science

NTSC-C

NTSC-C is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand NTSC-C rather than just read about it. In short: NTSC-C is a regional lockout created in 2003 by Sony Computer Entertainment for the official launch of its PlayStation 2 gaming system into the mainland Chinese market. Mainland Chinese market The system's original model, then called PlayStation 2, was launched throughout 2000, 2001 and 2002 in Japan, North America, Europe, Oceania, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea, but it was not introduced in mainland China beca…

Key takeaways

NTSC-C belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect NTSC-C to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of NTSC-C from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

NTSC-C is a regional lockout created in 2003 by Sony Computer Entertainment for the official launch of its PlayStation 2 gaming system into the mainland Chinese market.

Mainland Chinese market The system's original model, then called PlayStation 2, was launched throughout 2000, 2001 and 2002 in Japan, North America, Europe, Oceania, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea, but it was not introduced in mainland China because of rampant piracy. In November 2003, Sony China Chairman Hiroshi Soda explained the situation: Sony was previously reluctant to introduce PlayStation 2 into the Chinese market due to the piracy problem. But we changed our minds as we think that the piracy situation cannot be controlled 100 percent, not only in China but also in many other countries and regions in the world. We have to be courageous, to face the reality. However the situation changed in November 2003 as Sony China announced the PlayStation 2 (SCPH-50009 "Satin Silver" type) was planned to be launched in mainland China for Christmas, official release date December 20, 2003. Sales would be first limited to five large industrialized cities Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Chengdu, then distribution would start in the whole country. However, on the eve of Christmas, arguing an "unfavorable environment," Sony China delayed the release. Kenichi Fukunaga, a Sony Japan spokesman in Tokyo, reportedly declared "the company simply had not prepared in time for the China launch." The system finally launched on New Year's Day of 2004 with sales limited to Shanghai and Guangzhou. The "NTSC-C" regional lockout for mainland China was specially created as the system is also a home NTSC DVD player with its specific Zone 6 regional code which is not compatible with the bordering countries (Japan is Zone 2; South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan are all Zone 3, etc.) In total, 16 NTSC-C games were released throughout 2004-2005.

Marketing definition "C" stands for China. However Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan are part of the NTSC-J region which was initially created for Japan. NTSC-C is used as the name of the video gaming region of continental China, despite the country's historical use of PAL as the official TV standard instead of NTSC. Games designated as part of this region will not run on hardware designated as part of the NTSC-J (that include Traditional Chinese 中文版 version for Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia, instead of Simplified Chinese for China), NTSC-U and PAL mostly due to the regional differences of the PAL (SECAM was also used in the early 1990s) and NTSC TV standards, but there is also a concern of copyright protection through regional lockout built into the video game systems and games themselves, as the same product can be released by different publishers on different continents.

See also ATSC BTSC NTSC NTSC-J NTSC-U PAL PAL-E SECAM

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with NTSC-C

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what NTSC-C claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to NTSC-C before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about NTSC-C ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of NTSC-C

In research: NTSC-C appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses NTSC-C in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: NTSC-C is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Digital rights management, Hardware restrictions, Video game development, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for NTSC-C outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study NTSC-C in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what NTSC-C means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain NTSC-C out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is NTSC-C in simple terms?

NTSC-C is a regional lockout created in 2003 by Sony Computer Entertainment for the official launch of its PlayStation 2 gaming system into the mainland Chinese market. Mainland Chinese market The system's original model, then called PlayStation 2, was launched throughout 2000, 2001 and 2002 in Jap…

Why does NTSC-C matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study NTSC-C?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on NTSC-C.