Elvis Presley News : delivered by email
News Feed
Elvis DVDs : For The United States of America + Canada 
PAL & NTSC Picture Formats
Blu-ray
Important information for Americans and Canadians buying DVDs from our shop, or for that matter anywhere.
There are two main types of picture formats that apply to TV, and also to DVDs and DVD players.
These are PAL and NTSC. We indicate each in our shop with
and/or
.
NTSC is the standard format for the USA, while PAL serves most other countries. (Europe, Australia etc.)
It is important to understand the difference if you are from the USA and Canada.
Japan also uses NTSC (Region 2) however it is America and Canada that are unique in that the 'normal' DVD player and TV is made for just the NTSC format and will not play PAL. But their is good news is below.
NTSC and PAL
PAL and NTSC are TV picture formats. Unless your TV / Monitor can display both formats you need to purchase the appropriate DVD in the format for your Country. Or a new DVD player that can play both.
In the USA and Canada most DVD players can only play the NTSC format, also most TV sets.
However most Computers can play both PAL and NTSC. And we suspect the new Plasma and LCD TVs too.
If you are unsure you should check with the distributor of your DVD and/or check the instruction manual.
NTSC is the standard picture format in the USA,
Canada & Japan.
For playback in these countries, you should buy only DVDs marked NTSC and not those marked PAL unless you have a TV capable of playing PAL images. [If you are from the USA, Canada or Japan and can play PAL DVD's - PLEASE type CAN PLAY PAL in the additional comments field when ordering.]
PAL is the standard picture format in the Australia,
New Zealand and most of Europe.
Most modern TV sets sold in Australia can also play NTSC these days but you should check the player instruction manual and/or contact the distributor if you are not sure.
The purpose of this page
The purpose of this page is to inform those in the USA and Canada that want to buy PAL DVDs from our shop that you need to have a DVD player capable of playing the PAL format - sending a PAL picture to your NTSC TV.
While some already have this most do not. We won't to be responsible and make sure you are vell advised.
You also need to have a DVD player that is 'multi zone' so it is not restricted by region coding.
The good news is that it does not have to represent a huge cost to buy equipment. In fact it is just the DVD player you need to replace, and this can be done with a quality player from as little as $60.
And in fact what we have below is more than just being able to play PAL DVDs.
It is about being able to play any DVD from any country in the world, yes, any DVD. Because these players are also not region code restricted, they are 'multi zone'. (More on region codes below)
So now you can Play any PAL or NTSC DVD on any NTSC TV in the USA or Canada.
All you need to do is buy a DVD player with Built-In Video Converter from World Import.com in the USA.
From the choices at the link below.

Region Free DVD and Blu-ray Players in the USA, with Built-In Video Converter.
http://www.world-import.com/dvd-converter-1.htm
Word Import
9617 West Grand Ave
Franklin Park, IL. 60131
USA
PH: 877-220-8658 Toll Free
PH 847-455-1974 Outside the USA
FX: 847-455-2002
Email: info@world-import.com
Blu-ray
Blu-ray discs will play in all countries as long as they are not region coded.
However, with a player from World Import.com it will again play any Blu-ray from anywhere in the world.
Region Coding
If a DVD is region free, won't the disks play on any DVD player?
Not in the USA or Canada.
In both countries, you still need your DVD player to be able to play PAL format if that is the format of the disc.
There are six world Regions for DVD. We mark each DVD in our shop that is region coded, for example ;
Region 4 Australia is
Region 1 USA is
- Not all DVDs are encoded, some are made without a restriction and are referred to as either region 0 or Region Free. These are marked
in our shop.
So with the DVD and Blu-ray/DVD players from World Import.com they are both capable of playing NTSC and PAL picture formats and are also reprogrammed to be 'multi zone' so are not restricted by any region coding.
*** We are not affiliated in any way with World Import.com nor receive any commission or compensation in anyway from them. We have researched and found who we believe to be the best people and solution for you.
The benefit for us is in that you can buy PAL DVDs from us that previously you could not.
Also read about DVD region coding.
The map below shows which format is standard in each country.

PAL
Australia, Abu Dhabi, Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Ascension Island, Australia, Austria, Azores, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovina, Botswana, Brunei, Cameroon, Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, China (Peoples Republic), Christmas Island, Cook Island, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Dubai, Easter Island, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Finland, Gambia, Gaza & West Bank, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece (also SECAM), Greenland, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Holland, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macao, Macedonia, Madeira, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Montenegro, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norfolk Island, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Sardinia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Tristian Da Cunah, Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Vanuatu, Vatican, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zambia, Zanzibar, and Zimbabwe.
NTSC
Alaska, American Samoa, Antigua, Antilles (Dutch), Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Barbuda, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, British Virgin Islands, Burma, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Curacao, Diego Garcia, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, Grenada, Guam, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Honduras, Jamaica, Japan, Johnston Islands, Korea South, Leeward Islands, Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Micronesia, Midway Islands, Montserrat, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Okinawa, Palau, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Samoa, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent, Surinam, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America, Venezuela, Vietnam, and Virgin Islands.
Secam
Afghanistan, Andorra, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Benin, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia (Kampuchea), Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Peoples Republic), Corsica, Czech Republic, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, France, Gabon, Georgia, Greece (also PAL), Guadeloupe, Guyana (French), Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Kampuchea, Kazakhastan, Korea North, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, New Caledonia, Niger, Polynesia, Reunion, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Slovakia Republic, St Pierre, Syria, Tahiti, Tajikistan, Togo, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Wallis Island and Zaire.
PAL M
Brazil
David Troedson / President / Elvis Australia.




