Gift Shop Videos
All parts (c) Copyright 1998-2001, Allan W. Jayne, Jr. unless otherwise noted or other origin stated.
In A Nutshell
We suggest you view small portions first, fast forwarding to different places on the tape. While we can't rule out homemade or amateur grade quality, if the parts you get to see look clear and steady, then you can reasonably expect most of the program is professionally made. Avoid homemade looking packaging, then chances are the program itself is also homemade, with lots of focusing errors and jitteriness.
Very important: before you buy, look for the recording format code, NTSC (for U.S. and Japanese viewers), PAL or SECAM (for European viewers). Also be sure the cassette package says VHS and not SVHS (unless you specifically want SVHS or some other cassette format).
We don't have the full list of countries and formats here, this notice is only to make you aware that the different formats exist.
You can have tapes converted (copied) to a different format by firms back at home if the video of the desired format is not in stock or otherwise not available.
For better picture quality or if you plan on owning many tapes in different formats, multi-standard VCR's can be purchased.
In places where tourists from many countries visit, videos for sale may come in several different formats but the package looks almost the same. The most common error leading to purchase of an incorrect format video is quickly grabbing one and not checking for the desired format.
The three common formats are NTSC, PAL, and SECAM. They all come on VHS tape cassettes that are the same size and shape.
In the U.S., sometimes NTSC format videos are clearly marked when sold alongide PAL and SECAM format videos, sometimes no code at all stands for NTSC. Unfortunately, sometimes the PAL or SECAM is printed only on a label that might fall off.
These days, any physical format other than VHS is rarely offered in a souvenir shop but it is better to check for the VHS emblem anyway.
Avoid buying slow speed prerecorded tapes (VHS LP, VHS EP, Beta III). Sometimes, though, slow speed tapes may be the only ones available.
Sometimes the only version of the video is not in the format you want. Large cities and most small cities have firms who convert tapes from one format to another by making a copy.
NTSC, PAL, or SECAM do not apply to blank tapes; your VCR or camcorder sets the format during recording.
The Details -- For viewers with special needs or for our more sophisticated viewers:
Professional vs. Homemade
Preview small portions of the video, in different places throughout the tape, before buying. At least one thing is certain, if the packaging looks homemade, chances are the video inside is also homemade. The problem with souvenir videos is that you never know how many scenes were taken by an inexperienced person with an inexpensive camcorder. Scenes beginnings that have to lighten and darken as the camcorder iris adjusts itself or that start out blurry as the autofocus adjusts itself are signs of a homemade video. In a professionally made video, most of the scenes are shot with a camera on a tripod. If the scenes you preview are shaky, chances are the entire video was shot from a hand held camcorder and you will get a headache watching the whole thing. And the video you buy is always a copy, not the original, and even in the first generation copy of a homemade video, quality is noticeably degraded.
8MM (Video8) vs. VHS
If your only VCR is 8MM format, you must of course get an 8MM format cassette. Don't buy High-8 unless you are specifically looking for that. Also check for the desired NTSC, PAL, or SECAM designation on pre-recorded videos. 8MM pre-recorded videos are very rarely offered for sale in souvenir shops. We do not suggest buying an 8MM tape expecting to copy it to VHS using a friend's camcorder, just because the VHS ones were out of stock, all copies of consumer grade videocassettes have noticeably lower quality.
Standard vs. High Resolution
Just plain VHS or 8MM is standard resolution. If you have an S-VHS or High-8 VCR you can get pre-recorded tapes in those formats, but they are very rarely offered for sale in souvenir shops. Also check for the desired NTSC, PAL, or SECAM designation on pre-recorded videos.
Different blank tapes are used for standard vs. high resolution. Be sure the blank tape you buy matches your desires and your VCR or camcorder capabilities. NTSC, PAL, SECAM do not apply to blank tapes.
Beta (Betamax)
This format is obsolete in the U.S. but a small number of stores may still have them. Also check for the desired NTSC, PAL, or SECAM designation on pre-recorded videos. We do not suggest buying a (probably dust covered) Beta tape expecting to copy it to VHS using a friend's VCR, just because the VHS ones were out of stock, all copies of consumer grade videocassettes have noticeably lower quality.
U-Matic
This format is still used by professionals and a very small number of stores may offer them prerecorded. Also check for the desired NTSC, PAL, or SECAM designation. If you have access to a U-Matic player, you will get better picture quality by purchasing a U-Matic tape and copying it to VHS rather than purchasing a mass produced VHS tape.
