Key Differences between US and India TV Systems: The key things to note while using a US TV in India are:
- The US TV broadcasts are in a format called NTSC while India uses PAL (also used in Europe and UK - no surprises where that came from).
- The other main difference of course is the voltage systems in US and India. US has the 110-120V @ 60 Hz while India uses 230V @ 50 Hz
So the main challenges while using a US TV in India are solving the voltage conversion problem and the PAL-NTSC conversion problem. Fortunately after a lot of experimenting and tweaking I was able to find the right equipment to help me solve both problems.
Voltage Conversion:
Voltage conversion is handled by a device called a voltage converter. You can get step down converters that convert 230V-110V (which is what I need) and also 110V-230V (in case you take Indian electrical stuff to the US). If you go to the local electrical store, you can find small electrical adapters with low power ratings - if you take one of these and plug your TV into it - most likely it will blow up and take your TV along with it.
The problem here is that you need to find a power converter with the right power rating to hook up the TV because CRT TV's have certain minimum power requirements - specially when you turn them on and there is an initial surge which your voltage converter needs to be able to handle. You should look for the power rating in Watts of your TV - it should either be on the back panel of the TV or in the manual. Once you get the power rating you should get a voltage converter that has at least 25-50% more capacity than the rating. For instance, if your TV requires 200 Watts of power, consider buying a 300 Watt converter.
Connect one end of the step down voltage converter with the appropriate power rating to your mains power supply. Connect a power strip to the output of the step down voltage converter - making sure to connect the 110V output socket (some voltage converters have a switch that allows you to set the output voltage). Make sure your power strip is a simple pass through strip - otherwise if the power strip has internal circuits and is purchased in India, then connecting it to the 110 V output is liable to blow it up - be careful about this. Finally connect your TV to this power strip which is connected to the 110V output of the voltage converter.
You don't need to be concerned about the frequency difference in the US and India (60 Hz AC in US vs. 50 Hz AC in India) as most electronic equipment such as TV's dont really care about AC and convert it to DC inside anyways. The AC frequency difference will make a difference when you have heavy duty equipment such as a dishwasher or microwave oven - so don't bother running those kind of equipment on a voltage converter in India as there are more sensitive to the frequency difference.
PAL - NTSC Conversion:
Voltage conversion is a simpler problem to solve that the PAL-NTSC conversion. There are a couple of options here each with its own pro's and con's.
1.)Using a standalone PAL-NTSC converter/tuner: My initial impulse was to try and find a good PAL-NTSC converter/tuner - but try as I might I wasn't able to find a reliable one in India. I did a lot of research on this and did not find any that actually worked. I researched this on the Internet and found that really good ones were quite expensive ($700-$1000). So I gave up this line of thought after a few attempts all of which were unsuccessful.
2.)Using your Windows XP computer with a TV Tuner Card: The next option I tried was to hook up my Windows XP PC with a Pinnacle TV Tuner Card. I also had a beefy NVidia GeForce graphics adapter card that had an S-Video output. So I connected my TV Tuner to the RF cable and connected my computer to my TV using the S-Video connector on my graphics card. You can also use the composite video connector on your TV tuner card if it has one, but the signal quality will be lower that S-Video. This solution worked and I was able to tune into the cable channels using the TV Tuner card and was able to see reasonably good picture on my TV.
However this approach has some drawbacks. The main problem is that the computer needs to be started for each TV viewing session which is a real pain if you want to quickly catch something on TV. Also the graphics card was not quite able to fill the entire screen with the image - so I had some black bars on the top and bottom of the image. Also since this ran on the PC, there were many times when the PC would freeze and I had to restart - so it was quite frustrating and not the ideal solution.
3.)Using an external PAL Tuner with a PAL-NTSC Converter: Finally after a bit of research, I found a good solution. The first part of the solution was an external PAL tuner. This is a small box that connects to the cable RF input and comes with a small remote to change channels and control volume. It has a composite video and audio output.
The external PAL tuner can be easily purchased in India - I got mine from the electronics bazaar in Budhwar Peth in Pune for about Rs. 1500. I initially tried directly connecting the composite output of the PAL tuner to my TV - but that did not work. I found out that the video signal output by the PAL tuner was still a PAL signal. I had to find a way to convert this signal to NTSC.
That is where the second part of the solution come into play. After a lot of research I found a PAL-NTSC converter - The Com-World Professional Video Converter CMD 1200 - that actually worked. I had my brother in the US purchase one for me and ship it over. I connected the output of my PAL tuner to the input of the CMD 1200 PAL-NTSC converter and connected the output video of the CMD 1200 PAL-NTSC converter to my TV - and viola - wonderful picture with very good clarity and no black bars anywhere.
This turned out to be the perfect solution because I didn't have to keep booting up my PC, it turned on and off very quick and was simple to operate. Also the handy remote worked great to do the basic functions of changing channel and controlling volume. This is my current setup and I am very happy with it. The only downside to this that I can think of is that the converter costs around $300 - so my wife was up in arms about this purchase and argued that you could buy a new TV for that price. She was right of course, but it was about figuring out how to fix things and the cost really did not matter for me (hope my wife is not reading this :))
Update: A lot of people have questions about watching DTH (Direct To Home) content from providers such as Tata Sky, Dish TV or Reliance Blue Magic on their NTSC TV. Here is some information on how to do that.
Conclusion:
So that folks is the deal with hooking up a US NTSC TV to view cable channels in India. Do let me know if you have any questions or comments - I'd be happy to help out.
Resources:
Technical Specifications for CMD 1200
Voltage Converters
Wikipedia entry for NTSC
Wikipedia entry for PAL
208 comments:
1 – 200 of 208 Newer› Newest»Thanks for the tips, I got ur address from XBox forums (user id indyan).
I need to know one thing, do you know anyone who is / has used the convertor to run the US version xbox? Basically I do not want to landup in a situation where, I get xbox from US and very next day it blowsup...
Yes - I basically got all my US stuff back and used it in India - TV, DVD Player, US Xbox, AV Receiver and other stuff - if you follow the power rating guidelines and get a good quality step down transformer - you should be fine. I ran my US Xbox on my converter for 3+ years now and it works perfectly.
I got two converters back with me from the US when I returned to India - a 2000W and a 3000 Watt - the wattage rating simply indicates the total power capacity of the converter and how much load it can take and may be actually required depending on the stuff you plan to run on the converters. For instance I run the following equipment on my 2000 W converter - a 32" NTSC CRT TV (now replaced by my 40" LCD), AV Receiver, DVD Player, Infinity Speakers (active speakers that need to be plugged in), CD Changer, Tape Deck and my old US XBox. I probably only needed 60-70% of the total power capacity of the converter - but it didn't hurt to have the excess capacity - especially during when you turn your TV on and there is a surge. But here are some precautions to take before you plug in your equipment into the converter:
(a) Have an electrician check the earth and neutral connection of your converter if you got this from the US because this can be wired a little differently there and can cause the fuse to blow as soon as you plug the converter in (even without any load) as it happened in my case. My electrician then made the necessary adjustments to make this work and then things worked fine. Make sure you have a competent electrician who knows what he is doing and has a tester to check the input and output voltages before plugging anything into the converter.
(b) As for fuses blowing, if you have the circuit breaker in your mains panel, then you have nothing to worry, it will simply trip and you can reset it. If you have the manual fuses, then I'd advise having an electrician around when you fiddle with the converter as rewiring the old style fuses can be a pain.
(c) Once you have established that the converter (with no load) will not trip the circuit, then the next step is to plug the XBox in. Take care to ensure that you are plugging it into the right output voltage socket (depending on your converter). It might be helpful to connect a US power strip with surge protection to the output of the coverter and have your equipment plugged into the power strip (that's my current setting)
hey, got to your site through google. i'm planning to get a 42" lcd tv from the US, and it still makes enormous economical sense despite the additional $300 for the converter. i just have one question. why do i need a PAL tuner? wont the converter take my cable as input? i'm assuming the cable gives PAL so this has me all confused.
Hi Ram,
You need the PAL-NTSC converter and external PAL tuner ONLY IF your TV only has an NTSC tuner. Check your TV specifications and see if the tuner supports NTSC/PAL (most newer TV's support this) - if so - you won't need either the PAL-NTSC converter or the external PAL tuner. You may however still need the voltage converter if your power supply is 110 V - check this in the TV spec sheet. Hope this helps.
Hi,
I had a question. What do you see on the TV when you just use external PAL tuner, without the PAL to NTSC convertor. Do you see any picture or its just noise?
Thanks,
AniL
Hi,
Not sure if my previous post was submitted. So reposting it. What do you see on TV when you just use external PAL tuner without NTSC to PAL convertor? Do you see picture or you just see noise?
BTW, the post was very useful.
Thanks,
AniL
If you use the external tuner without the PAL-NTSC converter - all you get is a rapidly scrolling black and white image with audio - not a pretty sight. Basically unwatchable.
Hi Mav, Thank you for all the good work you did. I am assuming you are in Pune from place you mentioned in your notes.
I got 37" LCD HDTV without a built in tuner ( but yes it does have a HDTV tuner ) . I am assuming the satellite boxes in India will have a PAL tuner built-in, this will save me buying an external tuner, or do I still need a PAL tuner ?
Thanks,
Sreeni.
Hi Mav, Thank you for all the good work you did. I am assuming you are in Pune from place you mentioned in your notes.
I got 37" LCD HDTV without a built in tuner ( but yes it does have a HDTV tuner ) . I am assuming the satellite boxes in India will have a PAL tuner built-in, this will save me buying an external tuner, or do I still need a PAL tuner ?
Thanks,
Sreeni.
Your posts were a soothing balm.!
In the search for converters, there seem to be more vendors than reviews/ reviewers. It's good to hear from someone who's actually used one.
