söndag 5 februari 2012

PAL vs NTSC - what to play?

Some things you should know:

Japan/America and Europe use different TV systems (NTSC and PAL respectivelly). This matters, because video games must be adjusted for the different for the different formats. Because NTSC is a bigger market, games are usually adjusted for NTSC, and only a cheap PAL conversion is made, running in wrong speed (slower than it should) and with lower resolution (picture is letterboxed and "squeezed"). See comparison between NTSC and PAL here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmMXA7FpR_U

This was an issue all up until the PlayStation 2/GameCube/Xbox generation! For example, Final Fantasy X has a horrible PAL port (notice how the lipsynch is always good at the beginning of lines, but gets progressivelly worse the longer the conversation is...)

It is also an issue when playing Virtual Console/PSN games, see for example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4gKOD4K088

So - which games should you play to get the best experience?

Portable consoles
Play anything, no difference in performance!

NES
Get an NTSC console and NTSC games. Most PAL games (with some exceptions) are horrible ports. A PAL console can easily be modified to be region free, but games will still run in the slower speed!

SNES

Get an NTSC console and NTSC games. Most PAL games (with some exceptions) are horrible ports. A converter can let you play most NTSC games on your PAL console - but the games will still run in the slower speed! If you're handy with a soldering iron, you could do this: http://www.gamesx.com/importmod/snes5060.htm - but remember that many games are "semi-ported" (for example, speed of music has been corrected but nothing more). Also, while the speed may be corrected for PAL games, you will still get a letterboxed and squashed video.

Nintendo GameCube
Sony PlayStation
Sony PlayStation 2
Get NTSC games, and any machine that can play NTSC games, if they run they will run properly (not including disc swap mods etc!) Many PAL games are bad ports.
Note that some NTSC PS2 games can even do 480p (as opposed to 480i)! This option is almost always removed in the PAL port.

Nintendo Wii
PAL ports of Wii games are fine. On Virtual Console, the "import" games are fine (including Final Fantasy VI and Super Mario RPG), they run in proper NTSC speed and resolution. Avoid all other games that can be purchased in the European VC store as they are the same shitty PAL ports as when they were originally released. Try to get games from a store in an NTSC region instead. TurboGraphx games found in the VC store are always fine, that console were built so that games did not have to be adjusted for NTSC/PAL!


Sony PlayStation 3
For physical PS1 and PS2 games, see above (get NTSC games). NTSC/PAL is no longer something to care about on PS3 games, and PS3 games are region free (all PS3 games works on all PS3 consoles). The PS1 games found in the european PlayStation Stores are bad ports. From any console you can, however, access any store, just lie about which country you live in, but NTSC PS1 games MAY not play on a PAL machine or vice versa (when launching it, you may get an "invalid video mode" message).

Notes:
- For consoles not listed, I don't know.
- There are no one NTSC region - Japanese NTSC consoles wont run north american NTSC games.
- Regardless of console, viewing NTSC signal may may require certain cables. Component and RGB has a higher probability of working with most TVs than the common composite and RF cables.

8 kommentarer:

bla sa...

You're stupid,you don't even know what you're talking about LOL

PAL system have a color correction and image correction,looks better,plays better.

Have you ever heard of pal 60?

NTSC is an outdated piece of shit. just like you.

bla sa...
Den här kommentaren har tagits bort av skribenten.
bla sa...

You're just saying bullshit,you OBVIOUSLY never played PAL games and never heard of PAL vs NTSC reviews...

THEY ALWAYS CHOOSE PAL.

This blog is just stupid,"pal games are just bad ports"

60 * % of the games today come from Europe,PAL...the ntsc is what gets the conversion.
you're what
? five?

Jan sa...

"You're stupid,you don't even know what you're talking about LOL"

You're mom is stupid!

"PAL system have a color correction and image correction,looks better,plays better."

That is true. A WELL MADE pal port will run better with have better colour and higher resolution than the NTSC version. Most NTSC to PAL ports, however, are not well made ports.

"Have you ever heard of pal 60?"

Yes, I have.

"NTSC is an outdated piece of shit."

Yes, and in fact, so is PAL.

"just like you."

Please, stop making a fool of yourself.

"You're just saying bullshit,you OBVIOUSLY never played PAL games and never heard of PAL vs NTSC reviews..."

I live in Sweden. It's in the PAL region. I've grown up with NES, SNES, PS1 and PS2 PAL games, but I have also played my fare share of (always vastly superior) NTSC versions on imported and modded consoles.

"60 * % of the games today come from Europe,PAL...the ntsc is what gets the conversion.
you're what
? five?"

If you actually read my post, I actually wrote that NTSC vs PAL is no longer an issue on Wii and PS3 games. The post is about VC and PSN/PS1/PS2 games, were the difference between PAL and NTSC is as huge as it was 15 years age (= enormous, and the original NTSC versions are always better).

Ramon sa...

Thanks for the info. One question I have is regarding PS1, since you say any machine that can play NTSC will run properly. Does this mean there is no difference between a region free PS1 PAL playing NTSC games and a (region free) PS1 NTSC playing the same? Ie they both output 60 hz?

Thanks Ramon

Jan sa...

Ramon: Thanks for your comment.
What I know for sure is that I have a region free PAL-PS1, hooked up with a SCART RGB cable to an old PAL TV which supported 60Hz and 480i, and on that I played many NTSC games and they ran exactly as they would on an NTSC system (including 60Hz). It's definitly the games that determine the resolution, as there are even boot discs that allows you to select video format.

Note that the TV you hook up must support the video format. The RF output may work different on PAL and NTSC machines and the BIOS menu will always run in the native video format.

Hope this helped!

Ramon sa...

Hey Jan,

Thanks for your advice. I bought a region free PAL one, with SCART, works well... I do get SCEE bios tekst even with Japanse games but thats because it is a PAL system i guess. The CD player does make a lot more noise than I remember though, but maybe I am spoiled with todays consoles :)

Regards,
Ramon

Jan sa...

Glad to hear it! :)
Yes but on the other hand it has no fan :)