I hope I am in the right place with my question here...
I am using ADS DVD Xpress and have captured using CapWiz 3.1. and 3.5. hours and hours in PAL DVD Format in excellent quality and without any major problems. (PAL, DVD 9mb/sec, SOurce and Output set to PAL) For this, I play PAL VHS Tapes on a so-called multisystem VCR (aiwa FX3800). (I say so-called because it won't play "real" NTSC on a PAL TV, but rather PAL-60)

However, I have serious problems when trying to capture a NTSC-VHS Tape using the exact same settings. The output is either only black and white, or it will randomly show some color with heavy flickering. Both source and output are set to NTSC. Experimenting with different data bit rates and video formats doesn't help very much. Switching from CBR to VBR brings randomly some color in, not permanently. I know that a multisystem (PAL native-) VCR has to work harder to play a NTSC VHS Tape , but is there something else I'm missing here or is my only option to try to get a native NTSC system here in Europe?

Thank you for your help!

If I understand correctly, then you're playing an NTSC tape in a PAL system. This will result in B&W.

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...the system is PAL, but I can play NTSC tapes and they will be shown on a regular TV without problems. I understand that what the VCR does is not "reaL" NTSC...is this why capturing doesn't work...? Does it make sense to play the tapes from the TV and then capture from there?

Thank you!

It could be the signal between the unit used for playing the tapes and the unit used for capturing. Can the unit used for capturing accept an NTSC picture? Are you using a decent s-video cable - this is often the cause of a B&W picture.

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I am using SCART and RCA, and I have been capturing without problems, as long as the capture was in PAL, so I would rule out the cables. According to the instructions, you should be able to process both PAL and NTSC with the unit. And the unit does accept NTSC...however with the already described bad quality. The tapes are old family videos, so any copy protection issue
can also be ruled out....