Anyway, I bought my 40" LCD from the states and i was actually told in the store that it could work in europe and africa because of the 110-240v rating.
I've been deeply disturbed for the last few days as the tv arrived and refused to show anything but black and white scrolling images with fuzzy sound.
I called the store and they denied recommending the TV for use in Africa (I'm on Nigeria). They however recommended that I purcahse a desk top converter, hence my search.
1. I need to plug in my local tv stations via rf connector, my dvd and my satellite cable, both with Av connectors. Can all three go in? How many outs do I get? AV and S-cable?
2. I suspect that there will be some loss in picture quality, how bad is it?
I look forward to your response.
Best Regards,
Hi Sreeni - the satellite boxes (Dish TV/Tata Sky) will come with built in tuners - so your LCD panel will simply act as a display unit with the satellite boxes taking care of the headache of PAL tuning.
Hope that helps!
Regards,
Mav.
Hi Olusina
1. I need to plug in my local tv stations via rf connector, my dvd and my satellite cable, both with Av connectors. Can all three go in? How many outs do I get? AV and S-cable?
It really depends on which PAL-NTSC converter you buy. The one I purchased has just one input and one output. You will need at least 2 AV inputs for local cable and satellite TV. You probably won't need to hook up your DVD player via the converter unless you have purchased a PAL region locked DVD player. You can get excellent region free DVD players very cheap - so I would recommend that option instead of trying to hook up the DVD as well into the converter.
2. I suspect that there will be some loss in picture quality, how bad is it?
Yes there is some loss of picture quality, but in my case its definitely not so bad as to want me to stop watching. Its a little grainy at times, but otherwise I am pretty happy with the quality.
Hope that helps.
Nice review there. I have a Hathway set-top box and works fine with my samsung 32" lcd tv but i've heard that Tata Sky and Dish TV offer clearer pictures which match your display. Is that true? and which shoud i go for?
Thanks Mav.
Hi,
Thanks for sharing all the information. Last 3 years I have been struggling in making the right combination. I tried almost all the combination you mentioned. In the end, I bought a Digital Signal Converter (approx. $300). But the downside was it didn't had a channel selector. About a year back I bought a channel selector (for Rs. 1500/-) and it works fine. The problem is the channel selector adds lot of noise and is not able to fine tune the channels.
I am thinking of getting a Tata Sky, but going through the details I noticed that the SetTop Box output is PAL B/G. Do you think I still need my digital Signal Converter to watch TV?
Thanks & Regards,
Manish
Hi Manish
Thanks for your comments.
Yes you will need a signal converter if you plan to use Tata Sky with your NTSC TV. Its a bummer I know!
Regards,
Mav
>>>Nice review there. I have a Hathway set-top box and works fine with my samsung 32" lcd tv but i've heard that Tata Sky and Dish TV offer clearer pictures which match your display. Is that true? and which shoud i go for?
Thanks Mav.
Hi ETSTUB - I don't have a dish TV connection so I really can't comment. I believe all of them are comparable in terms of picture quality - but really don't have the information to rate them.
Regards,
Mav
I have a syntax olevia 337H (Tunerless) but it says NTSC and I tried hooking up TataSky thinking that since TataSky will have tuner in it and this is just a display it should work fine.
To my surprise it didnt, any clues?
I have a tunerless Syntax Olevia 337H TV (technically Display). I signed up for TataSky DigiComp.
Still the signal did not work, any idea why? I thought since it is Tuner less and there is tuner in TataSky box I should not have issues and it should worked.
Hi,
Since I have access to some equipment in my office which can output PAL signal, I tested it using an LCD Panel which takes in S-Video. The LCD seems to work with the PAL resolution. Now I have an LCD HDTV(1080p) at home and unfortunately I cannot take in the equipment to test it. But since you have an LCD Tv did you try connecting just a PAL tuner to your LCD tv and see if it gives proper signal. The main reason is that PAL to NTSC convertors are expensive and I really want to make sure that one cannot getaway without using it.
Thanks,
AniL
Hi,
This is in continuation of my earlier posting. After going through my DVD player manual I realised it can output PAL and surprisingly my TV can handle that signal. Going through the manual of my TV I realised it can handle NTSC and PAL. I think the new LCD TVs can handle whatever signal type you throw at it. Hopefully it still plays when I take it to India.
-AniL
Hi
I had a couple more questions -
1) We have only regular cable, for which I assume we will need both the PAL tuner and PAL/NTSC converter. If we switch to satellite network, then we only need the converter - is that correct?
2) This may be a stupid question but please bear with it. I have a Sony DVD player that supports both PAL and NTSC. Is there a way to hook up the cable via the DVD to view on the LCD TV?
Thanks so much for your post, the problem we have been struggling with since our return to India with an NTSC-only TV may finally have a solution.
Hi Mav
Not sure if my earlier post was received. Wanted to ask a couple of questions on the same topic.
1) I currently have only basic cable and I assume that means I need both the PAL tuner as well as the PAL/NTSC converter. If I switch to Tata Sky or any other dish TV, then I only need the converter - is that correct?
2) I have a Sony DVD player that supports both PAL and NTSC. Is there any way to hook the cable signal via the DVD to my (NTSC only) LCD TV so I don't have to use a tuner or converter?
Thanks very much for your post, it has been very helpful on an issue we have also been struggling with since our return to India.
Hi Rupali,
Answers to your questions below:
>>>> 1) I currently have only basic cable and I assume that means I need both the PAL tuner as well as the PAL/NTSC converter. If I switch to Tata Sky or any other dish TV, then I only need the converter - is that correct?
Yes - this is correct. With basic cable you need both the externl PAL tuner and the PAL/NTSC converter. With Tata Sky, all you need is the PAL/NTSC converter - the PAL tuner is built into the Tata Sky set top box.
>>>>2) I have a Sony DVD player that supports both PAL and NTSC. Is there any way to hook the cable signal via the DVD to my (NTSC only) LCD TV so I don't have to use a tuner or converter?
Unfortunately like the VCR of old days, where you could route your cable signal through the VCR, this is not possible with the DVD player.
Hope that helps. Best of luck everything!
Regards,
Mav
Because LCD TVs are priced steep in INDIA ( Sony 46" XBR2 is $ 6000 i.e. Rs. 2.60 lac vs. approx $ 3300 in the USA , after factoring in the Transfer of Residence import duty and freight) I am planning to import one from the US.
However there is one major hitch. All TVs in the USA are sold with the NTSC system only. Whereas in INDIA we have the PAL B/G TV system and all cable/DTH/ DVDs are in PAL only.
Question is how can one use such NTSC only LCD TV sets in places like India? I use Dish TV satelite settop box. Obviously the solution should be such that there is NO Degradation in picture quality, especially in 1920x1020 resolution true HD LCD TVs, making it future safe in INDIA. Specs for both Sony and Sharp 46" Full HD resolution models say that they have Built-in ATSC/QAM/NTSC Tuners. Whatever that means!!
Because LCD TVs are priced steep in INDIA ( Sony 46" XBR2 is $ 6000 i.e. Rs. 2.60 lac vs. approx $ 3300 in the USA , after factoring in the Transfer of Residence import duty and freight) I am planning to import one from the US.
However there is one major hitch. All TVs in the USA are sold with the NTSC system only. Whereas in INDIA we have the PAL B/G TV system and all cable/DTH/ DVDs are in PAL only.
Question is how can one use such NTSC only LCD TV sets in places like India?
>>> That is precisely what this blog post is all about. Please read it all - most of your questions should be already answered. One thing to consider is warranty - do you plan to purchase an international warranty - this will cost more. Otherwise, if you have issues in India you are going to get no support from Sony.
I use Dish TV satelite settop box. Obviously the solution should be such that there is NO Degradation in picture quality, especially in 1920x1020 resolution true HD LCD TVs, making it future safe in INDIA.
>>> Dish TV in India is not HD Ready, therefore you wont get 1920x1020 resolution. The Dish TV resolution is comparable to DVD quality - i.e 480i quality. So dont expect HD resolution for Dish TV in India.
Specs for both Sony and Sharp 46" Full HD resolution models say that they have Built-in ATSC/QAM/NTSC Tuners. Whatever that means!!
>>> ATSC tuners are digital tuners designed to tune into HD broadcasts - which is available in the US but not in India. So that won't be of much use till service providers in India provide HD programming (something I am really waiting for)
Hope that helps.
Hi Mav,
I have the same situation and solved the problem like this: I bought a satellite receiver. This satellite receiver has ntsc output. I watch the channels quite goos however the only problem is that for every 20 second it freezes and come backs 1 second later. When I select hotbird satellite this does not happen however when I select Turksat it happens. Do you have any idea? Should I buy your converter? Or change my receiver?
Thanks a bunch!
cemipalooza
hi maverick24,
i just bought a 58inch panasonic plasma tv from usa.
as we know that in usa its in ntsc.
how do i convert our pal signals to ntsc signals.
can we get a pal to ntsc converter in india.
will it work properly.
if at all we can get the pal to ntsc converter in india,is it reliable and could you please tell me where can i get it from.
please reply.thank you.
>>>> i just bought a 58inch panasonic plasma tv from usa.
as we know that in usa its in ntsc.
how do i convert our pal signals to ntsc signals. can we get a pal to ntsc converter in india.
will it work properly. if at all we can get the pal to ntsc converter in india,is it reliable and could you please tell me where can i get it from. please reply.thank you.
I am not aware of any good PAL-NTSC converter available in India. The one that I mention in my post is available in the US - you can ask someone coming down to get it with them - its a real small and compact unit and works very well. Hope that helps.
>>>I have the same situation and solved the problem like this: I bought a satellite receiver. This satellite receiver has ntsc output. I watch the channels quite goos however the only problem is that for every 20 second it freezes and come backs 1 second later. When I select hotbird satellite this does not happen however when I select Turksat it happens. Do you have any idea? Should I buy your converter? Or change my receiver?
