Forum and FAQ

You're welcome to discuss about the Mindcandy DVD at the official MindCandy Forum. Some frequently asked questions:

Where can I learn more about demos and the demoscene?
Please have a look at the Demoscene section for a list of online resources.
MindCandy 1: Why no PAL version?
In opposition to the Amiga demos of MindCandy 2 the PC demos of MindCandy 1 didn't require two versions (it's an NTSC DVD), because the PC's VGA output better transfers to NTSC than to PAL and almost any PAL hardware is able to playback NTSC (NTSC is the older standard).
MindCandy 1: Will (european) PAL-hardware play an NTSC DVD?
Yes, see previous question. Since NTSC is the older standard almost any PAL-capable DVD player plays NTSC DVDs as well. Find the detailed answer here. That works on 3 different ways, depending on your DVD-hardware. Which way your hardware supports should be mentioned in the manual of your DVD-player / TV ... should. The 3 ways:

1. Most players convert the NTSC-signal and send it as 60-Hz PAL signal to the TV. Newer PAL-TV's can handle this "pseudo-PAL" signal.

2. A few players output true NTSC from NTSC discs. This requires a TV with NTSC support.

Some players allow to choose between variant 1 and 2. Both variants mean full framerate without quality loss.

3. A few players convert NTSC into a standard-PAL signal, working with every PAL-TV. High quality conversion requires expensive hardware to handle scaling and object motion analysis properly.  Because the quality of this conversion in DVD players is poor that's the worst variant of the 3.

MindCandy 2: How can I choose between the PAL and NTSC version in the MAZ online-shop?
By default MAZ ships the PAL version, as the product name in the shop says. To get the NTSC version instead (possible reason see next question) please write "NTSC" into the comment field in the last step of the order page. For orderers from NTSC countries like USA, Canada or Japan we'll request a confirmation by E-Mail if the "NTSC"-comment was missing.
MindCandy 2: Should I buy the PAL or the NTSC version?
Since all Amiga demos of this DVD were made in european countries using PAL video output, the PAL version provides the purest form of the DVD with most resolution and best quality.

If you're playing the DVD on a computer (PowerDVD, WinDVD, whatever), buy the PAL version.

If you're playing it on a hardware DVD player choose the right format for your region:

For a detailed list of countries see here or here.

Are there plans to re-release MindCandy 1 and 2 on Blu-ray?
There are no current plans to do so, since the visual quality won't be improved at all.
MindCandy 3: So MindCandy 3 will be a Blu-ray disc, will there be a classic MPEG2 DVD as well?
It's planned to release MindCandy 3 as double-pack of Blu-ray disc + DVD (one price for both pieces of media). So even without Blu-ray hardware you can enjoy it immediately and then enjoy it much more when you upgrade your hardware :-)