Actually, speaking as director of a FL Tech Center, I have for a long time told people that this is NOT something that should be done without permission (dating back to the good old VHS days, where you needed an expensive player for the foreign standard). The quality of PAL is so much better than NTSC that it seems an awful waste to do the conversion (I remember the dismay of one instructor over her washed-out copy-again, VHS).
When a PAL regionless DVD is being used on campus, you can usually take advantage of this. Computers play PAL seamlessly. In the classroom, one can use either the computer or a DVD player with a built-in converter. A LED projector also ignores the PAL coding and plays it correctly. I would advise you to tag the DVD (presuming that it is regionless) with the advice that users play it on a computer. Judy Shoaf From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Diane Elizabeth Sybeldon Sent: Friday, October 29, 2010 12:39 PM To: VideoLib Subject: [Videolib] PAL permissions question Hi there - This is a PAL permissions question. Are there differences in permission requirements for libraries versus campus foreign language tech centers for PAL DVD conversion to NTSC? In other words, must a library seek permission from a producer to reformat, but a campus Foreign Language Tech Center not have to seek permission? The difference being the added circulation factor of the library, both reformatting for educational use. Diane Diane Sybeldon Fine and Performing Arts and Media Librarian Wayne State University Library System Detroit, Michigan 48202 Office: 1210 Undergraduate Library Phone: 313-577-4480 Fax: 313-577-5265 email: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>
VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control, preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and distributors.
