I want to buy a video that, although sold by the BBc, was only ever
sold in USA VHS format. I have been told it can be changed so it will
play on a UK video player. Is this correct, and how could I find
someone, preferably in the UK that can do it, and roughly what would
it cost per video?

Hello lizgage-ga

The information you have been given is correct, in the USA they use a
different format of video to other parts of the world.  In the USA
they use a US standard NTSC signal whereas in the UK they use a UK
standard PAL signal.  In practice when you try to watch a NTSC video
in a UK machine, the picture is in black and white and the sound is
normal.

There are a number of companies that can provide a service to
re-record your tape (or tapes) into a UK format video but in practice
there may be some copyright problems in doing this as the tape you
wish to convert is a commercial BBC tape.  As I am not an expert in
this area you should discuss the copyright implications with the
company doing the conversion before handing over any money.  They will
be able to advise you better with regards to this matter.

Some companies that can convert tapes for you:
http://www.ntsctopal.biz/
http://www.anima.demon.co.uk/pvs/
http://www.threedoubleyou.com/converters.htm

From this small selection of companies it appears £15-20 is what you
should expect to pay for a 2 hour tape.  At the end of this answer
there is a Google link that should enable you to find further
companies that are capable of doing this task (you may also want to
ask your local TV repair man who could probably provide you with the
same service).

Another option for you would be to purchase a small box that sits
between your video and your TV.  This box would convert the signal
automatically to allow you to watch the original US tape on your UK
video.  These are a little more expensive than getting someone to
convert the tape for you but you do not have to worry about any
copyright issues should you decide to follow this route.

Some examples of NTSC to PAL converters to buy:
http://www.threedoubleyou.com/converters.htm
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=27967&TabID=1&source=15&WorldID=&doy=11m10
http://tinyurl.com/549lr

If you have a number of copyrighted videos that you would like to
watch I would recommend this option.

Finally, a third option open to you is to buy a NTSC compatible video
player in the UK.  Many modern video recorders play NTSC tapes with no
problem and they can be purchased relatively cheaply (under £100).

An example of this would be:
http://www.qed-uk.com/q/index.html?i=11qHjT3yv8ta&vp=6&bg=100&bp=t230s&bi=0

If you require any further help or information on this subject please
ask for clarification and I will do my best to respond swiftly.

Some useful Google links:
://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&c2coff=1&q=%22NTSC+to+PAL%22+service&btnG=Search&meta=cr%3DcountryUK%7CcountryGB
://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&c2coff=1&q=%22NTSC+to+PAL%22+convertor&btnG=Search&meta=cr%3DcountryUK%7CcountryGB
://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&c2coff=1&q=%22NTSC+to+PAL%22+converter&meta=cr%3DcountryUK%7CcountryGB
://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&q=video+formats

Very helpful indeed. Thanks. Liz Gage