Yes, computer DVD drives and displays can handle both PAL and NTSC. But be extremely wary of a disc if you don't know for sure that it's region 0 or 1. Instructors might pop in a region 2 disc in a classroom computer or at home and press the button to change the drive's region setting. You only have a limited number of changes on any computer DVD drive before it is PERMANENTLY locked into that region. I know of at least one faculty member here whose Mac laptop is now permanently locked to Region 2.
Generally speaking, stand-alone region free DVD players are generally a better option unless you want to bother with installing some kind of software to make your computer's drive region-free. They're inexpensive, too. Nowadays these DVD player video conversion chips work far better than any PAL-NTSC conversion you could get in the past. But if you can arrange to display the video in its original PAL standard, that will generally produce the best results. Regardless, the days of producing conversion copies for instructors are thankfully long gone, or at least they should be. :-) --James -- James M. Steffen, PhD Film and Media Studies Librarian Theater, Dance, ILA/IDS and LGBT Subject Liaison Marian K. Heilbrun Music and Media Library Emory University 540 Asbury Circle Atlanta, GA 30322-2870 Phone: (404) 727-8107 FAX: (404) 727-2257 Email: [email protected] -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Friday, October 29, 2010 4:08 PM To: [email protected] Subject: videolib Digest, Vol 35, Issue 96 Send videolib mailing list submissions to [email protected] To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit https://calmail.berkeley.edu/manage/list/listinfo/[email protected] or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to [email protected] You can reach the person managing the list at [email protected] When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of videolib digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Re: PAL permissions question (Diane Elizabeth Sybeldon) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:06:07 -0400 (EDT) From: "Diane Elizabeth Sybeldon" <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [Videolib] PAL permissions question To: <[email protected]> Message-ID: <014201cb779c$5780bf50$06823d...@edu> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Thanks very much for the info. Very helpful. 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] From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Shoaf,Judith P Sent: Friday, October 29, 2010 1:32 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Videolib] PAL permissions question I wrote: (I remember the dismay of one instructor over her washed-out copy-again, VHS). Just to clarify, at that time (mid-90s)the media library had a policy of converting a tape in its collection but (in principle) destroying the original so that a purchased tape was replaced by the converted tape. I briefly took over the Media Library around 1999 and found that there was a big pile of PAL or SECAM originals that had been converted but not tossed. I pulled the NTSC copies and replaced them with the originals, adding information about how to get a multi-standard player from classroom support. As I said, multi-standard DVD players are very common now and include ALL computer DVD drives (at least I think so). Judy Shoaf -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment scrubbed and removed. HTML attachments are only available in MIME digests. End of videolib Digest, Vol 35, Issue 96 **************************************** This e-mail message (including any attachments) is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this message (including any attachments) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please contact the sender by reply e-mail message and destroy all copies of the original message (including attachments). 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.
