JAPANESE There are a number of ways to use Beta VCRs made in other countries in the USA. Japanese models fortunately use the same NTSC 3.58 picture system we use in the USA. So you can record and play your stateside tapes and the picture will shine on most televisions. It does get a little dicy when playing a Beta tape (which is analog in nature) using a digital television. Things like scan and pause tend to mystify the logic boards in the TV making the picture freeze or go black. Tracking can be difficult too and it might lose its way. None of these things are the fault of the VCR. It's just that the TV has a hard time dealing with that composite video signal coming from the VCRs video out. Once you get this worked out the rest is pretty straight forward. The RF coaxial output is on channels 1 or 2. We don't use the channel 1 in the states but 2 is available. But for optimum results using the video/audio LINE IN/OUT terminals is recommended. Betahi-fi and SuperBeta come through okay so there is no problem there. The Japanese house current is 100 volts AC at 60 MHz. This makes running their units from our wall outlets forbidden. It will fry the electronics in a short time. The fix is easy though. Use a power converter that drops our 120 down to their 100 will do the trick. The 60 MHz is the same. The clock is not the same, however. It's going to be using military time. Once you get it figured out that there are 24 hours in a day and you are going to see all 24 then it is just a matter of conversion. Lastly is the language printed on the VCR. Most Japanese Betas have English as a second language. Anything unrecognizable can usually be figured out. THE PAL SYSTEM The PAL system covers most of Europe and much of Asia, Oceania, Africa and South America. To watch recordings on a USA (NTSC) TV you are going to need to deal with several things. The most obvious obstacle is the video recording standard. PAL uses a totally different recording scheme for capturing and playing a picture. Without going technical to play their system on your USA TV is going to require a converter and using the A/V (audio/video) LINE OUT terminals. (The RF out just adds another device so it is not advised.) There are a number reasonably priced reliable devices available (on the WWW) that will input PAL and send out USA NTSC. They do this on the fly and in real time. To record to a PAL VCR requires another converter for the input. You will need to use the A/V LINE INPUT for this. As for operation there are a number of Beta models for PAL available and they react differently when modified to play a Beta tapes when using a digital television. Things like scan and pause can cause problems with the picture and make it go to black or freeze up. Tracking can be difficult too because it has to be perfect. (The converter can't makes sense out of the noise in the picture from poor tracking and gives up.) Bad tapes don't tend to do well wihen there is a converter involved. This can be irritating at times and requires some serious strategy. None of these things are the fault of the VCR. It's just that the TV and the converter are having a hard time dealing with the composite video signal coming from the VCRs video out. Once you get this figured out the rest is pretty straight forward. Sound is usually monaural but there was a Betahi-fi system that used imbedding the audio track like VHS did. The stereo does well and only requires that the tracking be dead on. Voltage can be messy because units made for certain countries require different house currents. A converter will be necessary in most cases. (Example: 220 volts AC to 120 volts USA.) They are available and none of these devices mentioned will break the bank. With everything in place you will be able to record and play PAL tapes. Language varies so you are on you own on this one. THE SECAM SYSTEM The SECAM broadcast system covers countries like China, Pakistan, Russia and France. To watch recordings on a states side TV is going to require some patience. Just like the example for PAL to watch recordings on a states side TV you are going to need several things. SECAM video is different from either PAL or NTSC and it uses a totally different recording method for producing a picture. Still Beta but a different way. To play their system on your USA TV is going to require a converter and using the A/V LINE OUT terminals. There are a number of reliable devices available (on the WWW) that will input SECAM coming from the VCR and send it out as USA NTSC. To record to a SECAM VCR requires another converter for the LINE INPUT. You need to use the A/V plugs because trying the RF out overly complicates things. There are a number of models made for the SECAM system and they react differently when modified to play a Beta tape (which is analog in nature) on a digital television. Things like scan and pause tend to fool the logic boards in the TV which eventually causes the picture to go black or freeze up. Tracking can be difficult too because it has to be perfect. (The converter can't makes sense out of the noise in the picture from bad tracking and will go blank.) Getting this right can be challenging at times and requires some serious patience. None of these things are the fault of the VCR. It's just that the TV has a hard time dealing with the composite video signal coming from the VCRs video out. Once you get this figured out the rest is pretty straight forward. Voltages vary. Units made for certain countries use different house currents. A converter will be necessary in most cases. (Example is changing 220 volts AC to 120 volts USA.) They are available and none of these converters mentioned will break the bank. With everything worked out you will be able to record and play SECAM tapes. Language varies so you might need to know Arabic or Chinese. Same functions just different wording. THE MULTI-FORMAT VCRS Here is a way to record and play back tapes made using all three systems. SInce Beta VCRs can be taken from county to country the Betamakers accommodated travelers with models that could operate in most any location. So do you want to be able to play and record (NTSC, PAL and SECAM) while watching your NTSC television? There are VCRs available that will accept any house current (this takes the guesswork out powering the VCR) and handle most any video format. These are the multi-format Betas and they are rare and valuable. They do it all but you will still need a converter for each of the signals going in and coming out. These superstars only run the tapes, they don't convert anything. It is not their job nor was it their intention. Sound is monaural. But they do eliminate the need for having different machines for many different global applications. There were three 711B chassis multi-format Betas made that will play and record SuperBeta, standard Beta or Both. These are the SL-T50ME, the SL-700ME and the SL-800ME. Depictions on the VCRs are in English.