MiniDV tape playback / format problems?

Hi

My trusty US-purchased JVC Mini DV camcorder broke recently and I bought a newer JVC model in the UK. My old raw video tape archives won't play on the new camcorder. The new one is widescreen format, but can be changed back to standard format. Neither is HD. The only other difference is where I bought them one in the US and one in the UK.

Two questions really - help me understand and fix the problem. Is there a region-specific coding on Mini DV tapes (PAL vs NTSC) or has the encoding JVC uses changed in the last 4 years. What can I do to play the "old" tapes?

Thanks!!

You'd have to get an NTSC camcorder to play the old tapes.

It's not really region-specific coding, it's that they are two different formats. NTSC is 29.97 frames per second, PAL is 25, and the number of lines is different. They are incompatible formats.

Where are you planning to watch the tapes? The US or UK?

EDIT: Good point, pureinsomniac. Certainly, if the camera lets you change the setting, that's by far the easiest way to do it. My guess is that it does not, but then again, I don't have a JVC.

So, recap. If you can get your hands on an NTSC camera and most of your shooting is done in the US so that you're watching it on US TVs or in other countries using NTSC, I'd consider getting a new NTSC camera and selling the PAL one if the camera indeed does not let you select the format (especially if you haven't recorded many PAL tapes).

If the camera can be switched, then hey, all good, no problems. Now, if you're in the UK and plan on watching all your stuff on UK TVs or other countries that use PAL, then certainly keep the PAL camera and consider some sort of conversion if you need to use or watch your NTSC tapes for any reason. A cheap NTSC camera might also be a good idea if you have many tapes, just so you can use it as a deck instead of maybe paying to have the tapes transferred.

It all depends on the current camera's functions and your needs.