PAL/NTSC half-sized frames SP LP ****

I think it isn't possible to import to a PAL project from a NTSC camcorder even if a TV accepts it. Most current PAL TVs can play NTSC just fine but iMovie might not be so tolerant.

[digs old posts]:

My PAL Sony TRV320E VCR menus have a setting VTR SET/NTSC PB/ON PAL TV or NTSC 4.43. My setting has always been "ON PAL TV".

The TRV320E (PAL) manual says this about the NTSC PB setting:

"ON PAL TV: To playback a tape recorded on your camcorder on a PAL system."

"NTSC 4.43: To playback a tape recorded in the NTSC colour system on a TV with the NTSC 4.43 mode."

Googling around indicated that NTSC 4.43 is a variation of NTSC where the signal is encoded using the PAL subcarrier frequency and chroma modulation. Also known as PAL60. Or:

A variation of NTSC-M where a 525/59.94 NTSC signal is encoded using the PAL subcarrier frequency and chroma modulation. It is NOT PAL, nor is it encoded as PAL, but rather i! t is NTSC color just using PAL's subcarrier frequency. Most (but not all) multi-system Vcr's will support this mode, but only multi-standard monitors are capable of reproducing it."

Also:

If you have a DV cassette recorded at 30 p/s (from a NTSC camcorder...), and play it on a PAL TRV-900, that machine will output a non-standard signal at 30 p/s with either NTSC 4.43 color encoding or PAL color encoding (choice in the menus). Most TV will play it fine, but VCRs won't record it. From that tape, it will also output a standard NTSC DV stream via firewire.

Or vice versa:

If you have a DV cassette recorded at 25 p/s (from a PAL camcorder...), and play it on a US TRV-900, that machine will output a non-standard signal at 25 p/s with NTSC 3.58 color encoding. Most TV will play it fine, but VCRs won't record it. From that tape, it will also output a standard PAL DV stream via firewire.

Out of curiosity I set my PAL Sony TRV320 to VTR SET/NTSC PB/ from "ON PAL TV" to "NTSC 4.43".

This setting didn't seem to have any effect when importing old footage or new footage to an iMovie HD PAL project. I could apply titles as usual.

I then created a NTSC project and tried to import from the camcorder to it but (as expected) iMovie had an error message that it couldn't import half frames or something like that.

The solution to your problem I saw after posting the following :

Using NTSC Handycam tape on Pal system (camera and iMovie)
Posted: Mar 17, 2006 9:33 AM

Greetings,

I got a friend's miniDV tapes that he recorded on a NTSC Handycam. I want to use them with my PAL Handycam to make an iMovie. I was surprised that they play well on my Pal Handycam and I can send them to a PAL TV set. However, when I try to send clips to iMovie I get a message that says I am sending half-frames......etc...

I think your problem was slightly different, using a NTSC camera. Here I have the PAL camera and NTSC DV tape. Luckily, your solution works for my problem too: Just get imovie running and the camera running and then plug in the firewire. This works also to solve another problem: when iMovie does not want to recognize the camera, after disconnecting.

Thanks for your solution. idunn