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infowars
16th July 2004, 05:23
I have a video tape in SECAM and would like to know the frame rate and resolution. Is it the same as PAL - 25fps & 720 x 576 ?

Also, I have noticed that I only get black adn white picture. Is it because of the VCR or the capture card ? I have BT878 card and BTWinCAp drivers.
Soulhunter
16th July 2004, 20:04
Originally posted by www.infowars.com
I have a video tape in SECAM and would like to know the frame rate and resolution.Afaik, SECAM has the same as PAL !!!

So, 625 lines and 50 fields... ;)


Bye
Arachnotron
16th July 2004, 22:43
Also, I have noticed that I only get black adn white picture. Is it because of the VCR or the capture card ? I have BT878 card and BTWinCAp drivers.

you must set both your VCR and the video input of the TV card to secam. My VCR (a JVC) defaults to PAL/NTSC, and you have to switch the option 'Colour System' to SECAM.

Since the only difference between SECAM and PAL is the color encoding, setting it wrong will result in a black and white picture.
infowars
17th July 2004, 04:03
Unfortunately my VCR only has something called MESECAM. What the heck is that? The tape was recorded in French SECAM. Looks to me like MESECAM is not compatible.
Arachnotron
17th July 2004, 13:31
My VCR's manual states you have SECAM-L in France and SECAM-B in eastern Europe, and that my VCR will only do SECAM-B. SECAM-L will be black and white on it.

Also pulled this with google:

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MESECAM, standing for Middle Eastern or Middle European SECAM, according to your persuasion, is a cheap way of recording SECAM on PAL VHS machines, and it works simply by disabling the colour killer. It is or was found on a lot of so-called PAL/SECAM video recorders intended for export to Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

Dedicated SECAM VHS recorders use a different processing method and are sold into the French market. Tapes recorded on a MESECAM VCR will not play in colour on a SECAM machine and vice-versa. Pre-recorded SECAM VHS tapes are always made in the full-spec. SECAM system. Pre-recorded tapes sold in MESECAM territories are always made in PAL, because there are no MESECAM-only machines; they are always at least dual standard (PAL/MESECAM) and often triple standard.

On the other hand, there are or were plenty of SECAM-only VCRs sold in
France.
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