Thanks a bunch!
cemipalooza
I am not aware of the details of your satellite receiver so cant really help - try calling the customer care number and see if they can help - this seems to be some other problem and not a PAL-NTSC conversion problem. Just my two cents.
My question Maverick is non tuning related.
How did you guys carry ur LCD TVs back to India from US?
I know some airlines allow that for some extra charge. AA I believe allows oversized baggage for 100 bucks. But what's the deal with the customs? How do you clear it? Are the duties very high for these or do you go about the usual way... you know!!
Hi Arindam
I just did a transfer of residence when I returned to India. As I mentioned at the start of the article, I got my stuff shipped over in a container - which is practical when you are shipping over the entire house :)
In India I had to pay customs duties only on my electronics good at their depreciated values.
Regards,
Mav.
Hi Maverick,
Thanks for a very helpful post. I have q question about HDTV. How is the picture quality of normal TV broadcast on a HDTV LCD panel.
Havent seen much information in this area so if you or anybody can help it will be great.
Hi,
Thanks for a very informative article. I have a question about HDTV and Indian cable broadcasts.
How good is picture quality when viewing a Standard TV broadcast on a HDTV LCD Panel?
Thanks,
Abhay
hey...very informative post!
2 quick questions - when you hooked up the pal-ntsc converter and the audio went directly from the pal tuner to the home theatre system, was there any lag between the video display and the audio?
- secondly, what resolution will the post converted image be? I am planning to get a 50" TV. Will the content fill only a part of the screen? Or will it fit on the entire screen (without forced stretching)
Thanks for your help
Hi,
You mention in your blog about the use of CMD 1200. I was reading that the CMD 1200 does not have audio, so does that have any impact? Is there a delay between the image and the sound (since I'm guessing the sound will go directly from the tuner to the home theater and the picture will go via the CMD).
Also, do you have any opinion on the CMD 1200 vs the KDV 5000 (which does have audio as well)
Could not get a clear idea on which is better.
Any views?
Thanks,
HI Maverick,
I have bought a Sony bravia home theater. It has also got a DVD player, basically the amplifier and the DVD player are in the same box.
The DVD player says requires 175 W power. So according to your suggestion I would require a 250 W voltage converter. Can I get a good one at Pune...or should I buy one in the US...
Also i did not understand what you mentioned about the power strip.
Please do reply...
Rahul
>>>2 quick questions - when you hooked up the pal-ntsc converter and the audio went directly from the pal tuner to the home theatre system, was there any lag between the video display and the audio?
No - there was no audio lag.
>>>- secondly, what resolution will the post converted image be? I am planning to get a 50" TV. Will the content fill only a part of the screen? Or will it fit on the entire screen (without forced stretching)
Resolution will be standard PAL resolution - this will show up as a squarish box in the center of your LCD/Plasma TV - you can use the stretch/zoom mode of your TV to get the image to fill the screen. Most LCD/Plasma have good screen stretching modes.
>>>>You mention in your blog about the use of CMD 1200. I was reading that the CMD 1200 does not have audio, so does that have any impact? Is there a delay between the image and the sound (since I'm guessing the sound will go directly from the tuner to the home theater and the picture will go via the CMD).
No time delay between audio signal and video - works perfectly fine.
>>>Also, do you have any opinion on the CMD 1200 vs the KDV 5000 (which does have audio as well)
Adding audio outputs and a 18MB buffer is the only extra you get for the additional $50 - the comparison table also claims that KDV 5000 is better for plasma/LCD - I usually take these kinds of claims with a pinch of salt until I check it out for myself. However based on the comparison table, I would try the KDV 5000 - might be a better option for the 50" LCD - after all its only $50 extra.
http://www.220-electronics.com/kdv5000.htm
Could not get a clear idea on which is better.
Any views?
>>>> I have bought a Sony bravia home theater. It has also got a DVD player, basically the amplifier and the DVD player are in the same box.
The DVD player says requires 175 W power. So according to your suggestion I would require a 250 W voltage converter. Can I get a good one at Pune...or should I buy one in the US...
Yes the wattage of around 250-300 Watts should do. As for converters, you can easily get good ones in India for a reasonable price in Pune and other cities. So no worries there.
>>>>Also i did not understand what you mentioned about the power strip.
A power strip is nothing but a power extension box - so that you can connect one end into the converter and connect more than one 110V device into the power extension box (power strip)
Hope that helps.
I have a reverse situation. I am relocating from India to US and have a Samsung LCD TV bought in 2006. I think it supports both modes NTSC/PAL and also handles voltage ranges. Do I have to think about any other unknowns - please advise, Gurus.
>>>I have a reverse situation. I am relocating from India to US and have a Samsung LCD TV bought in 2006. I think it supports both modes NTSC/PAL and also handles voltage ranges. Do I have to think about any other unknowns - please advise, Gurus.
You are fine from a voltage and broadcast format point of view. My only concern is the tuner in your TV - it is probably not an ATSC tuner - if you got it from India - this means you may not be able to tune in to HDTV broadcasts. Of course this wont be a problem if you get a cable TV set top box - in which case it will have an in build tuner. Let us know how it works once you set it up.
Mav et al,
Read through the article and the various posts. The whole exchange is very informative.
To everybody who is attempting this kind of 110V appliances on 220V - Please follow Mav's advice and get the wattage rating requirements carefully addressed while buying/building a voltage converter.
The purpose of my post is to share some information on this topic from my side and also to find solution to some of the issues I am trying to resolve.
I returned to India from US about 4 months back and I brought my 50" Panasonic Plasma TV over. This has in-built NTSC and ATSC Tuners along with Dual HDMI inputs, 2 Component inputs and Composite input. (NOTE: No VGA input though).
I used to have a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) from Dish Network and wanted a similar set-up here.
To do this, I have hooked up my TV through a Media Center PC (Windows XP - Media Center edition). The PC has nVidia GeForce 6150 card with both VGA and DVI outputs. The Media Center PC came with a fantastic TV tuner card from Hauppauge, but this does only NTSC.
So upon arrival in India, I bought a KWorld PAL TV Tuner PVR-TV 878 and installed it in the PC.
The good:
1. I am able to receive PAL signals off my cable provider into the TV tuner card on the PC and pump them as HDMI output to the TV.
2. The price on the TV tuner card is about Rs.1,600 (Nehru Place in Delhi). I had planned on this solution from way back and the fact that this works itself feels good. And the total cost on this set-up is just $40.00 (Excluding the voltage converter, which costed me Rs.2900 for a 1000 Watt custom built one from one of the local electrical shops, with a selector switch and in-built voltage regulator)
3. Have been able to record programs and watch them at a later time (but the audio quality in recorded programs has been miserable).
The issues:
1. The KWorld PVR-TV 878 does not work with Windows Media Center. I am having to use KWorld's software called PVRPlus to watch TV. This makes me having to turn on the TV, turn on the PC, startup the PVRPlus application, turn on the PC speakers, resize the PVRPlus window etc., to just start watching TV. When you are having to do this everytime you want to watch TV, you would get frustrated really soon. That too, when you have had a tough day and just want to sit back, relax and enjoy. Even more when your wife and kids want to watch TV but are having to do all of this and they look at you like - well - can't really put into words the expressions that play on their faces :)
2. The picture quality is quite bad as it is a local cable signal and yet another conversion from Analog (PAL) input to Digital output (DVI/HDMI) is not helping it either.
3. Am having to pipe the audio output through a line output option on the TV Tuner card into the PC speaker system. Poor audio quality.
4. The cable guy does not have "Program Guide" options and hence am not able to schedule recordings.
5. I am not able to pause live TV as was possible with the DVR.
Next Steps:
1. Am thinking of getting Tata Sky instead of just local cable. The Tata Sky receiver has composite output and Coax output options. I am thinking of taking the output of Tata Sky box via Coax into the PC and keep rest of the set-up the same. Would this help in improving picture quality? I am also expecting this to solve the "scheduled recording" issue.
2. I was also told by the shopkeeper to come and check out KWorld TV Tuners that are certified compatible with Windows Media Center at the authorized outlet and demo center in Delhi. I might try this so that, I can operate all the devices in 2 or 3 clicks from remote controls than having to use keyboard, mouse, TV remote, TV Tuner card remote etc. This time I will have to research the card a bit more so that I can solve the audio quality and "pause live TV" problems too.
Other things to do:
Need to get a properly rated UPS so that I can keep all of this equipment plugged in and running.
Anil,
you mentioned your tv could handle NTSC & PAL inputs out of the box. Which tv is this? I am trying to find a lcd tv that supports both, so I can bypass the pal to ntsc converter.
Any others recommend any particular tvs?
thanks
Harish
Anil (or anyone else),
you mentioned your US bought tv could accept both NTSC & PAL systems. What make/model is that? All the TVs that are being sold in regular stores in US seem to be just NTSC. there seem to be online retailers selling dual system TVs, however, the prices are quite a bit high compared to the regular ones.
Thanks
Harish
Hey all
Can any one of you help me, if i buy a Plasma or LCD from USA, how can i take it back home to India ?? How much will it cost me ??
Thankx in advance..
Regards
Hi Maverick24,
I am planning to bring my X-box to india to be played on Indian TV. How can I make this happen, apart from power convertor, what else will I need. can You help. thank U
sudhir
sudhirtawalare@yahoo.com
Hello Maverick.
Good post. What AV Receiver do you have? Are you running your Sub (assuming your setup has one) through separate voltage converter or the same one that has receiver? What is the brand of converter you bought in the US?
I am bringing my Yamaha RX-V661 to India and am planning to buy Bose Acoustimass 10 (IV) in Inorbit Mall (cheaper than getting my Monitor Audio S8s - plus no plans to migrate - this is my secondory setup).
