Ugh, NTSC

January 31, 2006 9:13 AM

NTSC Digital Video Camcorder in Europe: how can I view my videos?

I was given a Canon ZR 100 DV Camcorder as a gift from family in the US (in order to video my baby girl), but I'm coming to the realization that I have no way of viewing the videos as it is the NTSC version and my tv, vcr, dvd are all of the European persuasion. This machine uses mini-dv tapes if this is important.

I suppose that I can hook it up to my computer, but I have no DV input (at least I don't think so). I do have a dell 2005 FPW wich came with a DVI connector, but I couldn't connect to my video card because there is no input. What is an IEEE1394 terminal? Do I need it?

So obviously have no clue about DV Camcorders or video, so could anyone help me understand what I have to do to hook this NTSC camcorder to my European TV and my computer?

Please?

posted by sic to technology (15 comments total)

A DVI connector is only for adding an external monitor to to your laptop.

You need a firewire/iLink/IEEE1394 port to connect your camcorder to your PC. Using this method, it doesn't matter whether your videos are NTSC or Pal.

I think it's unlikely that your Dell has such a port, as I don't think they add them as standard, but I could be wrong. You can buy external cards to add a firewire port to your PC for about 20 quid.

In terms of connecting to your TV, have you tried? Are you absolutely sure they're not compatible? Any reasonably priced, larger than 21inch European TV is likely to bc NTSC compatible. Living in the UK, I haven't owned a TV that wasn't NTSC compatible in about 10 years.
posted by ascullion at 9:22 AM on January 31, 2006

The IEEE1394 is firewire. If you don't have a firewire port on your computer, you can get a firewire card fairly cheaply and then import the video into your computer, where you can watch and edit the video.

Other than that, your camera should have come with a cable to hook it up to your TV. It's likely that the cable has a connecter that will go into the camera, and then 2-3 connecters on the other end (yellow, white and maybe a red). If your TV is anywhat recent (say 5 years old, or newer) it's likely that somewhere (maybe hidden behind a panel that pops open if you push on it) on the TV there will be 2-3 corresponding ports that will take the cable from the camera. Just match the colors as best you can, if there's only a yellow and white port on the tv, just leave the red cable hanging, etc. There should be a way to change the input on your tv, just click around until you find the video playing from the camera (it would be best to start the camera playing, so you'll see something if you hit the right input on the tv).

As for the US/European situation, Euro TVs (which take PAL signal) can often handle the US signal (NTSC). Again, if your TV isn't too old, it should be able to handle it.
posted by jcruden at 9:24 AM on January 31, 2006

Exactly what ascullion said. You should be able to view NTSC on a European TV.

You can add a FireWire/IEEE1394/iLink port/DV input (they're all the same thing) with either a PC card (if you have a laptop) or a PCI card (if you have a desktop). The NTSC thing shouldn't be a problem. The card or your camera or Windows should come with software for it.
posted by cillit bang at 9:26 AM on January 31, 2006

Unfortunately my TV is over 6 years old, it only has a universal Euro connector and the antenna input. Nothing else; although it would have been cool to find a hidden panel after all these years. I did try to connect it via my DVD player, which does have the yellow and white connectors, but it didn't work. Perhaps I need to connect my old VCR?

Anyway, I like the PC option better. So all I need to buy is a firewire port (which is the same as the IEEE thing, correct?) and a dv cable which did not come with the camcorder (hey, it was a gift) and I should be ok?
posted by sic at 9:46 AM on January 31, 2006

You can buy a phono to SCART (Euro) adapter from any electronics shop.
posted by cillit bang at 10:09 AM on January 31, 2006

Almost all modern TVs will display NTSC perfectly happily.
posted by coach_mcguirk at 10:15 AM on January 31, 2006

Uh, all modern PAL TVs I mean.
posted by coach_mcguirk at 10:15 AM on January 31, 2006

The Dell 2005FPW has Composite and S-Video inputs that will work for either NTSC or PAL.
posted by SpookyFish at 10:29 AM on January 31, 2006

Thanks for all your help everybody.

I'll have to look into one of the phono to SCART adapters, thanks cillit bang.

Spooky, about the composite and S-video inputs, would I be able to buy an adapter so that I can go from camcorder to either of those inputs?
posted by sic at 12:49 PM on January 31, 2006

Anyway, I like the PC option better. So all I need to buy is a firewire port (which is the same as the IEEE thing, correct?) and a dv cable which did not come with the camcorder (hey, it was a gift) and I should be ok?


The cable you need is a firewire to firewire cable. Firewire ports can be either 6-pin or 4-pin (6-pin is larger than 4-pin, obviously). Chances are, your camera has a 4-pin port and your PC port, when added, will be 6-pin. Either way, you can get a cable to suit your needs.

did try to connect it via my DVD player, which does have the yellow and white connectors, but it didn't work.

Your DVD player's sockets are likely to be video out only, they are unlikely to take a video input from a camcorder (or any device, for that matter).

Spooky, about the composite and S-video inputs, would I be able to buy an adapter so that I can go from camcorder to either of those inputs?


Composite should be the yellow plug, and if Spooky is right, there will be a yellow socket to match on your dell. But that's not a Digital Video transfer - if you want to transfer video onto your PC properly, use firewire.

This is (probably) to phono to scart adaptor you need.
posted by ascullion at 1:13 PM on January 31, 2006

Your camera should have come with the cable you need. It has a headphone-type jack that plugs into the "AV" port, just above the DV port. The other end of the cable will have 3 RCA plugs, yellow, red and white (Video, Right / Left ). There is a matching yellow jack on the input panel of your Dell monitor.
See page 32 of your manual. (I found it here)

There is a matching yellow jack on the input panel of your Dell monitor. (pic)

As ascullion says, this will just allow you to watch the video, not store / manipulate it on your PC.
posted by SpookyFish at 1:50 PM on January 31, 2006

Thanks guys.

I just bought this firewire card and tried installed it, unfortunately XP cannot find the driver (actually I have a "slimmed down" version of XP installed so it's not entirely surprising that it didn't find the driver). Problem, I can't find the driver on conceptronic's site or anywhere on the internet.

The device is called Ci1394b... Is there a generic xp driver that I can install.
posted by sic at 2:16 PM on January 31, 2006

By the way I was able to view video via the dell monitor (although the scale was a bit off -- it was stretched out widescreen).
posted by sic at 2:23 PM on January 31, 2006

By the way I was able to view video via the dell monitor (although the scale was a bit off -- it was stretched out widescreen).

there's probably a setting for that somewhere on the monitor, though I don't know where.

Glad you got sorted (sort-of)!
posted by ascullion at 4:44 PM on January 31, 2006

Thanks again ascullion!
posted by sic at 11:16 AM on February 1, 2006