Video converter: PAL->NTSC

2014-05-10 11:18:46 pm

Let's Dance!

Hey all, I am in need of a box to convert PAL video output to NTSC, and the boxes I saw online looked rather sketchy. Does anyone know of a brand/model that is confirmed to work properly? I have a PAL Commodore 64, and I need it to work on old NTSC TVs (so the box has to do color convert and 50->60 hz convert as well)

If you have the chops to make one and test it, I can pay for parts/time, too.

Thread title:

bangerra

2014-05-11 03:44:03 am

I was thinking a VGA adaptor might work, but that doesn't seem to be an option with the C64 considering there's no RGB out.
=(

Santana

2014-07-07 09:46:33 pm

I have a friend who runs Crash 2 PAL and just switched from his HD monitor to a CRT tv. He was talking about a PAL -> NTSC converter that he had ordered a few days ago, you should shoot him a PM on twitch. Smiley

http://www.twitch.tv/superiorwarbringer

Efreeti

2014-07-08 05:25:41 am

Clear as a crisp spring morning!

From what I've seen, stepping up a PAL signal to 60hz hardly ever works, you get barely 59hz at best (and not 59.94hz either), and on a 60hz CRT TV that creates noticable tearing (image not smooth and lines appearing every few seconds). I think it would be easier for you to find a TV that supports both 50hz and 60hz. At least here in Norway they're not rare, don't know where you are though.

GiraffeeDreams

2014-07-08 07:52:24 am

Transatlantic Gamer

I have a PAL-NTSC converter for my DreamCast (and just change the ingame setting to 60hz), that alone tends to bring the image quality down to barely playable.
If you're in the US, finding a 50hz compatible TV is nigh on impossible unless you want to pay ridiculous amounts of money, and 50-60hz converters really don't help much at all.
If you're in the EU most TVs still support a 50hz input.

Efreeti

2014-07-08 07:09:23 pm

Clear as a crisp spring morning!

Really? It's that hard to find in the US? Over here almost every CRT TV sold after 1998 supports both.

GiraffeeDreams

2014-07-08 08:16:55 pm

Transatlantic Gamer

From what I read 60hz has been the broadcast standard in the US since the 60s, similar to the NTSC format, part of the reason why VHS tapes were never compatible as well.