BTW - I am from Pune and would be nice to sync-up with you in town (ajoshi27@google/Yahoo.com)
>>>Good post. What AV Receiver do you have?
My Home Theatre setup can be found here:
http://hifi-india.blogspot.com/2006/10/my-home-theatre-system-part-i.html
and here:
http://hifi-india.blogspot.com/2006/10/my-home-theatre-system-part-ii.html
>>>Are you running your Sub (assuming your setup has one) through separate voltage converter or the same one that has receiver?
Sub is on the same voltage converter as the system (I have a 3000 W converter)
>>>What is the brand of converter you bought in the US?
I got two voltage converters from the US - brand name: AED International (VC-2000/3000)
>>>I am bringing my Yamaha RX-V661 to India and am planning to buy Bose Acoustimass 10 (IV) in Inorbit Mall (cheaper than getting my Monitor Audio S8s - plus no plans to migrate - this is my secondory setup).
I have a Yamaha Receiver as well - my current one. My wishlist is here:
http://hifi-india.blogspot.com/2007/08/my-receiver-wishlist.html
>>>BTW - I am from Pune and would be nice to sync-up with you in town (ajoshi27 at google/Yahoo.com)
Sounds great - I will email you.
>>>>I am planning to bring my X-box to india to be played on Indian TV. How can I make this happen, apart from power convertor, what else will I need.
Hi Sudhir - most of the information you need is already in the post. A lot depends on your TV - if you get your TV from the US then that should work (this post is about that). If you plan to purchase a new LCD/Plasma TV in India - most of them have NTSC/PAL support built in - so you should be OK. If you purchase a CRT TV - then you will need to purchase a NTSC-PAL converter (as explained in the post) - IMHO the PAL-NTSC converter is too expensive - buy a good LCD TV and you will be all set :)
>>>>Anil (or anyone else),
you mentioned your US bought tv could accept both NTSC & PAL systems. What make/model is that? All the TVs that are being sold in regular stores in US seem to be just NTSC. there seem to be online retailers selling dual system TVs, however, the prices are quite a bit high compared to the regular ones.
Thanks
Harish
Harish - if you're planning to buy a new TV - get it from India - as most LCD/Plasma TV's here are multi-system and support PAL/NTSC/SECAM - also you will get a warranty and support which you will not get if you purchase in the US. You may get some cost benefit - but if it goes through customs - then you will also have to pay duty on it. (overall it is not worth it)
>>>>Hey all
Can any one of you help me, if i buy a Plasma or LCD from USA, how can i take it back home to India ?? How much will it cost me ??
Thankx in advance..
Regards
Hi Girish
I would strongly advise against getting a TV from US to India for the following reasons:
1.) Hassles with voltage conversion
2.) HAssles with PAL-NTSC issues
3.) You may get the TV cheap but will have to pay customs duty
4.) You will not have any warranty support (unless you get an international warranty which is expensive)
5.) You can get very good LCD/Plasma TV's in India and prices are continuously going fown.
Dish TV has a new STB with VGA output. In that case your LCD just acts as a monitor. No NTSC/PAL jhamela.
I personally have tested it with my Sony 40" and it works.
Does any one knows the resolution of the VGA output from this STB?
Hi Great information. Thanks. I am planning to buy a Samsung TV http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Samsung-40-LCD-HDTV-LN-T4042H/sem/rpsm/oid/174197/catOid/-12867/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do
Pls let me know if your solution No. 3 works for this model too. I just want to be sure before investing in it. Also do you suggest any other good model with reasonalbe price?
Immd reply is appreciated. Kind regards
Muralli
>>>Hi Great information. Thanks. I am planning to buy a Samsung TV http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Samsung-40-LCD-HDTV-LN-T4042H/sem/rpsm/oid/174197/catOid/-12867/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do
>>>Pls let me know if your solution No. 3 works for this model too. I just want to be sure before investing in it. Also do you suggest any other good model with reasonalbe price?
Immd reply is appreciated. Kind regards
Muralli
Yes solution 3 will work with your TV - but I would advise you buy a TV that has multisystem i.e. PAL/NTSC - if not you will have to invest at least $300 on a PAL-NTSC converter - might as well put that money into a TV that supports NTSC/PAL out of the box.
Regards,
Mav
Hey All,
This is a great site with cool info. This is my first post and I have a potentially dumb question.
How are you guys able to move so much electronics with out any damage to India? I always held back buying stuff cuz...I couldn't figure out a good way to move stuff.
Cheers,
Sudhakar.
Hey Mav,
After going through all the posts, I see that Arindam asked the same question that I have.
It will be really great if you can post how you went about moving your stuff in a container.
1) Where to start?
2) Which mover did you use?
3) Where did you get it shipped?
4) How much are the customs and duties?
5) How did you go about packing your stuff
6) Any other costs involved?
I know its over 5 yrs now since you moved, but if you can remember and answer some of my questions, it will be a great help.
Thanks,
Sudhakar.
All,
Here's an update on hooking up a US bought Viewsonic LCD in India. I used the cable box provided by Hathway (in Hyderabad) and connected using VGA - and the tv works just fine. No PAL to NTSC conversion required. Picture quality is not bad either.
-Harish
Thanks a lot for your reply. We went ahead and brought the TV and the convertor too. TV is fantastic..we are really happy. One thing is bothering us. This TV has a contrast ratio of 7000:1. Will that have any impact in the quality of the picture/sound, when we use the convertor??
Also, is there any good brand that we can look for - for the PAL Tuner and the Voltage convertor??
Again Thanks a lot for all your help :)
It has been ages since I returned from the US - so dont remember everything - but I'll try:
>>>>It will be really great if you can post how you went about moving your stuff in a container.
>>>1) Where to start?
Try http://return2india.org/
>>>2) Which mover did you use?
Sorry dont recall - I used a shipper in East Bay (California)
Be very careful with the shippers - get everything in writing.
>>>3) Where did you get it shipped?
SFO - Mumbai using the agent from above.
>>>4) How much are the customs and duties?
Zero % on used household items, depreciated duty on all electronics items
>>>5) How did you go about packing your stuff
You can get it done professionally or do it yourself. I am a DIY kind of guy so went to U-Haul and packed the whole container myself.
>>>6) Any other costs involved?
Shipping costs, Customs Duties, Final Destination Charges
Hi,
Based on my earlier post. The TV that I have is Sharp LC-42D64U LCD TV. There is some setting which says PAL/NTSC color format. You won't be able to play PAL over coaxial as you have NTSC/ATSC tuner in TVs bought in US. So you should first use external PAL tuner and use composite/Svideo/Component and have your TV set to PAL input. I tested it using my phillips DVD player which outputs both NTSC and PAL format.
In case you plan to buy it's better to buy in India as less hassles.
Hope this helps.
AniL
Hi Mav,
you are AWESOME !!!
that so much of info in your blog .. thanx man for helping all us out :)
I intend to but a Yamaha AV receiver with maybe Bose Acosutimass 6.
My question is .. would I be able to connect my normal Indian PAL TV and DVD player to this Yamaha receiver without any converter ? (except ofcourse, voltage converter) Do YAMAHA or ONKYO AV receivers from US supports PAL tv and DVD in india
Thanx in advance for all your help
thanx
Juhi
Hi Mav,
Big thanks for providing the best informative discussion.
I landed in a dailama after going through all the comments. You are saying that we can get a better LCD TV in India for the same cost or a bit more. Could you suggest some good TVs above 40".
I went through the websites of major electronics in India and the basic model starts from Rs 1.28 L. But you are saying that we can get a LCD for Rs 30K to 80K.
Here is my TV info:
Philips 42" Plasma TV
Refurbished and Waranty expired
Cost : $650
Built in NTSC and ATSC tuner
Input: All except VGA
Need to spend atleast $500 more for the converter, shipping and customs.
If we can get a LCD TV (with PAL/NTSC/ATSC) 40" and above for Rs 50K in India, then I do not take the risk of getting my TV back to India (I planned in Feb 2008).
What is your opinion?
Thanks
Hi Maverick,
I have a DVD Recorder, i bought without checking it. It accepts only NTSC RF Input.
But it accepts NTSC/PAL Composite video input.
Please let me know any TV Tuner that converts a PAL RF Input to a Composite Video output that i can connect to my DVD player.
Thank you
Hi Mav,
you are AWESOME !!!
that so much of info in your blog .. thanx man for helping all us out :)
I intend to buy a Yamaha AV receiver with maybe Bose Acosutimass 6 from US
My question is .. would I be able to connect my normal Indian PAL TV and DVD player to this Yamaha receiver without any converter ? (except ofcourse, voltage converter) Do YAMAHA or ONKYO AV receivers from US supports PAL tv and DVD in india ?
Kindly respond at the earliest.
Thanx in advance for all your help
thanx
Juhi
>>>Hi Mav,
you are AWESOME !!!
that so much of info in your blog .. thanx man for helping all us out :)
I intend to buy a Yamaha AV receiver with maybe Bose Acosutimass 6 from US
My question is .. would I be able to connect my normal Indian PAL TV and DVD player to this Yamaha receiver without any converter ? (except ofcourse, voltage converter) Do YAMAHA or ONKYO AV receivers from US supports PAL tv and DVD in india ?
Kindly respond at the earliest.
Thanx in advance for all your help
thanx
Juhi
Hi Juhi,
I am not sure I fully understand how you plan to use your receiver with your TV. Technically the receiver handles the sound component - so there is no issue with PAL/NTSC here. Your Indian DVD will output Dolby Digital/Pro Logic/DTS sound output which will be send to the Yahama Receiver - there is no issue of PAL/NTSC in this case. Unless you plan to route your video from the DVD through the receiver - which is unnecessary as you can directly connect your DVD Player video output to the TV (as both are PAL no issues) and connect the audio output of your DVD Player to the AV Receiver (the audio has nothing to do with PAL/NTSC) - so there is really no problem. All you need is a voltage converter for the AV Receiver and you are good to go.
