Tech: DVDs US Euro Format Diff?

Subject: Tech: DVDs US Euro Format Diff?
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Dec 03 - 07:10 AM

Hi all you mudcat genuses of the lamp...
I just shot some 20 hours of video in Ireland, about 12 hours of work product... I am sending it back to Ireland and was going to put it on European format Video... then remembered we are in the 21st century... and decided DVD... Is DVD in Europe the same format as DVD in the US, or due to the different number of lines on your Tellies is there a format difference?
Cheers and thanks ahead of time
Larry

Subject: RE: Tech: DVDs US Euro Format Diff?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 24 Dec 03 - 07:41 AM

Don't know about the Euro DVD(s), but my local store carries seven different flavors of DVD blanks, only one or two of which will work in most any given US DVD burner. We still have quite a mess of conflicting standards, but it's possible that the Euro trade has settled things better than here.

If possible, I'd suggest talking directly to the intended user, and getting the "spec numbers" for the machinery to be used at the other end.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: DVDs US Euro Format Diff?
From: okthen
Date: 24 Dec 03 - 07:46 AM

Most European TV's can play NTSC (American) and PAL (Europe) only US tv's can only play NTSC. At least this is my understanding. You might want to check whether the DVD disc it's recorded onto is +R or -R, I think most machines will play the +R disc, I don't know much about the -R discs as I don't use them. Are you going to put them on to disc yourself, or get them done for you?

Subject: RE: Tech: DVDs US Euro Format Diff?
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 24 Dec 03 - 11:32 AM

Don't know about self-recorded DVDs, but the ones they sell come with an "Area Code". DVD players mad for Europe came with a different area code than ones made for the USA, so that if you bought a DVD on holiday in America your player at home in England would not play it. Something to do with Disney/Paramount/MgM/Warner Bros... charging about twice the price for the same film when they release it over here months after you Yanks have watched it until got bored with it.
I think that some Area Codes will allow play on ANY DVD machine, but others are restricted to ONE Country/Continent's standard.
These days a lot of DVD players come with the option of playing Multi Area Coded discs, so I assume we CAN now watch them.
You probably needto read the instructions which come with the DVD burning sowtware, to find if there are restrictions on playback format.
Quack!
Geoff the Duck.

Subject: RE: Tech: DVDs US Euro Format Diff?
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Dec 03 - 12:06 PM

I LOST MY COOKIE!!! Hi, the larry above is InOBU... This whole DVD thing is confusticating... ain't it? Cheers Larry

Subject: RE: Tech: DVDs US Euro Format Diff?
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 24 Dec 03 - 01:19 PM

Okthen and Geoff are correct.   I work (in my day job) for a post-production facility. Many of our clients do ask us to create PAL DVD's just in case their client in Europe does not have a deck that will play both.   Most DVD-R recorders to my knowledge are set to play in any region. It is usually the studios that add the code that will prevent them from playing in certain regions.

DVD's can be very confusing, and DVD-R's (with the + and the -) add even more confusion. The best bet is to check the deck that it will be played on, if possible. The newer models will be more apt to play DVD-R's of any flavor.

Subject: RE: Tech: DVDs US Euro Format Diff?
From: open mike
Date: 24 Dec 03 - 03:59 PM

OH GOODIE !
you have helped me understand one of the functions
of my digital camera..there is a place yo acne choose
tosend the image out in NTSC or PAL, now i have a
li5tt5le more understanding what that means!