On Saturday 18 December 2004 05:24, Reuben Martin wrote: Actually this is not quite correct..... The US power grid runs at a nominal 60Hz and so does American BLACK & WHITE TV (field rate - frame rate is half of this), howether in in order to get the relationship between the colour subcarrier and both the line and field timing right (so that the carrier phase would do the right thing at the start of each frame), the frame rate for colour telly under the NTSC system had to be changed slightly hence 27.97 (approx). Non drop 30 (also all 24, & 25 FPS) should run at their nominal rates, I cannot remember exactly what drop frame does but I THINK it also runs at a nominal 30FPS with some butchery to its frame count (anyone have a good reference for the details? It is in "Control Systems for Live Entertainment", but I cannot find my copy.....). Note that even drop frame TC drifts slightly compared to a real video frame count.... It a mess. BTW: While I like our (EU) 230/400V distribution - it makes lighting cable much lighter and is generally les of a PITA for big amplifiers, there are a few "issues". For example the UK is changing the colour codes for installed wiring from Red/Yellow/Blue - Phases Black - Neutral to Brown/Gray/Black - phases Blue - Neutral..... I forsee smoke! Regards, Dan.