How to use the Panasonic Conversion VCR

Elizabeth Ferguson

Former VMIL Consultant

Video broadcast signals vary from country to country.This makes it difficult to view tapes from other countries on your VCR, as well as, send video tapes to other countries. The Panasonic Ag-W1-P VHS deck allows you to playback and convert any video broadcast signal such as SECAM, MESECAM, N-PAL, PAL, M-PAL.to another.

Front panel closed. View of video broadcast signal display options	Front panel open view of VCR options

  For converting a NTSC (USA, Peru, Mexico, Canada, Japan) tape to PAL (U.K., Spain, Germany, Italy, China, Hong Kong, SingaPore, Australia, India), M-PAL (Brazil), N-PAL (U.K, West Germany, Spain, Argentina, Italy, India, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia), SECAM (France), or MESECAM(Saudi Arabia, Egypt, East Germany, Greece, Russia).

Note: This deck is somewhat outdated in it's list of countries. If this does not work with the first broadcast system you try, experiment with other signals.

1. Make sure you connect the video and audio cables correctly in the back of the VCRs. Use RCA cables to go Video OUT from the your source deck  to Video IN on the conversion deck. This should be the same with audio.
2. Insert your original tape into either the SVHS deck in the rack or the regular VHS Panasonic deck located with underneath the conversion deck. Also insert a blank tape into the conversion deck.
3. To open the front panel of the conversion deck, gently pull down and forward.
4. Set the edit switch to ON for dubbing.
5. Set the TV SYSTEM according to the INPUT signal. The Input Select switch  is located  in the middle front of the panel. Most likely NTSC in this instance, but if you choose PAL, select M-PAL, PAL, or N-PAL with the switch to the direct left of the TV SYSTEMS switch.
6. You will see a large display section of all the different video broadcast signals on the outside of the front panel. Press the country  you wish to make the tape for. The system should be lit up if it is selected correctly.
7. Press the play button on your source deck and the record button on the conversion deck.
8. Press the stop button to stop recording.
9. To view your new tape, change your RCA cables in the back of the conversion deck to OUT Audio and video to into VMON 2. This monitor has the capabilities to read different broadcast signals, such as, NTSC, PAL, SECAM, etc..
10. Select the new broadcast signal for playback on the back of the conversion deck. There are two switches, look to see that you have the right column selected before choosing the broadcast signal.

For creating a NTSC tape from a PAL, SECAM etc. just reverse the cables. Video OUT from the conversion deck  to Video IN intothe SVHS or VHS decks. Then follow steps 4-10.

Imaging Technology Group
Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
405 N. Mathews, Urbana, IL 61801

Date Issued: 14 July 1998

Copyright © 1998, Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, All Rights Reserved.