Hope this clarifies your issue.
Regards,
Mav
>>>Hi Maverick,
I have a DVD Recorder, i bought without checking it. It accepts only NTSC RF Input.
But it accepts NTSC/PAL Composite video input.
Please let me know any TV Tuner that converts a PAL RF Input to a Composite Video output that i can connect to my DVD player.
Thank you
Hi Arul,
You can get an external TV tuner from any electrical store - this will have a PAL RF Input and a composite video and sound output - which you can hook up into your DVD Recorder. I live in Pune and you can easily get such external TV Tuners in the local electrical market.
Regards,
Mav
>>>Hi Mav,
Big thanks for providing the best informative discussion.
I landed in a dailama after going through all the comments. You are saying that we can get a better LCD TV in India for the same cost or a bit more. Could you suggest some good TVs above 40".
I went through the websites of major electronics in India and the basic model starts from Rs 1.28 L. But you are saying that we can get a LCD for Rs 30K to 80K.
Here is my TV info:
Philips 42" Plasma TV
Refurbished and Waranty expired
Cost : $650
Built in NTSC and ATSC tuner
Input: All except VGA
Need to spend atleast $500 more for the converter, shipping and customs.
If we can get a LCD TV (with PAL/NTSC/ATSC) 40" and above for Rs 50K in India, then I do not take the risk of getting my TV back to India (I planned in Feb 2008).
What is your opinion?
Thanks
Dear PK
The $600 is for a refurbished TV - not a new one. So you are basically getting a second hand TV for that price - not a brand new TV - so you cant directly compare that cost to a new TV cost. Also look in the local newspapers, specially around Diwali - you may be able to find 40" for 50K (check Akai, Videocon, Onida). Also remember, warranty is another factor why you need to get a local TV - your TV will not be under warranty and if anything goes wrong, you're stuck. And trust me, you really dont want to bring back an NTSC TV to India - I have done it and had I known about the issues I would have sold my TV before returning to India.
Regards,
Mav
I Please support me on following . . . .
I have "37LC7D" LG TV bought & Being used in USA with me . it is HDTV with QAM tuner.
Now I am shifting to INDIA form USA.
Please tell me whether it would work in INDIA ? What changes I need to do to use it in India as far as NTSC - PAL issue?
I would apprectiate if can get answer ASAP please?
Ashok - please read the blog post - it is exactly about how to use a NTSC TV in India. All the information you need is in the post.
Regards,
-Mav
Anyone bringing in a NTSC TV from the US I'd highly recommend they bring along a Pal to NTSC converter. The good ones are Altoona or AV Tools. I'm using the AV Tools AVT 1660 and is working fine with my Sony KDS-60A2020. You can also use the Dish TV VGA set-top box if you have a VGA in port in your TV. (please note that some models of TVs don't show the image fullscreen. That is something you'll have to check before banking on this option. The maximum resolution of the Dish TV VGA output would be 1024X768). I do believe that Bharti (Airtel) is launching their IPTV services in Delhi and Mumbai by the end of the year and they are likely to have STBs with component outputs giving a 720 signal. At that resolution it does not matter if it is NTSC or PAL.
sorry guyz for the weird question i would be asking but let me know .. how did you bring so much stuff from US to INDIA as they allow only 23 kgs .. so how did you ppl bring .. and what was the cost involved in transporting that ..
>>>>sorry guyz for the weird question i would be asking but let me know .. how did you bring so much stuff from US to INDIA as they allow only 23 kgs .. so how did you ppl bring .. and what was the cost involved in transporting that ..
I did a transfer of residence from US to India and got stuff back in a container. Approx cost depends on how much stuff you have - I had a container full of it - and it cost me around $3000 to ship everything (household stuff, electronics, etc)
Hi Mav
We are thinking of moving to India from UK. Wonder if you could please help. Would my Sony bravia- 46" tele (HD ready) and surround sound system work in India? or do i flog it off in England.
Many thanks for your help. Much appreciated.
>>>We are thinking of moving to India from UK. Wonder if you could please help. Would my Sony bravia- 46" tele (HD ready) and surround sound system work in India? or do i flog it off in England.
India and the UK share the same broadcast format (PAL) and same voltage (220 V AC) - so the TV and sound system should work fine in India assuming you brought it in India. You could google the model information to confirm this.
Sorry - I meant assuming you bought it in the UK (not India)
Here is what my experience about buying a TV in US.
I recently bought a Sony KDL40V2500 LCD TV from US. I also bought a PAL to NTSC coverter ( Atlona CDM 660 ) from there. After coming back to India, I migrated to Dish TV hoping that STB will provide NTSC output.Since Dish STB does not output NTSC , I used my Converter, but really disappointed to see the quality of the picture. My STB also had a VGA out and my TV had VGA in. Hence I tried that option. It did give me a very good quality of picture in in a normal screen mode. But when I zoomed it to fill the wide screen, the display is not very good. Also VGA out does not output the picture in 16:9 aspect ratio.All the resolutions are 4:3 ratio. I am now re-looking at using standard video output from STB. For that I am searching for a very good quality converters. After doing lot of research, I came to conclusoin that CMD 1500 PAL <=>NTSC coverter is the best . My earlier coverter ( CDM 660 - 6MB field memory ) ) is not good for TV above 28". I have 40" Sony TV, so I am hoping that CMD 1500 coverter ( 16MB field memory ) would give a better quality. Please let me know if anyone has different suggestion.
Thank you very much in advance,
Murali
Murali - try switching to Tata Sky instead of Dish TV - Tata Sky has the 16:9 view option (though it doesnt have the VGA connector).
Also I use the CMD 1200 on a 32" TV and it works great. I havent tried it on a larger screen so can't comment.
Hope things work out for you.
Regards,
Mav
Maverick/all,
As most of the LCD TV's in India or in US are coming with the VGA input, has anyone tried the PAL to x/VGA converters? You can get lot of them in US, different ones, was wondering if someone has used it.
In the last post Maverick replied to Murali telling Tatasky has 16:9 option on the composite output, which is good, was wondering if you connect PAL to x/VGA converter, will it be good. As Murali liked the picture quality on his Dish TV STB, but stretching was bad.
http://www.ramelectronics.net/audio-video/audio-video-computer/video-to-vga/gvm2000/prodGVM2000.html#tab2
http://www.starkelectronic.com/vga300.htm
Well above all IPTV with component TV/HDMI/DVI output STB will be the best though :)
Maverick, did you check the website. Also found this:
http://www.svideo.com/video2vga.html
Let me know what you think of these (inluding my earlier post):
I am planning to buy Sharp LC42D64U
which does support Pal M/N and 240V. It won't take Coax input for PAL.
However as Tata Sky emits PAL B/G.
There are folks who successfully used similar model in India with TATA Sky and such.
So for my insurance I am thinking about purchasing Composite to VGA converter (knowing that VGA is better signal than composite). But as original feed is Composite, can anyone tell me about the quality that we get as we use these converters?
Thanks
Rahul
>>>I am planning to buy Sharp LC42D64U which does support Pal M/N and 240V. It won't take Coax input for PAL.
>>>However as Tata Sky emits PAL B/G.
There are folks who successfully used similar model in India with TATA Sky and such.
So for my insurance I am thinking about purchasing Composite to VGA converter (knowing that VGA is better signal than composite). But as original feed is Composite, can anyone tell me about the quality that we get as we use these converters?
Hi Rahul,
By using a composite to VGA converter you will not get a VGA quality picture - as it is not a picture scaler - and will not really do take a lower quality signal and make it higher quality - how will it be able to do that? So if you need input flexibility these are OK, but do not expect a better picture from it.
>>>> As most of the LCD TV's in India or in US are coming with the VGA input, has anyone tried the PAL to x/VGA converters? You can get lot of them in US, different ones, was wondering if someone has used it.
>>>> In the last post Maverick replied to Murali telling Tatasky has 16:9 option on the composite output, which is good, was wondering if you connect PAL to x/VGA converter, will it be good. As Murali liked the picture quality on his Dish TV STB, but stretching was bad.
http://www.ramelectronics.net/audio-video/audio-video-computer/video-to-vga/gvm2000/prodGVM2000.html#tab2
http://www.starkelectronic.com/vga300.htm
>>>> Well above all IPTV with component TV/HDMI/DVI output STB will be the best though :)
I havent realy used any of the VGA converters so hard to tell how they will perform. Can someone post their experiences here?
Regards,
Mav
Hi Mav,
I have gone thru the blog in detail. Excellent help provided. I have made the mistake of getting a LG 42" from the US. This doens't have PAL.
I wanted to summarize all mentioned in the blog and also ask a few questions:
1. I have Tata Sky. Do I still need the tuner ? Is the converter good enough.
2. While a few internation converters have been mentioned, is there anything available locally in Mumbai ?
3. If money is not the constraint, which is the converter to be bought in the US ?
4. I had been advised by sme one to take replace the NTSC card in the TV with the PAL card. Can this be done ? is this a good idea ?
5. Any changes expected which might help us get rid of the converter requirement ? Like the lauch by Bharti or Reliance ?
Thanks for your help. Regards
Hi Mav,
I have gone thru the blog in detail. Excellent help provided. I have made the mistake of getting a LG 42" from the US. This doens't have PAL.
I wanted to summarize all mentioned in the blog and also ask a few questions:
1. I have Tata Sky. Do I still need the tuner ? Is the converter good enough.
2. While a few internation converters have been mentioned, is there anything available locally in Mumbai ?
3. If money is not the constraint, which is the converter to be bought in the US ?
4. I had been advised by sme one to take replace the NTSC card in the TV with the PAL card. Can this be done ? is this a good idea ?
