Posted by williams_lisac on
URL: https://www.shado-forum.com/Re-DVD-Special-Features-Poll-tp1494950p1494962.html

Andy Lovie <andy_lovie@y...> wrote:

> So anyone in north America who could get hold of PAL videos - on
> eBay for example - really shouldn't have a problem
> playing them.

Um, Andy, the happy state of affairs in the UK reference low-priced
multi-format VCRs most emphatically does *not* apply in the US. I
know; I have one, and tracking it down and getting hold of it was
quite an adventure in itself. The usual response at any US retailer
when I asked about VCRs capable of playing PAL tapes was "Huh?" (Most
people in the US aren't even aware there *are* different formats.) I
eventually found information on the two (2) models available at the
time; one was intended for professional use and had a four-figure
price tag; the other -- which I bought -- was about $500. Last I
looked, its successor was still the only model readily available
here, was still around $500, and was still not all that easy to find.
I have a bunch of PAL tapes and the VCR I bought has been well worth
it for my frame-capture work, but a multi-format VCR really isn't a
viable option for most people in the US.

- Lisa