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NTSC/PAL Dual Standard Players
https://forum.lddb.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=10493
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Author:  cessnaace [ 11 Aug 2022, 07:52 ]
Post subject:  NTSC/PAL Dual Standard Players

I have nearly 1,700 NTSC LaserDiscs and 26 that are PAL. I know that there are dual standard players out there, but which standard to they output? If it's automatic, will the player automatically output PAL when playing a PAL disc? Is there a way to choose to always output NTSC, even when playing a PAL disc?

Or, will I have to use one of those cheap standard converters?

Author:  substance [ 11 Aug 2022, 08:15 ]
Post subject:  Re: NTSC/PAL Dual Standard Players

I have experience with DVL-919E but I am pretty sure it applies to most later multi-standard players, they output PAL for PAL discs and NTSC for NTSC discs. In the case of DVL-919E, there is a switch in the back if you want the player to convert one format to another. Typically, you don’t want any conversion in the player because none does it the correct way which is in digital domain. Instead, what you get is faux PAL or faux NTSC to trick the TV to display you the video.

Ideally, you want a TV which can display both in its native refresh rate. Most modern flat panel displays can do this without issue. Modern video processors also handle the processs adequately in the digital domain.

Author:  signofzeta [ 11 Aug 2022, 11:54 ]
Post subject:  Re: NTSC/PAL Dual Standard Players

I would sell the 26 PAL LDs and use the money to buy more NTSC players.

Author:  laserfanhld-gb [ 11 Aug 2022, 12:03 ]
Post subject:  Re: NTSC/PAL Dual Standard Players

Absolutely as substance says above; I have both CLD-925 and earlier CLD-2950 and these operate just as the 919E, the only difference with these players is that the rear panel switch is located on the front panel and labelled System which allows a modified form of PAL or NTSC to be used if desired, definitely not recommended though!

Author:  cplusplus [ 11 Aug 2022, 13:31 ]
Post subject:  Re: NTSC/PAL Dual Standard Players

substance wrote:
Most modern flat panel displays can do this without issue. Modern video processors also handle the processs adequately in the digital domain.


Yeah. Try whatever TVs and processors you have. Way back, I had a Philips DVDR 3400 that would handle the conversion. Now I use a Kramer VP-773.

Author:  substance [ 12 Aug 2022, 11:45 ]
Post subject:  Re: NTSC/PAL Dual Standard Players

signofzeta wrote:
I would sell the 26 PAL LDs and use the money to buy more NTSC players.


Perhaps the best advise.

Author:  takeshi666 [ 08 Nov 2022, 12:05 ]
Post subject:  Re: NTSC/PAL Dual Standard Players

laserfanhld-gb wrote:
Absolutely as substance says above; I have both CLD-925 and earlier CLD-2950 and these operate just as the 919E, the only difference with these players is that the rear panel switch is located on the front panel and labelled System which allows a modified form of PAL or NTSC to be used if desired, definitely not recommended though!

From what I've noticed on my own setup is that switching to PAL output does result in a picture that actually looks marginally better, but with incredibly washed out colours, which is why I don't use it.

Then again, I also live in PAL country. If I lived in the US, I would probably just do what zeta suggested and forget about PAL entirely. However, since you've already a PAL capable player and discs, you might as well stick with it, and most flatscreens today really shouldn't have any trouble displaying both standards, but again, I don't know what it's like in the NTSC land these days, I do remember NTSC being well supported in PAL regions but not the other way around back in the DVD days. Just have the player output the video at native standard and let your display do the work.

Hell, I even think there are a few PAL discs that are actually worth having over their NTSC counterparts.

Author:  laserfanhld-gb [ 08 Nov 2022, 12:57 ]
Post subject:  Re: NTSC/PAL Dual Standard Players

takeshi666 wrote:
laserfanhld-gb wrote:
Absolutely as substance says above; I have both CLD-925 and earlier CLD-2950 and these operate just as the 919E, the only difference with these players is that the rear panel switch is located on the front panel and labelled System which allows a modified form of PAL or NTSC to be used if desired, definitely not recommended though!

From what I've noticed on my own setup is that switching to PAL output does result in a picture that actually looks marginally better, but with incredibly washed out colours, which is why I don't use it.