VHS-C
As far as we know, no pre-recorded videos are offered on these, but if one of these is the only available pre-recorded video, check for the desired NTSC, PAL, or SECAM designation. and also for the desired (plain) VHS or SVHS designation. This cassette plays on a standard VHS VCR using an adaptor box, purchased separately. If you have a camcorder in VHS-C format, you may already have the adaptor box.
Super-8
This is film, not videotape. It is considered obsolete but reels of it may be seen once in awhile gathering dust. Some people still have projectors for it. Theoretically the resolution is double that of VHS but in practice, given lens optic quality, multiple generations of copies, and mass duplicating techniques, the resolution is just equal to VHS. Do not buy Super 8 films expecting to convert them to VHS unless you have special equipment for that purpose and that is your business or hobby. Simply aiming a camcorder at a movie screen does not produce good results even with the camcorder on a tripod.
NTSC 3.58 vs. NTSC 4.43
This applies to the player and laser disks, not to tapes or DVD's. The U.S. NTSC format is NTSC 3.58. There is an NTSC 4.43 format occasionally found in Europe that is easier to convert to and from PAL. Ann NTSC 4.43 player connected to an NTSC 3.58 TV (or vice versa) yields a correct but black and white picture.
Video Disks
There are two current video disk formats, 8 and 12 inch (LD) and 5 inch (DVD). These disks are either silver or gold in color. Also check for the desired NTSC, PAL, or SECAM designation. LD and DVD each have advantages and disadvantages quality-wise when compared with each other. The RCA Selectavision (CED) disk is obsolete and as far as we know, no more of them are being produced. These are 12 inches in size, brown in color, and rarely seen outside of their stiff plastic protective sleeves.
CAV vs. CLV
This applies only to laserdisks. All players can play both formats. CAV disks (1) are usually more expensive per set for the same program, (2) have a shorter playing time resulting in more disks in a boxed set, (3) can do slow motion and still frame on all players. Note: More expensive players can still frame CLV disks but come in two categories, super expensive for equal quality still frame as on a CAV disk, or moderately more expensive for a lesser quality still frame as on a CAV disk. Actually it is rare that the same program will be stocked in both CAV and CLV in a souvenir shop. Also check for the desired NTSC, PAL, or SECAM designation.
In all major cities and most small cities there are firms who do this conversion for a fee. Some wedding videographers can do this also. Look for "foreign format conversion" or "international conversion" in their Yellow Pages or other advertising. Unfortunately there are no easy ways to tell in advance how good the results will be, since there are many methods of varying qualities in use.
This is difficult, but if you can preview the conversion in the shop before you buy it, or get a money back guarantee, so much the better.
Regrettably we have heard of unscrupulous mail order firms who make your copy but don't return the original.
If you own or plan on owning tapes in different formats, you may want to purchase a multi-standard VCR. Also the picture quality is usually better with a multi-standard VCR compared with converting (copying) the tapes to the format you desire.
You need to aware of four playback formats (NTSC 3.58, PAL, SECAM, NTSC 4.43 in descending order of proliferation) as opposed to just three kinds of tapes. U.S. NTSC is NTSC 3.58. If the player delivers NTSC 4.43 and the TV is NTSC 3.58 (or vice versa) you get a black and white picture.
Also, some multi-standard VCR's play NTSC tapes only into an NTSC TV and PAL tapes only into a PAL TV, while others play any kind of tape into any kind of TV. In the former case you may need two TV sets or a multi-standard TV while in the latter case you can simply use your regular TV.
The Summary
When you buy a pre-recorded video, you need to choose one item from each of these three categories:
The recording format: NTSC, PAL, SECAM, Japanese HDTV
The physical format: VHS, LD, DVD, 8MM, U-Matic, Beta
The resolution: VHS vs. SVHS, VHS-C vs. SVHS-C, 8MM vs. High-8, CLV vs. CAV
For United States customers, the correct recording format is NTSC 3.58. Most Japanese customers will also buy the NTSC 3.58 format. European customers will want either PAL or SECAM format.
Preview parts of the program before you buy to be sure most of the program is professionally made. Avoid videos that look homemade, such as with hand written labels on unfinished packages.
Allan W. Jayne, Jr. -- P.O. Box 762, Nashua, NH 03061
603-889-1111 -- ajaynejr @ aol.com
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