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Old 14-04-2009, 10:06
Lardness
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I'll be soon moving to a small Caribbean Island (ho-hum), where they use NTSC not PAL.....

Is my medium quality, UK-sourced kit going to work over there...or will I have to buy a load of (cr*p) American kit?

Incidentally, they use 240V, not US 110V & I've heard that using transformers shortens the life of complex electronics..
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Old 16-04-2009, 12:55
Lardness
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Nobody? Bueller? Anybody?
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Old 16-04-2009, 13:09
chrisjr
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Any Audio kit will work. So CD player, amp, speakers etc will be OK.

Video kit is another matter. If you have a DVD player and TV then they will still work together. A lot depends on the make and model of TV as to how well or otherwise it will receive broadcast TV signals. Some sets have a range of international settings that can change varioius operating parameters so you can use the same set in a range of countries. But if it is fixed to the various flavours of PAL then it won't work

Oh and whoever told you using transformers to convert voltages is bad news obviously has no idea what they are talking about. There will be a transformer in just about every bit of mains powered kit you own! Not to mention that if you follow the mains cables back down the road for long enough you'll find a stonking great big one converting the very much higher voltage used for long distance transmission to the 240V we use in the home.

So a 110V to 240V transformer won't have any effect whatsoever on your kit had you needed one. Provided it is man enough to handle the load placed on it obviously. Otherwise it would get rather warm!
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Old 17-04-2009, 09:29
Scrolllock
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I'll be soon moving to a small Caribbean Island (ho-hum), where they use NTSC not PAL.....

Is my medium quality, UK-sourced kit going to work over there...or will I have to buy a load of (cr*p) American kit?

Incidentally, they use 240V, not US 110V & I've heard that using transformers shortens the life of complex electronics..
See if you can get satellite TV service from one of the American providers. One of them offers over 130 channels in HD.

If you are so concerned about quality "kit" then see if you can get satellite TV service from one of the American providers. One of them offers over 130 channels in HD. After all, most American shows have been produced in HD for quite a number of years now, in case you haven't heard.
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Old 17-04-2009, 10:31
Lardness
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See if you can get satellite TV service from one of the American providers. One of them offers over 130 channels in HD.

If you are so concerned about quality "kit" then see if you can get satellite TV service from one of the American providers. One of them offers over 130 channels in HD. After all, most American shows have been produced in HD for quite a number of years now, in case you haven't heard.
Yes, I did know that. There's a bit of a monopoly on broadcasting/broadband etc.... so it's hyper $$$$. Not sure if they offer HD anyway... it's a bit backward.
Still, the rum is v cheap & that can provide different entertainment....
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Old 17-04-2009, 22:16
AlanO
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I'll be soon moving to a small Caribbean Island (ho-hum), where they use NTSC not PAL.....

Is my medium quality, UK-sourced kit going to work over there...or will I have to buy a load of (cr*p) American kit?

Incidentally, they use 240V, not US 110V & I've heard that using transformers shortens the life of complex electronics..
Well, on the basis of the electricity supply, you could take any audio equipment and that should work without issue.

Video equipment though is a different matter. There have been other posters querying the benefit / cost of converting NTSC kit for use in the UK and the response from service engineers like Nigel Goodwin has always been that it's simply not worth the trouble. On that basis it's probably not viable to convert the other way from PAL to NTSC.

Does that help?
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Old 18-04-2009, 08:40
Scrolllock
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It may also be of interest to those that do not know but NTSC will no longer exist in June when America does a full transition to digital. As it is, most American viewers have been watching digital for quite some time now. Most Americans shows have also been produced in HD for many years so the question of NTSC resolution is no longer a question, or a problem, as that format is essentially dead already. Considering that, comparisons and questions of NTSC, specifically, to PAL make very little sense. Such questions and comparisons would have made much more sense over ten years ago. The replacement American standard is ATSC, which has always put the emphasis on HD resolutions.
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Old 18-04-2009, 11:20
StoppingService
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I'll be soon moving to a small Caribbean Island
NTSC will no longer exist in June, when America does a full transition to digital.
But does that America include Caribbean islands, which aren't part of USA ?

Wouldn't the analogue outputs of American digital satellite receivers still be NTSC? (As that of British-market models is PAL).
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Old 18-04-2009, 13:50
Scrolllock
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But does that America include Caribbean islands, which aren't part of USA ?
Well, to be accurate Puerto Rico and most of the Virgin Islands are part of America and are Caribbean Islands.

Wouldn't the analogue outputs of American digital satellite receivers still be NTSC? (As that of British-market models is PAL).
Referring to video why would anyone be using analog outputs?

NTSC is an over the air broadcast standard that will soon cease to exist and is essentially already dead. The only obvious aspect of NTSC that will linger is the resolution that will primarily come from old programming that for whatever reason has not or can not be converted to HD, except it will be progressive and not interlaced. The OP was mentioning the possibility of having to buy "a load of (cr*p) American kit" without realizing, apparently, that NTSC is already a dead format in America.
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Old 19-04-2009, 18:50
mjk79
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NTSC is an over the air broadcast standard that will soon cease to exist and is essentially already dead.
The cable networks will continue to broadcast an RF NTSC signal for some considerable time since they are excluded from the switchover plan. Quite a lot of US households use cable as their primary source of TV reception and will therefore still be quite merrily watching analogue NTSC RF broadcasts well beyond the June switchoff date.

Even terrestrially the switchover excludes low powered LPTV channels which will continue to broadcast an analogue NTSC RF channel.
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Old 20-04-2009, 08:34
Lardness
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Useful all, thanks. I didn't know that NTSC was OOD in the USA.
Not sure if it is in my destination.... I'll make some enqs with some people over there..... but there aren't too many AV geeks, TBH
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Old 20-04-2009, 12:54
Scrolllock
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The cable networks will continue to broadcast an RF NTSC signal for some considerable time since they are excluded from the switchover plan. Quite a lot of US households use cable as their primary source of TV reception and will therefore still be quite merrily watching analogue NTSC RF broadcasts well beyond the June switchoff date.
You know the plans of each individual cable company in America?

The cable companies have, for some time now, been eliminating channels on the analog side forcing people over to digital packages. That will continue even more so as cable tries to compete with satellite in offering ever more HD services.

Also, "quite a lot" of American households have digital cable, along with satellite and FIOS.

Even terrestrially the switchover excludes low powered LPTV channels which will continue to broadcast an analogue NTSC RF channel.
As it is, the vast majority of Americans receive their TV through cable, satellite and even now the newer FIOS services. Those still watching terrestrial analog channels are tiny in numbers for the normally watched channels and are ridiculously tiny and insignificant for the excluded low powered stations as it relates to product design, production and marketing.

Also, even little viewed low powered stations are expected to switch over simply because those viewing such stations obviously will wish to also be able to view the standard networks, which will require a converter box for older TVs.

As I said, NTSC has been essentially dead for some time now. Those that still refer to it in a general context, especially in comparisons to PAL, as if somehow that is still the American standard in a truly meaningful way, do not know what they are talking about. The only real leftover from NTSC is resolution and that has more to do with older programming as most shows in America, for years now, have been produced for 720P or 1080i HD.

Also for years now, digital terrestrial has been available for nearly all Americans.
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Old 20-04-2009, 12:57
Scrolllock
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Useful all, thanks. I didn't know that NTSC was OOD in the USA.
?

Not sure if it is in my destination.... I'll make some enqs with some people over there..... but there aren't too many AV geeks, TBH
What is your actual destination, since maybe you can get better help that way?
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Old 20-04-2009, 17:25
Lardness
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One of the Grenadine Islands
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