DVD question
 

I made a slideshow of last year's safari and put it to DVD in the format used here in the US. I would like to make a copy to take with me this year as a gift to the camp. Somewhere I heard that Africa is on a different format. Does anyone know what it is?
any info would be appreciated.

The American standard is NTSC. I believe South Africa would use PAL, as does Europe.

I think PAL is most common in Africa, not sure specifically by country. Google time. But, I have sent homemade NTSC DVDs to England and South Africa and was told they played ok on TV DVD players. Could be some DVD players can play either type of DVD and output to PAL. I'd take both formats if you can.

Maybe one of our African Fodorites can elaborate.

regards- tom

I thought NTSC, PAL etc etc., were more for the old VHS?

I think for DVD there is a regional code - region 1, region 2 etc etc., but, thesedays DVD players are formatted in such a way that they can read global regional codes

I have had no trouble playing US DVDs at various camps in Africa... but the machine used was always someone's computer. If the disc won't play in a standard DVD player on a PAL TV, the disc will almost certainly be playable on a laptop computer. There's always someone (either a guest or camp manager) who has a laptop that they're willing to use for after-dinner DVD viewing of wildlife photos or video. Good luck!

NTSC/PAL is the situation with DVDs, videos, and even games (Playstation, Xbox). While US players tend to only play the US "type" - most of the ones I have seen overseas are "multi-system" and can play both. Altho - I have heard that some of the portable DVD players you can get in the US are multi-system. We purposely got a multi-system DVD because I got tired of only being able to buy movies when we were in the US in the summers.

I lived in South Africa for a while and all my DVDs played fine in both countries. The machines they sell in SA have all been altered to play all regions and automatically search for PAL or NTSC.They also play on both voltages, amazingly enough. I think there is a cottage industry doing that. I actually bought a combo VHS/DVD from a Chicago company that specializes in selling these types of machine in the US for ex pats and people going overseas.

PAL & Region 2 = Africa & Europe
NTSC & Region 1 = USA

Laptops only allow you to change a maximum of 5 times between regions. Most DVD models these days accept both (and VHS) but some do not. If you are travelling from US do not expect to play NTSC or Region 1 in Africa but if buying in Africa know your own dvd or computers capabilities and then in Africa read the box

Thank you all for the replies. My father (a loveable technogeek)is digging through his programs now and thinks he can record in PAL. Just in case I will take both kinds.
About the numeric regions - I found that info on Wikipedia - looks like SA is in one region and Bots in another - so I hope PAL is the major factor.
Thanks again - 31 days to go - but who's counting?