5. Any changes expected which might help us get rid of the converter requirement ? Like the lauch by Bharti or Reliance ?
Thanks for your help. Regards
Hi Mav,
This is a great post..I have gone through all the comments.
1) I purchased a Sony LCD tv (Sony KDL-V3000)in US which can accept NTSC signal only. I am returning to Chennai & I have a SCV set top box in chennai. I've gone throug the technical specification of STB..it says "video decoding/video resolution: NTSC/PAL". Does this means it can emit NTSC signal ? do i still need a convertor ?
2)To be on a safer side i looked into a convertor, which is cheap $30. Can you tell me if this would work. link attached....
http://sewelldirect.com/mayflash-pal-to-ntsc-converter.asp
Thanks in advance
Vijay
Hi Mav,
Good to see that so many people have responded to your info and have posted their comments. I recently relocated to India and bought my NTSC/ATSC TV here. I hooked it up with Tata Sky and it works just fine. The only thing you would need is that your TV has AV input (which I think all the LCDs and Plasmas have these days). So I don't think anyone needs a PAL to NTSC convertor.
Thiis has been my experience and I wanted to share this info because I have spent INR 1100 on PAL to NTSC convertor which is not being used now.
Thanks for your help Mav. However, I recently bought my NTSC/ATSC TV to India from US and it works perfectly fine with Tata Sky. I am not using any PAL to NTSC convertor. I felt like responding to this blog since I lost my INR 1100 on the convertor which I am not even using.
Bhavs...
Thanks for your comment, very encouraging that Tata Sky STB does not need a converter. I have heard conflicting reports on the web.
What city is this in ?
thanks
Can you please share with us what model you are using that's working well with TATASky ?
Hi ,
I have a NTSC TV, now in INDIA. Its a sony xbr 52" . And we have tata sky at home. please tell me exactly which converter to get to set up the tv. which converter would also give me a good pisture quality.
Thanks
I moved from the US and brought a Sony 52 LCD with me, regular Best Buy stuff. I has 240 volts so no issues on that, I still use a stabilizer so that it is protected. I also had a tuner from CMD that I had purchased for 200 bucks over there and did not work well at all, no wide screen option, not enought channels etc. I tried convertors and bad quality. I found the perfect solution after months of screwing around and about 5000 rs is experimentation. Use DISH TV with the VGA box. Crystal clear picture, widescreen and great sound. Absolutely your moneys worth, dont waste your time with anything else.
Hi,
Can someone please tell me if the LCD TV was taken as cargo or as part of baggage. I heard the problems with the sizxe and stuff.
what was the cargo charge?
does it make sense now to take an LCD TV to India?
Seems like Sunil is marketing Dish TV VGA STB. He has similar posts with different name on different blogs..
Sunil would you tell us your contact info and how you were able to watch DISH TV programs.
After doing research I came to know that all the local converter sold in India won't help to give the picture quality you want to see on your LCD TV. My last hope is CMD 1500 converter which I am planning to buy from USA.
Anyway, this blog is very helpful for all the people who have American LCD TV.
Guys here is the final and working solution. Dish VGA box doesent work as the Video output is still PAL.
Go with the SUN DTH they are providing 2 STBs(Ask for Coship-CDVB6750 STB). you can configure the Output to NTSC.
Naveen,
Have you got it working ?
Thanks,
Sekar K
yes I have posted here only after getting the connection and its working perfectly fine. Evrything works like normally No complaints.
Sunil is not kidding I'm using the Dish TV VGA STB with my US Sony KDS 60A2020 and is working perfectly there are no issues.
Refer my earlier post in this blog as well.
To elucidate further:
VGA signals are never PAL/NTSC/SECAM. Whoever said that earlier does not know what he's talking about.
Also there are some TVs which have a restricted VGA input i.e. it may not show the image fullscreen. But apart from that all NTSC/ATSC TVs should work fine with the VGA STB.
Hi my misadventures with a NTSC TV continues...tried tata sky and sun dth did not work. Like Naveen said the "Coship" set top box works to an extent. But the whole picture vibrates a little if u notice hard.other wise its okay.The set top box is available with Sumangali cable vision SCV at chennai. But im not sure if it is available with Sun DTH.The one (SUN DTH set top box) they installed at my place does nt work.
hi mav, u indeed r doin a fab job here... i m in korea n have a 50" LG Plasma, can it work in India...
Flwg r my queries:
1. Frequency: 50 HZ in india v/s 60 Hz in korea.
2. NTSC in korea v/s Pal in India
Pls. answer to the above questions.
Thanks a ton!!!
hi mav, u indeed r doin a fab job here... i m in korea n have a 50" LG Plasma, can it work in India...
Flwg r my queries:
1. Frequency: 50 HZ in india v/s 60 Hz in korea.
2. NTSC in korea v/s Pal in India
Pls. answer to the above questions.
Thanks a ton!!!
Any updates? Since there are two more players in the Market now. Reliance Big TV and the Airtel. Some first hand experiences would truly be appreciated.
Hi Gaurav,
>> 1. Frequency: 50 HZ in india v/s 60 Hz in korea.
Frequency should not be a problem as my US equipment is 50Hz but works fine in India (voltage convertors do not change frequency). Also I believe S. Korea is 220-240V - so that should not be a problem.
>>2. NTSC in korea v/s Pal in India
If the TV has a digital input - like PC - some set top boxes in India do support that input. Other wise check the model of your TV to see if it supports PAL signals (most likely not) - if not you may need a PAL-NTSC convertor.
Hope this helps.
Thanks for the response Mav. It was Prashant who had this query.
I was wondering if someone out there has tried connecting their NTSC TV with either BIG TV or the Airtel DTH.
Thank you very much for this post.
hi
Big TV has component output in teir STB. My Sony bravia ( has only NTSC) also has componenet inut so does that mean that i can connect my SOny LCD TV which just has NTSC to BIG TV and not to worry abt the PAL to NTSC conversion as component connection doesnot use NTSC or PAL
Anyone having experience with above is appriciated. I wanted to avoid using PAL -NTSC converion due to quality issue.
thanx
Hi, I have seen your post for converting PAL signal to play on NTSC TV.
Iam planning to bring Samsung 52A630 model to Hyderabad,India. Do you know if we get good quality PAL-NTSC converters in India? Do you think the picture quality will be good after using the PAL-NTSC converter?
>>>Iam planning to bring Samsung 52A630 model to Hyderabad,India. Do you know if we get good quality PAL-NTSC converters in India? Do you think the picture quality will be good after using the PAL-NTSC converter?
I got my NTSC-PAL converter from the US and did not have much luck in India though that was in 2003. I am not sure if things have changed now. TV's in US are much cheaper than India so it is really tempting to get them from the US - but getting NTSC-PAL to work correctly is such a frustrating and painful aspect - so would advice bringing over the TV if you also have a XBox/PS3/BluRay player with HDMI which will work quite well on the TV without NTSC-PAL issues.
You could also try getting Dish TV with a set top box that has a VGA output which might work on your TV without PAL/NTSC issues - thought you might want to check this with the Dish TV folks.
Regards,
-Mav
Hi Mav,
Thanks for your quick reply. I see that Dish TV with VGA set top box is available in India. May be I will give them a ring today and will let know.
Thanks a lot for the useful information. It is greatly appreciated by folks like us.
Coming to myself, I am planning to build a HTPC for this purpose and am doing some research on that. I have bought a video card with 1080p video/7.1 audio over HDMI. I am planning to buy a tuner card taking PAL. Could you please provide some details on the Pinnacle tuner card you have tried? Also, please let me know your opinion on this setup. Do you see any problems? Thanks a lot in advance.
>>> I have bought a video card with 1080p video/7.1 audio over HDMI. I am planning to buy a tuner card taking PAL. Could you please provide some details on the Pinnacle tuner card you have tried? Also, please let me know your opinion on this setup.
Hi Madhu,
>>>I have bought a video card with 1080p video/7.1 audio over HDMI.
Radeon cards are great for this as they output the 7.1 audio over HDMI - the NVidia cards do not do yet as far as I can tell.
>>>I am planning to buy a tuner card taking PAL.
This assumes you are taking a standard cable connection to plug into the PAL tuner as that is the only connection you can plug into a TV tuner card and control channels from. Most cable folks, at least in Pune, have switched to digital signals and these won't work off a PAL tuner card as it is encrypted and needs a set top box to descramble. I would suggest going for Dish TV with the VGA outout set top box as that is specifically meant for watching TV on your PC. Also VGA is a digital connection so you will get a much clearer picture - this also means you dont need to invest in a tuner card but will have to invest in the Dish setup. See their website for more details.
Hope this helps.
Thanks a lot for the suggestion on the Dish TV VGA STB. Looks like, we don't need any tuner at all using that. One less issue for me :-)
Wow! You rock Maverick24. This info was very helpful.
I am moving to India from US too and was looking for this info., as I was thinking of getting Sony X series LCD TV from US itself.
One Question: I heard that most of the cable service providers in India have switched to NTSC? Is that right.
Thanks,
Saurabh
>>>One Question: I heard that most of the cable service providers in India have switched to NTSC? Is that right.
>>>Thanks,
>>>Saurabh
Switching to NTSC - I haven't heard of that - kind of unlikely given that all TV's in India are PAL.
Ok. Thanks. yeah, I think I was way-off on that.
One more question: I am thinking to getting sony home theater system (DAV-HDX589W). But as you know, the DVD player is region coded and is only NTSC compatible only. And after reading thru your blog and other website, it seems Sony DVD player wont play Indian DVDs.
But when I talked to couple of my friends, they told they are easily able to play Indian DVDs on Sony DVD players bought from US. Can you please comment? any experience on that?
Thanks again.
