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General Information on Video Standards
There are three major video signal standards, i.e. PAL, NTSC, and SECAM, and several substandards such as M-PAL and N-PAL.
NTSC is the TV standard in North America and Japan, SECAM is used in France and parts of Africa, PAL is used everywhere else. Standard VCRs can only play back videos recorded in your local TV standard. If Europeans want to watch US videos (or vice versa), these videos must be converted first.
It does not make sense to attempt to convert PAL to VHS, because VHS is the kind of video tape, and PAL is a kind of video signal that's recorded on that tape. One can record PAL, SECAM, and NTSC signals on the same VHS tapes. Consequently, it's a conversion from VHS-PAL to VHS-NTSC.
PAL, NTSC, and SECAM signals can also be recorded on Video8, Beta, and other video tapes.
Different video (and broadcast) standards are used in different parts of the world. To view a tape on an American VCR that's been recorded in Europe, for example, this tape has to be converted first. Alternatively, you can buy multi-standard VCRs and TV sets; this, however, only pays off if you wish to watch videos from other parts of the world regularly.
Conversion quality is at least as good as a normal video copy, often even better because we digitally enhance the original video.
The only real restriction is on copyright protected material. Other than that, we can convert all kinds of materials as long as they are legal, including adult material.
Copyright Restrictions
Unfortunately, copyrighted material cannot be converted. There are, however, certain exceptions to that rule. First, if you own the copyright, we can of course convert the tapes for you. Further, many companies allow conversion of their material under certain conditions, i.e., for private home use only. Many of these companies require the original tape to be destroyed after conversion.
Television and digital video