SMPTE module?

[David Ascher]

On Fri, 10 Sep 1999, Warren 'The Howdy Man' Ockrassa wrote:

> There is a third video standard in use, SECAM, for Sequential Color And
> Memory, but (as I recall) it's mostly used on Communist-bloc nations and
> former Communist regimes.  

Well, the 'mostly' saves you from a funny mistake -- it's the standard
used in France as well.  Mostly to be different from the anglosaxons.

Reminds me of a visit to a Shaker village in Massachussetts[*].  Had a
lovely chat with a nice old lady who after chatting with us for a while,
asked where we were from.  Upon being told France, she got quiet for a
while.  After screwing up her courage, she asked, somewhat timidly:
"France, uh, it's not _communist_, is it?".

--david 'proud owner of a Hi8 PAL camcorder in SF, CA, USA' ascher

PS: See an interesting sidebar in the last Wired issues about digital
    video equipment.  

[*] Cultural note: the Shakers are a religious sect which has been mostly
    divorced from the rest of civilization due to their beliefs, which for
    example don't allow them to use electricity.  They also aren't allowed
    to recruit, but members can leave the faith.  Ergo, they're
    dissappearing.  

ObPython: I can't for the life of me come up with anything relevant.  So
          sue me. It's friday night.