__
Switching to NTSC - I haven't heard of that - kind of unlikely given that all TV's in India are PAL.
>>>>One more question: I am thinking to getting sony home theater system (DAV-HDX589W). But as you know, the DVD player is region coded and is only NTSC compatible only. And after reading thru your blog and other website, it seems Sony DVD player wont play Indian DVDs.
>>>>But when I talked to couple of my friends, they told they are easily able to play Indian DVDs on Sony DVD players bought from US. Can you please comment? any experience on that?
I have a Sony DVD from US and that is region locked to US. Also have a Sony Play Station that is also region locked. Usually the Sony players you buy in India are not region locked but most in US are region locked. That has been my experience but things could have changed. I would err on the side of caution and try out other region DVDs on the player before bringing it to India.
Not sure if all cable operators in India have shifted to NTSC but mine did. I got a set top box from him called digicable, which has an option of NTSC/PAL switchover. My Sony KDS from the US is NTSC only is running fine with it.
Thanks for this lucid explanation of how to get about using your US TV, it was well researched and very helpful.
Also, what service/agent did you use for the shipment and transportation of your stuff ? I'm sorta in a similar spot and am about to return after a 4 year college stint. Any tips on economical shipping would be great
>>>Also, what service/agent did you use for the shipment and transportation of your stuff ? I'm sorta in a similar spot and am about to return after a 4 year college stint. Any tips on economical shipping would be great
I shipped stuff a while ago in 2002 - so don't really remember the agent now - I remember they were located in Oakland in the East Bay. Search for Return To India forums in Google and you should find other people looking to ship stuff to India in the shipping forum. Best of luck with the return to India.
Try freightquote.com and if you don't want to register call them up at the 1800 number given on the website. they'll hook you up. hope it helps best Gaurav.
I am planning to take my PS3 Slim to India when I go back there. I dont intend to take back my TV. Do u think I would be able to use PS3 there? Do I need to go through the TV setup that u have mentioned?
>>>I am planning to take my PS3 Slim to India when I go back there. I dont intend to take back my TV. Do u think I would be able to use PS3 there? Do I need to go through the TV setup that u have mentioned?
I am using my US NTSC PS3 on my Indian Sony Bravia TV using HDMI - it works just fine. If you are using a non digital connection, then you could have issues with PAL - NTSC.
I am using Sundirect OpenTech STB with my Sony NTSC TV purchased in US and it works just fine. No issues whatsoever.
Hello Maverick,
I have recently moved my SONY Bravia XBR7-40 from USA to Mumbai, India. The technical specification of the LCD TV state the following:
Volt: 120 V - 240 V AC
Watt (in use): 230 W
Frequency: 50 / 60 Hz
Do you think I will still need a step down converter, as the voltage range covers Indian Volt i.e 220V. Please let me know.
Hi sumit
Might be vague question
What is Sundirect opentech STB?
I have no knowledge on this. I want to send an LCD TV to my parents in Hyderabad.
What do you suggest.
-Manik
Thanks for all the info am getting from the blog.
Might be vague question
What is this Sundirect OpenTech STB?
Am planning to send one LCD TV to my parents in hyderabad.
What do you suggest?
-Manik
I recently brought sony lcd tv (ntsc) to india from usa. i used a external TV tuner with VGA output and am able to view all channels.I have used the PC input feature of the TV to make this happen.
I have also connected the 3.5mm jack audio to my TV and the audio quality is not good. Any ideas to make use of the high quality soyund system of Sony TV.
Your time and help is appreciated
Hello Manik,
I am using Sundirect DTH(like we have Tata Sky, Dish TV, Airtel, etc). They provide OpenTech Set Top box(STB) which is NTSC compatible and US TV will work using this.
Hope this helps.
Thanks,
Sumeet
when I moved my Sony bravia XBR7-40 (from USA to India) I also bought a PAL to NTSC converter. but unfortunately the converter only accepts HDMI as input and Tata Sky does not have HDMI as output. I have ordered a component (RGB) to HDMI cable from ebay, but I am not sure if that will work. does anyone has any experience dealing with that?
thanks again Maverick for such a wonderful forum.
Saurabh
Hi,
You have a dual voltage Sony Bravia hence there is no need to step the voltage down to 110V. You may however want to use a CVT to ensure clean power to your TV.
Hope this helps
Gaurav
I purchased a low cost TV tuner box that has SVGA output. It takes in composite video output from the STB. So, it essentially converts the composite video output to SVGA input for the LCD TV. These TV tuner boxes are available for as low as $40. The quality is also better as the SVGA resolution is high.
Sumeet - can you suggest where to source Sun direct opentech STB? I am not able to find the details of opentech on SUN DTH website (http://www.sundirect.in/sundth.php)
please let me know.
Saurabh
>>>I purchased a low cost TV tuner box that has SVGA output. It takes in composite video output from the STB. So, it essentially converts the composite video output to SVGA input for the LCD TV. These TV tuner boxes are available for as low as $40. The quality is also better as the SVGA resolution is high.
Deepster - important to understand that if you take a low quality signal like composite and make it output to SVGA - you are not gaining higher resolution. If you are starting out with a low quality signal, what you output on VGA is the exact same signal just on a different interface.
>>>>Hi sumit
Might be vague question
What is Sundirect opentech STB?
I have no knowledge on this. I want to send an LCD TV to my parents in Hyderabad.
What do you suggest.
-Manik
__
Manik - I was in similar situation. I tried OpenTech STB of Sun, but it didnt worked. But today I tried Dish TV VGA Set Top Box (http://www.dishtv.in/static/vga.htm). It worked on my US imported Sony Barvia. The only thing is VGA STB has MPEG 2 technology and picture quality will not be as good as MPEG 4.
you can also consider getting an PAL to NTSC converter from world-import.com
hope this helps.
Saurabh
This is an awesome blog - I have been googling for sometimet to get my questions about using an usa lcd tv in india with no avail, until i chanced upon this blog.
Mav - I seet his blog started way back in 2007 and technologies have changed with time, so not sure if i still need to go with solution 3 or will my new sony bravia lcd tv model kdl-46w5100 work fine in india.
Here are the specs of my sony bravia kdl-46w5100
TV System
Tuner (Cable): Clear QAM
Tuner (Terrestrial): ATSC / NTSC
Channel Coverage: VHF: 2-13
UHF: 14-69
CATV (analog): 1-135
CATV (digital) : 1-135
TV System (Analog): M
Number of Tuners (Analog): 1
Number of Tuners (Digital): 1(Hybrid)
TV System (Digital): ATSC
Color System: NTSC 3.58
Video
Video Signal: 1080/60p (HDMI™ / COMPONENT), 1080/60i,
1080/24p (HDMI™ ONLY), 720/60p, 480/60p, 480/60i
Audio
Audio Power Output: 20W (10W+10W)
Speakers (Total): 4
Speaker Configuration: Invisible Speaker + Tweeters
http://www.docs.sony.com/release/specs/KDL46W5100_mksp.pdf
It support both 120-240 voltages. but my only worry is the NTSC/ PAL stuff.
My Question to you is - Do I still need to buy all the NTSC to PAL convertors as mentioned in solution 3.
Hi Sunny,
I went through the spec for your TV that you so thoughtfully provided. You are right in that the power supply is universal - so you won't need a power converter.
On the video side, the story gets a little more complicated. All HDMI inputs will work fine in India - so your Blu Ray player, Sony Play Station or XBox 360 will all work fine provided you use the digital HDMI inputs - as these are all digital signals and do not really have PAL/NTSC issues.
The part that gets tricky is the video inputs that are analog - i.e. the composite connectors (red, white, yellow) which you would typically use to connect to your cable set top box (India does not have HDMI connections yet for cable which would have solved this problem also). So you have two choices for cable:
1.) Use standard cable from Tata Sky or Reliance that use analog connectors for which you will need a PAL - NTSC connector.
2.) Use a digital cable provider like Dish TV which has a VGA input for connecting to a computer - which can also be used to connect to the PC input of your TV. This is again a digital signal so should not have PAL/NTSC issues. I would advise you to also double check this with the DISH TV folks to ensure this will work on your TV.
Hope this helps!
-Mav
Replying to Maverick24's post made on Decemeber 5 to Sunny.
The problem you could face in each of the option suggested by Maverick is this
In the option 1
Using the PAL <=> NTSC converter is the right choice, however if you TV is more than 36" , then you will not see a better quality picture. I have a 40" Sony BRAVIA TV bought from USA and it supports only NTSC. I bought a CMD 1500 PAL <=> NTSC converter hoping that it will work for my TV, but realised that it only good for smaller screens. You might want to look for a much better converters than CMD 1500 then.
In the option 2
Yes, DISH provides VGA out in their STBs . However, the output is in VGA hence it is again good for less than 36" TVs. I have DISH STB at home and using VGA out to my TV. The video quality is extremely good in normal mode. But when I expand the display to fit in my 40" screen, I was disappointed. Moreover , the STB's 4:3 & 16:9 aspect ratio does not work for VGA out. Hence you can properly expand the display. STB, however has height & width settings which you can use to adjust the screen height and width. I am somehow managing with these available settings and watching it.
Though it is not very bad , I am still searching for a STBs which has HDMI out. I think I can solve this problem only if I get a STB with HDMI. I heard that SUN is providing a STB with HDMI, but not sure if its true and available in all the states. I am in Bangalore.
Good luck & happy weekend!
Murali
Hello Maverick,
Excellent Information!!BTW after going through the Q&A I found one TV..Specification are
The Sony Bravia KDL-40VL160 40” Motionflow™ 120Hz 1080p LCD HDTV is taking high definition to an entirely new level. It’s a high definition world and the best high definition resolution this brave new world offers is 1080p; that’s why Sony has more Full HD 1080p HDTVs than ever before.
