Phase-Alternating Line (PAL), National Television System(s) Committee (NTSC) and Compagnie Franaise de Tlvision (SECAM). While North America uses NTSC system, PAL and SECAM are used in Europe, with South America using PAL-M, PAL-N, PAL and NTSC. Almost every area of the world has a combination of video standards.

PAL is a colour encoding system used in broadcast television systems in large parts of the world. It has eight incompatible types in use through out the world. These are, types B, G, H, and also D, I, K, N and M. The technology was first developed by Walter Bruch at Telefunken in Germany and was first brought public 1963, with the first broadcasts beginning in Britain and Germany in 1967. In PAL, 25 frames are transmitted each second and each frame is made up of 625 individual scans, termed as lines and works on 50Hz power frequency. The general specification for PAL may be in the form 625lines/50Hz. PAL-M has a different specification within the family of PALS standard, having 525lines/60Hz.

In 1953, the first ever colour broadcast came to the US. This was based on NTSC format, which is being used by many other countries in the American continent and in Asia as well, and in other countries including Japan. The NTSC TV image has 525 horizontal lines per frame. With every other line being skipped, NTSC scans from right to left and from top to bottom. Oddly enough, in NTSC, the scanning of the complete screen is through two steps. The first scan will go through the odd numbered horizontal lines, while the second would scan the even numbered ones. This alternate line scanning is termed as interlacing.

SECAM is an analog colour television system first used in France. This system is typically used in France and some of its neighbouring countries, which were the French colonies at one time. A team led by Henri de France working at Compagnie Franaise de Tlvision, which was later bought by Thomson, invented SECAM. It is historically, the first European colour television standard. The standard uses the same bandwidth as PAL, but transmits the colour information in sequence. It has a scan rate of 625lines/frame with 25 frames per second frame rate, the same as PAL does. In comparison with PAL, SECAM has the ability to render images with the correct hue, ensuring consistency of the colour.

Now let us discuss what a multi-system TV is.

We discussed about the various video standards that are used all over the world. Almost every part of the world has a combination of the standards in use. Unfortunately, with none of these standards being compatible, VCRs, TVs and DVD players made in one part of the world, cannot be viewed in another. The utility of a multi-system VCR is the ability to play video of any standard. Multi-system VCRs will play video tapes from any part of the world having a different standard, but it does not have the ability to convert the video signals. If you have a NTSC TV system and you are playing a PAL video movie on tape in your multi-system VCR unit, you will not be able to watch the movie, because of your incompatible TV system. To watch the movie, you would require a converting multi-system VCR, which will convert the video output into NTSC, through its built-in video standard converter. If you have a basic multi-system VCR, you would require an external video converter, in between your VCR and TV, in order to watch that movie. Normally, all multi-system VCRs, that are being manufactured presently, all have the converter built-in for convenience of the consumers. On the other hand a multi-system TV would play that PAL video tape without a converter, whether built-in the multi-system VCR or an external one.

Whether the video signals are in PAL, NTSC or SECAM, a multi-system VCR will provide the corresponding output for you to watch that tape in your compatible TV or on a multi-system TV system. To watch a video tape, not conforming to the standard of your country or the country that you are presently visiting, you need more than just the basic multi-system VCR. If you have a basic multi-system VCR, the output signal needs to be converted before you can watch it on your TV screen. If your TV is not compatible with the standard of your video tape, you would need a video converter box, connected in between your TV and your VCR systems, which will convert the video output signals from your VCR, make it compatible to the standard of your TV, and play it on the screen.

The other possibility in watching a non-standard video tape would be to have a basic multi-system VCR along with a multi-system TV. As discussed, a basic multi-system VCR does not have the ability to convert the video output signal appropriately to play on your standard TV. But, if you had a multi-system TV, it would have had the feature to convert that signal from the VCR output and make it compatible for you to watch. The disadvantage is that you shall not be able to make the converted copies of the tape in this kind of arrangement. This conversion does produce any degradation of the picture quality on your TV screen.

There is yet a final possibility that exists, which will enable you to watch the tape. If you have a multi-system TV/VCR combo, you can play any video standard and watch it on your TV too.

A normal VCR has two video heads, one to record and the other to play back. There are additional heads available in certain VCRs which are used for special effects, such as, slow motion, freeze frame, etc. Lots of techniques are being put in by manufacturers in order to increase the clarity and quality of the picture on your TV screen. Now, there are many VCRs in the market that allow quick play from the stop point. There are VCRs designed to provide the feature for quick play from the stop point. Many models now feature pre-programmed universal remotes with the ability to control TV and cable boxes. A universal remote control module will control your TV and VCR of the same make.

You have an option to choose between two to three different recording speeds virtually with any VCR. The playback speed is automatically set, and even though VCRs record in two speeds, the playback option provides you with a choice of three. Though a faster moving tape provides a less recording time, it also has a better picture quality and clarity. Special video heads have been designed by manufacturers like, Toshiba, Mitsubishi, and Sharp. These heads allow time-shift recordings at the slowest speed for improved picture quality for recording and playback.

Today's multi-system VCRs usually record an electronic index code at the start of each recording. This helps in searching the tape by index search, when the VCR stops at each index mark and plays back a few seconds of the recording. Some of the VCRs would let you go to that exact point, directly to that specific index mark and start to play back. These models lets you search forward or backward at fast or slow speeds and the jog control, lets you move the tape in the same way, frame by frame. The VCRs set the time signal on their own from the time signal being sent from your local PBS station, where-by you do not require setting the time yourself. In power on, the VCR with display the correct time, with Auto Clock Set found in the mid and upper ranges of multi-system VCRs.

If you intend to buy a multi-system VCR with a view of recording programs, then the programming feature of that VCR becomes an important factor. All multi-system VCRs have atleast one recoding capability of your desired program. The basic feature allows you to set the built-in clock to start and stop within the next 24 hours. More complex programming allows recording of several different programs on different channels on a period of 28 days period. One of the other features will allow recording of the same program being broadcasted at a specific time everyday. Many of these VCRs include VCR PLUS+, which allows you to enter a number listed in TV Guide or many newspapers' television guides, for recording purposes. In some, the VCR PLUS+ will even help you to change the channels on your cable box via a mouse, or an infrared transmitter located on the top of the VCR.

Multi-system VCRs have a characteristic of producing high-fidelity (Hi-Fi) sound quality and it is a new type of stereo sound that is not like the low pitched ones that was available on old models of VCRs. This upgrade is certainly to be taken into consideration, if you are thinking of buying or replacing your present VCR, since all the movies and videos have Hi-Fi sound tracks encoded with Dolby Surround system.

110-220 Volt Electronics - A multisystem TV is a TV capable of receiving and displaying different video systems like PAL, SECAM and NTSC. You'll be able to operate a multisystem TV in 99% of the world. Their dual voltage design allows them to be plugged into either a 110 voltage source or a 220 voltage source. In some cases, the plug on the television will not fit your country's outlet, so an inexpensive plug-adapter will be needed. They can generally be picked up at an electronics store such as http://www.planetomni.com for $1.95. With a multisystem TV, such as a plasma, CRT tube type, LCD or DLP, you'll likely need a codefree (sometimes called region free) DVD player. These exist in many forms. When used with a PAL-NTSC TV you'll be able to see the full 625 lines of resolution available in the PAL system and the full 525 lines used in the USA NTSC system. There exists a converting type of DVD player which is codefree in that it can read all of the world's 6 regions and both standards, PAL and NTSC. 140,000 other products are available here: http://www.planetomni.com Tel. # 800-514-2984

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