Converters to for UK electrical appliances in USA
#61
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 3,259
Re: Converters to for UK electrical appliances in USA
Presumably you have been using it in the UK without problems? In that case, it's fine with PAL. It would be unusual to be a PAL-only set, so most likely it will also be fine with NTSC.
It's only the US market really that has NTSC only and not PAL, usually PAL models will play both.
It's only the US market really that has NTSC only and not PAL, usually PAL models will play both.
#62
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 114
Re: Converters to for UK electrical appliances in USA
Presumably you have been using it in the UK without problems? In that case, it's fine with PAL. It would be unusual to be a PAL-only set, so most likely it will also be fine with NTSC.
It's only the US market really that has NTSC only and not PAL, usually PAL models will play both.
It's only the US market really that has NTSC only and not PAL, usually PAL models will play both.
As for the whole US market and NTSC only, is that just for competition reasons? Reminds me of the whole tri-band vs. quad-band phones, where I couldn't use my tri-band from elsewhere here in the States, but could everywhere else, except in either Japan or Korea. Seems to be a competition thing.
#63
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 3,259
Re: Converters to for UK electrical appliances in USA
#64
Re: Converters to for UK electrical appliances in USA
Fom the PAL Wiki:
In the 1950s, when the Western European countries were planning to establish colour television, they were faced with the problem that the already existing American NTSC standard wouldn't fit the 50 Hz AC frequency of the European power grids. In addition to that NTSC demonstrated several weaknesses, including colour tone shifting under poor transmission conditions. For these reasons the development of the SECAM and PAL standards began. The goal was to provide a colour TV standard with a picture frequency of 50 fields per second (50 hertz), and sporting a better colour picture than NTSC.
In the 1950s, when the Western European countries were planning to establish colour television, they were faced with the problem that the already existing American NTSC standard wouldn't fit the 50 Hz AC frequency of the European power grids. In addition to that NTSC demonstrated several weaknesses, including colour tone shifting under poor transmission conditions. For these reasons the development of the SECAM and PAL standards began. The goal was to provide a colour TV standard with a picture frequency of 50 fields per second (50 hertz), and sporting a better colour picture than NTSC.
#66
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 3,259
Re: Converters to for UK electrical appliances in USA
Fom the PAL Wiki:
In the 1950s, when the Western European countries were planning to establish colour television, they were faced with the problem that the already existing American NTSC standard wouldn't fit the 50 Hz AC frequency of the European power grids. In addition to that NTSC demonstrated several weaknesses, including colour tone shifting under poor transmission conditions. For these reasons the development of the SECAM and PAL standards began. The goal was to provide a colour TV standard with a picture frequency of 50 fields per second (50 hertz), and sporting a better colour picture than NTSC.
In the 1950s, when the Western European countries were planning to establish colour television, they were faced with the problem that the already existing American NTSC standard wouldn't fit the 50 Hz AC frequency of the European power grids. In addition to that NTSC demonstrated several weaknesses, including colour tone shifting under poor transmission conditions. For these reasons the development of the SECAM and PAL standards began. The goal was to provide a colour TV standard with a picture frequency of 50 fields per second (50 hertz), and sporting a better colour picture than NTSC.
#67
Re: Converters to for UK electrical appliances in USA
Yes, we used it both in Asia and in the UK, so that's good news.
As for the whole US market and NTSC only, is that just for competition reasons? Reminds me of the whole tri-band vs. quad-band phones, where I couldn't use my tri-band from elsewhere here in the States, but could everywhere else, except in either Japan or Korea. Seems to be a competition thing.
As for the whole US market and NTSC only, is that just for competition reasons? Reminds me of the whole tri-band vs. quad-band phones, where I couldn't use my tri-band from elsewhere here in the States, but could everywhere else, except in either Japan or Korea. Seems to be a competition thing.
#68
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 114
Re: Converters to for UK electrical appliances in USA
I don't really know the answer. It's just hearing this coupled with the whole cell phone thing where I can't use my phone in the States but can use it almost everywhere else in the world --- and the fact that our mobile phone bills in places like Hong Kong were only $10 a month and we only paid for outgoing calls, not incoming --- it just seems that the companies with monopolies want to keep the competition out in order to maintain control and price high.
Anyway, thanks for the help with the TV; we're going to hook ours up this week.
#69
Re: Converters to for UK electrical appliances in USA
After buying step up and downs here and moved back to the UK, it was great for US and UK things in both countries ie my kitchen aid mixer I got in the US. Not that we were planning to move back to the US bus when we did we were glad we had the transformers as it does save you a bit of money.
If you are planning on being here a short time and are not paying for shipping then if you have a good food processor (why they are so expensive here I don't know) and a mixer and expensive kitchen items then why not.
