Just to keep this one active...

although PAL vhs tapes will not usually play on US machines with NTSC there are some multiregion vcrs out there - Samsung did one - but the expense is not practical (pay your local tape transfer company!).

I've done PAL vhs to dvd transfers - PAL dvds will usually play on American computers but may not play on tv dvd players depending on age and functionality. Converting the NTSC (or reverse) in that transfer process is usually fine but does create a slightly jerky movement due to the frame handling. A similar effect happens converting PAL/NTSC vhs using something like the Samsung.

The really important thing with dvd is the region code (US is 1, UK and similar 2). Home burned ones should be region 0 (ie region free).

Hope that helps a bit, Nick