A note about Video

Reserving CC 217

Due to remodeling, Clow 217 will be removed. We are planning to have it joined to the regular lab, Clow 221. Students will be able to do independent video work in the lab.

Video Holdings

The Video collection will be unavailable until the remodeling has been completed. Please check with the lab director regarding any materials you may need over the summer.

        The Foreign Language Lab Library has an extensive collection of Spanish, French and German films and videos that cover a wide range of subjects including language skills, music, literature, art, and civilization. Videos maybe checked out from the lab by instructors only. Students may view any of our video holdings in either the Language Lab or in the small viewing room. Our videos are representative of the various world formats, however all world formats will not play on a standard VHS VCR and either they must be used in the Foreign Language Lab or special arrangements must be made to have a multi-standard VHS-VCR delivered to your classroom.

International VHS and DVD Formats

Video standards from around the world vary. The NTSC Standard (National Television System Committee) is used by many countries on the American continent as well as many Asian countries including Japan. NTSC the American broadcast frequency, offers 525 lines per second to produce an image with a faster frame rate, which reduces visible flickering and picture noise. The PAL standard (Phase Alternating Line) was implemented in most European countries except for France. PAL offers 625 lines per second to produce a very detailed image on a wider luminance (color signal) bandwidth. The PAL system has been adopted by almost all of the world's countries using the 50 Hz (cycles) voltage. The SECAM standard ("Sequential Couleur Avec Memoire " or "Sequential Color with Memory") was implemented in France. Many European VCRs are dual format and will play both NTSC and PAL videos.

Broadcast Television Regions/Codes have become more complicated with DVD technology. There are six (6) television broadcasting regions for which the digital video disc (DVD) was developed: The world's television regions are:

Region 1 - USA and Canada

Region 2 - Europe, Japan, the Middle East, North Africa, Egypt, and South Africa

Region 3 - Taiwan, The Philippines, Korea, Indonesia, Hong Kong

Region 4 - Mexico, Central & South America, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, and the Caribbean

Region 5 - Russia, Eastern Europe, India, North Korea, and East and West Africa

Region 6 - China.

A Note of Warning

If you should want to purchase either a VHS video or DVD while traveling abroad, please check the format and region code of your DVD or video before you purchase. If you have a acquired a VHS videotape and would like to enquire about having it dubbed from PAL or SECAM standards to NTSC or from NTSC to PAL, please contact the Language Lab Director for information and procedures regarding copyright laws. DVDs may not be converted!, and although DVDs may not be converted you are able to view them in the lab.