Lets make this the definative Matrox/DVD/NTSC/PAL playback thread

[CMB]

hey,
Ive been looking at getting a hardware soloution to playing NTSC DVD's on my TV
it is a Phillips 32" Widescreen TV
there is not option to switch between pal/ntsc or auto. However i can plug my friends Jap Dreamcast into the primary Scart socket/RGB siganl? and it works fine color and everyting

So anyway, if you read all the info out there closely, Even the famed Hollywood magic+ /Creative DXr3 has the 'jitter problem' it does do PAL60 which solves some peoples problems, but im not sure if my tv can take the siganl.

In my research ive concluded that the only card to ever properly convert NTSC to PAL was the DXR2 card from creative (the one i used to have before it dies about a year ago)

If i select NTSC in the outputs in my G400 settings, i get a black and white picture. If i was to purchase an S-VHS to RGB lead and plug it into my primary Scart socket would i get a color picture, and (and as a resut jitter free playback) ala my pals Jap Dreamcast.

obviously i dont want to purchase a lead that wont work, so i was just wondering if you guys knew.

Ideally i would like to be able to tape jitter free NTSC movies onto Video. Some to lend to friends (hey at least im honest) and got others so i can recapture them and edit trailers out of them as im a media student and do stuff like this often for projects
But hey, playing back movies frame perfect

would be way cool.

so can anyone help with the definative answers to these questions?

[Insomnis]

CMB,

The old thread was getting kindo big, so lets start over....

Regarding H+/DxR3 - it does support PAL60 but not all TV will work with that. As for the "real" conversion - I know it's not perfect, but it's a big improvement.

In your research you have concluded wrong, the DxR2 didn't have real conversion either - it only had PAL60. Fortunatly for the DxR2 people a guy named Erwin van den Berg made a little program called Remote selector, a program that would not only do all the usual stuff like changing regions - turning off macrosvision and such - but it also did software based conversion for the DxR2.

"If i was to purchase an S-VHS to RGB lead and plug it into my primary Scart socket would i get a color picture"

- what it this ? if you are talking about a s-vhs -> scart conector, it doesn't work. I've even tried connecting both the s-vhs and phono at once (like you have to on the DxR2) but this is also a no go..

[Insomnis]

CMB,

This is totally confusing - I don't understand a thing you are saying ;-)

As for the Dreamcast, the only thing I can think of that would make this work is if the Dreamcast output RGB color - this would not work with composite - but I would work with scart - because most TVs accept RGB color through SCART.

Unfortunatly this doesn't help us - because I'm pretty sure the G400 doesn't output RGB.

I don't think any lead will help us - maybe if Matrox made some changes in the drivers, but then they might as well add PAL60.

PS! the way to check if you TV handles PAL60 is just to set the output on matrox to NTSC
if you get a picture then youre OK.

BTW, I'm pulling this stuff right out of my ass as I'm writing - I really don't know what I'm talking about....I just assume that's how it works.

[CMB]

LOL :O)

if i switch to NTSC then i get B&W
so i guess im screwed huh

[CMB]

hey wait...
you can select 3 G400 outputs

Composite or S video
SCART-Composite
SCART-RGB

As i have it set up, I have an SVHS lead going straight to my TV
then connected to my video via composite
the G400 is set to Composite or SVHS

if i switch to NTSC my tv (via the SVIDEO display) is B&W

and the other signal is being pumped through the video so i guess it will be B£W in all settings because it is a pal video.

So in theory- if i set the G400 to SCART-RGB
and then get an appropiate lead to connect it to my TV SCART-RGB socket
It would work?

now all i need to do is track down an apropriate SVHS to RGB lead?

correct?

[Insomnis]

CMB,

You are not screwed, if you get a picture - then you TV supports 60Hz - so PAL60 would work.

And I'm sorry but you are not correct.. well at least the RGB theory didn't work on my TV.
I tried all the settings using Composite->SCART, SVHS->SCART both->SCART nothin' worked everything was B/W

And I'm fairly sure (99%) my TV support RGB so ... it think that one is a no go as well

[CMB]

ah well...

looks like my fate lies with matrox implementing pal 60, which doesnt seem likely.
cant someone cum up with a reg hack or something :O)

[CMB]

hey, sorry if i didnt make myself clear.

I know that for super vhs videos, you can have an SVHS lead to SCART.

i was wondering if this kind of lead would do the job. So i can connect my G400 SVHS output to my Scart input. My pals Jap Dreamcast if connected with a composite lead gives a B&W picture, but through his scart lead its fine.

so does his machine output in RGB?? and if thats so, then an NTSC signal can be read correctly via my tv's scart socket.

How can i get the NTSC output from my G400 to the tv and make the picture color? what kind of lead would enable me to do this.
and therefore have frame perfect playback!

Would i need an SVHS to RGB scart lead? and does such a thing exist?

isnt this confusing? ;O)

[CMB]

and yes... i forgot about that little util that i had for my DXR2, cant the nice guy who wrote that write one for the G400 if we all give him money :O)

sorry if im getting confused bewteen RGB and scart, im not to sure about the technicalities I just know that if my pals dreamcast signal can be read as colour, there should be someway to make it accept my G400 NTSC signal.

Am i clearer now?

[neanderthal]

Have a look at this post to make your own G400 to SCART RGB cable. Works a treat on my Sony Wega Widescreen, PAL & NTSC output are fine.
http://forums.murc.ws/ubb/Forum5/HTML/005834.html

[CMB]

hi thanks Neandethal.. looks good
Can i ask... if you just hook up the regular composite or SVHS lead to your tv, does it turn black and white when you switch to NTSC output? if so then our TV's are simillar and i can be sure the RGB thing will work

[Insomnis]

CMB,

... I'm pretty sure that Sony TV has support for NTSC... So we need a reply from someone who has done this with a PAL only tv...

[CMB]

Fair enough... anyone else with a PAL only TV? that has done this?

[neanderthal]

I haven`t tried Svideo/composite NTSC on this TV but it worked on an older Sony TV. I would imagine that your 32" W/S set should support fully NTSC and PAL on all inputs, BICBW. What model is it ?

I`ve played a couple of R1 DVDs with the output of the G400 set to PAL and it was ok, but slow pans (esp The Matrix) juddered slightly. Is this `cos it was displaying an NTSC film at PAL refresh rates ? (TBH I havent played about with the settings much as I`d just borrowed the DVDs from a colleague)

Oh, BTW you won`t be able to record NTSC dvds unless you have a VCR capable of recording in NTSC (most can play, most (all?) can`t record) But I suppose being a media student you have access to some quality kit ?

[CMB]

Hey neaderthal
My yv is a Phillips 32" widescreen. Not the dolby surround one. if that helps, i cant remember the exact model.

NTSC going to it through composite or SVHS comes out in B&W.

Your right about the juddering... thats what im trying to bypass.

In theory if i make this RGB lead. Then i should just be able to switch to NTSC and have perfect frame playback :O)

and my tv will display the NTSC RGB signal ok just like my pals Japanese Dreamcast

oh and im not that fussed about getting them onto tape. I just wanna watch them properly IE without the judder :O)