PAL or NTSC camcorder?

[mpento]

I'm just starting to research this and would appreciate some help. I am
hoping to buy a camcorder (probably a sony DCR-PC100). My question is
should I get a PAL or NTSC format. I am in America but at present I
have no other video equipment except a VCR and a real old TV. The
reason I am considering PAL is that most of my family is living in
Europe and it is possible that I will return to Europe. My information
so far is that it would be easier/cleaner to convert from PAL to NTSC as
it removes frames while NTSC to PAL requires filling in the gaps?
I also hope to get a computer setup for video editing. Does the
computer software or hardware care what format the camcorder is? Is it
the software that determines the format of the video output and input?
Is it feasable to use the computer to convert the camcorder footage to
either a PAL or NTSC vcr? Thanks for your advice
Martin

[kla...@videomaker.com]

I think you might have the frame diffrences backwards. Here are the
specs:
Field Frame Total Luminance
Rate Rate Lines Interlace bandwidth
PAL 50.0 25 625 2:1 5.0 or 5.5 MHz
NTSC 59.94 29.97 525 2:1 4.2 MHz

as you can see they don't match up too well for conversion in either
direction. It will cost you as much if not more to convert to NTSC from
PAL (if you do it in EU you may have to pay VAT). If you are moving to
Europe then get the PAL equipment. Be forwarned though that there are
more than a few features that you will find absent on PAL versions of
many popular cameras.

In article <3904AA21...@cmgm.stanford.edu>,

--
Keith Lander
Associate Editor * Video Editor
Videomaker Magazine
http://www.videomaker.com

Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.

[Jukka Aho]

<kla...@videomaker.com> wrote in message
news:8e57er$72e$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...

> If you are moving to Europe then get the PAL equipment.
> Be forwarned though that there are more than a few
> features that you will find absent on PAL versions of
> many popular cameras.

Huh? The only feature that is missing from European PAL
versions is the ability to record from DV and analog
inputs. And for most of the digital camcorders, there
are ways to re-enable this functionality.

-- znark