Then again, I also live in PAL country. If I lived in the US, I would probably just do what zeta suggested and forget about PAL entirely. However, since you've already a PAL capable player and discs, you might as well stick with it, and most flatscreens today really shouldn't have any trouble displaying both standards, but again, I don't know what it's like in the NTSC land these days, I do remember NTSC being well supported in PAL regions but not the other way around back in the DVD days. Just have the player output the video at native standard and let your display do the work.

[b]Hell, I definitely think there are a few PAL discs that are actually worth having over their NTSC counterparts.[/b]


Totally agree with you on that, and especially so if your passion is for live music content etc. interesting what you mention above about switching to the modified PAL option, washed out colours aside what things did you find better about the image e.g. less visible noise etc.?

Author:  takeshi666 [ 08 Nov 2022, 14:18 ]
Post subject:  Re: NTSC/PAL Dual Standard Players

laserfanhld-gb wrote:
Totally agree with you on that, and especially so if your passion is for live music content etc. interesting what you mention above about switching to the modified PAL option, washed out colours aside what things did you find better about the image e.g. less visible noise etc.?

It's been a while since I messed with it, I just remember it looking marginally better in some ways - a little less noisy, less noticeable dot crawl, less horizontal ghosting, small things like that - but not enough to make it worth the tradeoff.

For some reason switching back and forth helps with the frame tearing issue I've had with my TV so I mostly use it for that.

Author:  laserfanhld-gb [ 08 Nov 2022, 15:48 ]
Post subject:  Re: NTSC/PAL Dual Standard Players

takeshi666 wrote:
laserfanhld-gb wrote:
Totally agree with you on that, and especially so if your passion is for live music content etc. interesting what you mention above about switching to the modified PAL option, washed out colours aside what things did you find better about the image e.g. less visible noise etc.?

It's been a while since I messed with it, I just remember it looking marginally better in some ways - a little less noisy, less noticeable dot crawl, less horizontal ghosting, small things like that - but not enough to make it worth the tradeoff.

For some reason switching back and forth helps with the frame tearing issue I've had with my TV so I mostly use it for that.

Cheers, will take a look for myself next time I have the 925 fired up :thumbup:

Author:  takeshi666 [ 09 Nov 2022, 15:12 ]
Post subject:  Re: NTSC/PAL Dual Standard Players

Hey I'm using a CLD-950 so don't take my comments as a measure of a benchmark :D

Author:  laserfanhld-gb [ 09 Nov 2022, 22:26 ]
Post subject:  Re: NTSC/PAL Dual Standard Players

takeshi666 wrote:
Hey I'm using a CLD-950 so don't take my comments as a measure of a benchmark :D


Ah right! I’ll fire up the CLD-2950 then if that makes things a little bit fairer? ;)

Author:  takeshi666 [ 10 Nov 2022, 21:37 ]
Post subject:  Re: NTSC/PAL Dual Standard Players

Well for what it's worth, I just watched my first actual PAL disc and the color palette was quite similar to when I watch an NTSC disc with PAL conversion so maybe that's just how it always looks?

Author:  laserfanhld-gb [ 11 Nov 2022, 00:23 ]
Post subject:  Re: NTSC/PAL Dual Standard Players

Was that Jumanji then?

Author:  takeshi666 [ 11 Nov 2022, 09:14 ]
Post subject:  Re: NTSC/PAL Dual Standard Players

Yes.

Author:  laserfanhld-gb [ 12 Nov 2022, 10:26 ]
Post subject:  Re: NTSC/PAL Dual Standard Players

I always wondered how good the transfer was on that one; would have expected it to be pretty decent for a relatively modern (in LD terms) release, If its a generally washed out type of image you’re seeing then I think this most likely down to the limitations of the CLD-950 as it didn’t receive exactly glowing reviews at the time of its launch regarding image quality. Was only spinning a PAL copy of First Knight very recently on my 925 and the overall clarity and colour rendering was excellent, while the blacks looked superb giving a real sense of depth to the image displayed on a Sony 4K projector - its such a shame that this was as good as PAL LD players got for us Europeans, it would have been amazing if Pioneer had produced a PAL only machine of the level of a CLD-97 or HLD-X0 etc.

Author:  happycube [ 14 Nov 2022, 15:19 ]
Post subject:  Re: NTSC/PAL Dual Standard Players

Yeah, PAL Laserdiscs can be great - the players not so much.

IMO if one has any special/LD-only PAL disks they should get them to someone with a PAL-capable Domesday Duplicator setup.

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