What does PAL mean - and do I need PAL to use a separate LCD?

[traveltina]

Hello,
I am looking at buying a vido camera housing for my Sony DCR HC-42. My camera isn't the PAL version. Do I need PAL to buy a housing with a separate LCD?

Thanks!

 

[Kim]

I don't know your camera but PAL is simply a transmission format that has to do with the number of lines written to the screen and their frequency. Other formats are NTSC and SECAM - there might be more as well I'm not sure. Basically if something is recorded in one format it can only be played back on equipment of the same format. I can't see how it would have anything to do with external LCD screens except that the separate LCD screen that you use would have to be the same format as your camera.

 

[diversteve]

Hello,
I am looking at buying a vido camera housing for my Sony DCR HC-42. My camera isn't the PAL version. Do I need PAL to buy a housing with a separate LCD?

Thanks!

If you have a US version (NTSC) Sony Camcorder then you need to buy a housing with an NTSC external monitor. Usually the way Sony differentiates their camcorders is that they add an "E" to the model number if it's PAL format. If you bought it new in the U.S. it's almost certainly NTSC.

All U.S. made housings should be this way already. PAL is a different video standard used mostly in Europe and (I'm guessing) Asia?

 

[Scubaroo]

Yup, PAL is throughout Asia. Much stuff down here likes TVs and DVD players are PAL/NTSC compatible, so formats are rarely a problem.