And if you buy stuff here then you can use that back in the UK.
I cook a lot (quite a bit of my volunteering is cooking) so I found them invaluable especially when moving as your budget goes on the 'must haves'.
* Obviously weighing (sorry) up the cost of the transformer and if you have enough stuff to warrant it all and that the voltage will take it. I am not talking about TVs etc which is different. You can get some to work for US TV, see other posts.
I brought our old TV with video/dvd and PS2 (just for our UK stuff) for the den and my family sends VHS tape of the family playing (they still have the old camcorders).
If you are planning on being here a short time and are not paying for shipping then if you have a good food processor (why they are so expensive here I don't know) and a mixer and expensive kitchen items then why not.
And if you buy stuff here then you can use that back in the UK.
I cook a lot (quite a bit of my volunteering is cooking) so I found them invaluable especially when moving as your budget goes on the 'must haves'.
* Obviously weighing (sorry) up the cost of the transformer and if you have enough stuff to warrant it all and that the voltage will take it. I am not talking about TVs etc which is different. You can get some to work for US TV, see other posts.
I brought our old TV with video/dvd and PS2 (just for our UK stuff) for the den and my family sends VHS tape of the family playing (they still have the old camcorders).
Last edited by Irn-bru; Jul 16th 2008 at 2:15 am.
#70
Banned
Joined: May 2008
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 214
Re: Converters to for UK electrical appliances in USA
But they would be using PAL in the EU countries anyway, right? If so, doesn't that mean that having the NTSC on EU tv's only benefits those who move to the States? While those moving from the States don't get the benefit of being able to use their NTSC only electronics elsewhere?
I don't really know the answer. It's just hearing this coupled with the whole cell phone thing where I can't use my phone in the States but can use it almost everywhere else in the world --- and the fact that our mobile phone bills in places like Hong Kong were only $10 a month and we only paid for outgoing calls, not incoming --- it just seems that the companies with monopolies want to keep the competition out in order to maintain control and price high.
Anyway, thanks for the help with the TV; we're going to hook ours up this week.
I don't really know the answer. It's just hearing this coupled with the whole cell phone thing where I can't use my phone in the States but can use it almost everywhere else in the world --- and the fact that our mobile phone bills in places like Hong Kong were only $10 a month and we only paid for outgoing calls, not incoming --- it just seems that the companies with monopolies want to keep the competition out in order to maintain control and price high.
Anyway, thanks for the help with the TV; we're going to hook ours up this week.
I would not bring UK TV's/videos/DVD's into the USA unless you have advance guarantees direct from the manufacturer (in a manual or in response to your query) that they will work OK here.
Also, once you are here, you might like to know that you can buy a VCR/DVD combo that will record and play any NTSC/PAL video/DVD, but then only on a NTSC TV. Output to a PAL TV needs a convertor.
As I said previously, "Weird people!! Same language, but no connection!" !!
Good luck.
#71
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 114
Re: Converters to for UK electrical appliances in USA
Also, once you are here, you might like to know that you can buy a VCR/DVD combo that will record and play any NTSC/PAL video/DVD, but then only on a NTSC TV. Output to a PAL TV needs a convertor.
As I said previously, "Weird people!! Same language, but no connection!" !!
Good luck.
As I said previously, "Weird people!! Same language, but no connection!" !!
Good luck.
#72
Re: Converters to for UK electrical appliances in USA
But they would be using PAL in the EU countries anyway, right? If so, doesn't that mean that having the NTSC on EU tv's only benefits those who move to the States? While those moving from the States don't get the benefit of being able to use their NTSC only electronics elsewhere?
#73
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Mar 2008
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Posts: 4,913
Re: Converters to for UK electrical appliances in USA
I don't really know the answer. It's just hearing this coupled with the whole cell phone thing where I can't use my phone in the States but can use it almost everywhere else in the world --- and the fact that our mobile phone bills in places like Hong Kong were only $10 a month and we only paid for outgoing calls, not incoming --- it just seems that the companies with monopolies want to keep the competition out in order to maintain control and price high.
#74
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 114
Re: Converters to for UK electrical appliances in USA
The US suffers from a couple of problems here - one of them is the disadvantage of having been "first" with the wide scale deployment of cell phones and color TV, namely getting locked in to an outdated system, and the other is just the general US attitude of insularity which means that nobody really cares what happens elsewhere.
And, though AT&T told me that none of my HK phones would work here and had me buy a new pay-as-you go equipped phone (I bought a cheapy temporary one) instead of just a SIM card, I tried the SIM card it came with on my other HK phone -- it worked. So I don't underestimate these big phone companies in terms of not being completely forthcoming with the compatability of the products available to us here and elsewhere. If you don't know, they're likely not going to tell you --- until they have to.