SeaView Cameras are engineered to comply with the North American video signal standard (NTSC). Other countries, notably Japan, use a variant of the NTSC standard. These variants are 95% compatible and should pose no problems when used with SeaView camera equipment.

There are two other major video standards world wide: the PAL standards and the SECAM standards. PAL variants (PAL, PAL-M, PAL-N and others) are common in Britain, Western Europe, Asia, India, and parts of the Pacific Rim. The SECAM variants (including MSECAM and MESECAM) are common in France, Eastern Europe/Russia, parts of Africa and Asia, and in some areas of the Pacific. PLEASE NOTE that SeaView equipment will not function properly with either PAL or SECAM equipment.

If you wish to use a SeaView Camera where NTSC is NOT the dominant standard, you should be aware of the following points:

Mains voltage: Public utility power mains can be anywhere from 100volts to 240 volts, AC or DC. Take the appropriate conversion equipment with you and double check the voltages before plugging into a foreign outlet.

DC voltage: 12-volt DC is by far the most commonly available source of power for your SeaView equipment. Any car or truck battery, boat battery, battery charger, etc. can be rigged with a cigarette lighter accessory socket, enabling you to power your SeaView from straight DC. Be sure to observe proper positive and negative polarity when hooking up.

TV Monitor: The portable monitor TV included with your SeaView camera is fully compatible NTSC. You will always be able to use this TV monitor with the camera anywhere in the world, as long as you have the appropriate voltage adapters or straight 12-volt DC available. However, you will NOT be able to receive LOCAL TV BROADCASTS on this monitor if they are transmitting in a format other than NTSC.

Foreign TVs and VCRs: Since other video systems are not compatible with SeaView equipment connected directly, a "workaround" is needed to convert the NTSC video output of your SeaView into a signal suitable for viewing or recording on PAL and SECAM equipment.
So-called "Universal" or "International" TVs and VCRs are available in many countries. In the US, both Aiwa and Panasonic offer VCRs using digital circuitry to convert NTSC video into one or more types of PAL and SECAM. Plug your SeaView camera into the video input of such a machine and set the input switch to "NTSC" (some machines will automatically detect the NTSC signal and switch themselves). Select the output format desired (e.g. "PAL") and either record or view the picture on a PAL tape or TV. Street prices on these units start at around US $ 600 dollars. You may be able to buy them cheaper outside North America, since there is more demand in other countries.

1999 Cipher Technologies Underwater Camera Division
Contact: info@ciphertech.com