Features:
Costco extends manufacture warranty to 2 years
Returns accepted within 90 days from date of purchase
Screen Size (measured diagonally): 40"
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Contrast Ratio: 3,000:1
Dynamic Contrast Ratio: 30,000:1
Motionflow™ Technology: Motionflow™ 120Hz
Video Processing: Bravia Engine 2™ Technology
CineMotion® Reverse 3:2 Pulldown Technology
Tuner: NTSC/ATSC/QAM
Game Mode
Deep Color
3D Comb Filter
PhotoTV HD
MPEG Noise Reduction
Live Color Creation™ Technology
24p True Cinema™ Technology
x.v.Color™ Technology
Advanced Contrast Enhancer (ACE)
Image Blur Reduction
VESA® Hole Pitch: 300x300 M6
LightSensor™ Technology
Energy Star® compliant: Exceeds Energy Star version 3.0
Dimensions: 37.25” x 25.75” x 11” (w/ stand), 37.25” x 24” x 2.875”
Weight: 48 lbs (w/ stand), 40 lbs (w/ out stand)
Audio:
Speakers: 20W (10W x2)
Digital Amplifier
Voice Zoom
Auto SAP
Auto Mute (on no signal)
Steady Sound® Automatic Volume Control
Audio Out: Variable/Fixed
Sony Original Surround: S-Force
Stereo System: MTS
Dolby®: Dolby® Digital
Alternate Audio (Digital)
Sound Booster
5.1 Channel Audio Out
Sound Mode: Dynamic, Standard, Clear Voice
5.1ch Through Out (Handycam)
Inputs/ Outputs:
HDMI™ x4 (3 Rear/1 Side)
Component Video x2 (Rear)
S-Video x1 (Rear)
Composite Video x3 (1 Side/2 Rear)
Digital Audio x1 (Rear)
RF Connection x1 (Rear)
Analog Audio Input x5 (1 Side/4 Rear)
Audio Out x1 (Rear)
PC In (D-Sub) + Audio In (Stereo Mini) x1 (Rear)
USB 2.0 x1 (Side)
This has dual Voltage & has Multi system info but PAL is not mentioned.Will this work in India or we need to buy the Converter?
Based on your feedback I can take decision.Thanks in advance
Pravin from Seattle WA
Finally i could find a TV with both NTSC & PAL Sytem,
Philips Model 47PFL7403D
If someone already using this model, pls. comment.
Hi,
My Sony Bravia 32" NTSC TV is working with Dish TV VGA. But sometimes the picture is getting reddish automatically. I don't know whether this is a setting problem or this is happening due to some loose in the connection.
If anybody knows any solution, pls let me know.
-
Somnath
Kolkata
somnath1_1_1@yahoo.com
Hi
thanks for the details of your research on LCD TVs from US to india. did you hear anything about multisystem TVs in India which which with both NTSC and PAL. let me know coz i am planning to buy one and ship it to india.
Hi There
I have a sony bravia Kdl46v4100. need to send it to India. It is NTSC. Would it work with Tata sky, or MTNL, or DISH in India?
Please let me know
Hi Maverick:
Really great info but looks like you might be back in the US based on ur gardening blog. I am planning on moving to BLR next month and was thinking of taking my two TVs (50 inch Pioneer plasma and 52 inch Bravia LCD. Then I read all the issues and solutions on PAL to NTSC signal conversion, poor picture quality for bigger TVs etc and was ready to sell these beauties for pennies on craigslist. However, there might be a solution now, with the introduction of SUN HD DIRECT TV late last year that uses a STB with an HDMI output. Any thoughts given ur extensive research in this field would be really appreciated. If not Craiglist Zindabad.... Does anybody else have any experience with SUN HD or any thoughts? This could be the panacea for folks moving back to India.
Anyone has any experience with the Sundirect HD yet on our NTSC TVs? Thought I'd ask before pulling the trigger and ordering since they are broadcasting the IPL in HD.
Hey,
I'm thinking about taking home a 25" LCD monitor(not TV) which has HDMI and VGA inputs. I was wondering how i could connect the TATA SKY STB to it when i came across this product :
http://www.meritline.com/tv-video-to-vga-converter---p-42213.aspx
do you guys think this would be any good? it takes in composite video and lets you pass it through VGA. Would this work or would i still have a NTSC/PAL problem? need a reply asap. Thanks in advance.
Amit
Hi Amit - the product description is not very clear whether it works to convert PAL/NTSC signals into VGA signals. I really doubt if this would work as NTSC-PAL conversion requires more processing power and not sure this box has it - might be worth checking with the manufacturer. In either case, not sure this would work with Tata Sky STB as Tata Sky STB does not have either VGA or HDMI to be best of my knowledge. Hope this helps.
Hey Amit,
if share the make/model no I can look up the specs and confirm. If it's sold as monitor and not a tv in the US then Sun direct HD will work. Can't say about Tata Sky for sure.
Hi Amit,
I do not know if Dish sells STBs with VGA out still, but I have a Dish STB bought 2 years back which has VGA out. It works well with monitor as well as with my TV. My TV has VGA in, so I use VGA also as a input to my TV.
If you did not buy any STBs yet, then check with Dish too.
Also, I don't think there is any issue with PAL<=>NTSC issue with VGA. My TV, I bought from US which supports only NTSC. But VGA out from my PAL STB ( Dish STB) works fine.
Best Regards,
Murali
Hey Gaurav,
here's the CNET link to the monitor I'm thinking about buying :
http://reviews.cnet.com/lcd-monitors/hanns-g-hh-251hpb/4505-3174_7-33664930.html
and the VGA box I came across has composite video INPUT connector(as well as VGA) and a single VGA Output connector. But I'm guessing that I would still need a NTSC/PAL converter.
Thanks,
Amit
Hi i would like to make a suggesion . Most of you are bringng in LCD HDTV's back home . So , my case was simialr as well . So the cheapest option is not a pal - ntsc converter , i just got a external tv tuner card and connected my TV as a monitor and voila it works
total cost INR 700 :)
This is a great post but unfortunately I am technically challenged. I am moving to Gurgaon and want to take my 42" LCD tv I bought from COSTCO. I follow the voltage conversion threads but dont follow the HDMI input stuff. do I need to buy a PAL/NTSC converter? if so which model since the threads claim that these dont work on larger TVs. please help.
Dear Ganga,
With a 42 incher you'll be fine using a converter. Get a Altoona converter. Now they have one that converts HD signals as well. As HD had just about started making its way in India and unfortunately for us even HD content needs to be converted to PAL.
Hope this helps.
Best
Hi mav,
Thanks for posting good forum
Anyone tried the SUN HD STB or relaince BIG TV STB available now whihc have HDMI outputs.
Planning to take my samsung LN40C630 whihc is 120-240V 50/60hz compatible to india. If I take SUN HD or releiance HD will work with best quality with HDMI input without need of PAL to NTSC convertor
Thanks in advance
Dear Npk,
I've tried the SunDirect HD STB and it did not work since the HD standard in India is 1080i/50Hz (pal) whereas the US standard is 1080i/60Hz (NTSC). I tried calling the Reliance guys about this question but got no answer from their lousy cust. care people.
Hope this helps!
Yeah sun hd would work. I have dish stb,so I am waiting for dish to come up with hdmi.
I'm going to buy Sharp LC22SB27U, within a day or two. Could you please tell me, which electrical/electronics compomnents I need to buy to us it as a TV in PUNE.
Thank you,
Kishore Bagade.
+91 920 919 6744
Hi,
I recently called DishTV and TataSKY TV asking about the HDMI output taking care of the NTSC/PAL problem.
The answer I got is that the problem would not go away. Can anybody confirm that SunDirect HD can handle this problem???
I am guessing most of the techs we talk to don't have enough technical knowledge and would lean to answer "NO" as NTSC is not expected to work in India. Its is better that some one tries these HD boxes whihc have HDMI output and report their findings. Also I heard from a friend who moved from US to India that there are Tata SKY boxes which do have NTSC/PAL options int he receiver. Anyone aware of these boxes.
I am guessing most of the techs we talk to don't have enough technical knowledge and would lean to answer "NO" as NTSC is not expected to work in India. Its is better that some one tries these HD boxes whihc have HDMI output and report their findings. Also I heard from a friend who moved from US to India that there are Tata SKY boxes which do have NTSC/PAL options int he receiver. Anyone aware of these boxes.
Manish/NPK,
Please refer my earlier post on this. Sun Direct HD HDMI set top box does NOT work with my NTSC only TV. Repeat does NOT. The reason being 1080i (pal) is 50Hz whereas 1080i (ntsc) is 60Hz.
Hope this helps.
Best
Hi All,
Dish has announced its release of TruHD set top boxes. I am trying to contact them to know whether it supports my 1080 NTSC only tv.
Hi Murali,
Do share your findings, meanwhile keeping my fingers crossed.
Best
All,
In HD world, there is no PAL/NTSC conversion required. The only issue that needs to be addressed is conversion of 1080i/50Hz (PAL) to 1080/60Hz (NTSC). You can buy Atlona HD to HD scalers like AT-HD560, AT-HD580 and AT-LINE-EX to solve your problems. The above are only for HD TVs and have taken HD subscription. It will not work for Analog signals.
Refer to videos on youtube and at http://www.atlona.com. Though I have not tested them personally but seems to be really promising.
Thanks.
I called up DishTV serice in Bangalore, they said it doesn't support my NTSC 60hz tv. But I am not sure if they technically understood the issue.
Anyone has any info about TataSky or BIGTV HD STBs , please let me know
My TV is a Sony Bravia KDL-V2500. The power specs says it supports
120V - 240V~ 50/60Hz 200W. My TV has HDMI.
Does it mean it will support HDMI 50Hz as well as 60Hz then ?
Dear Murali,
You've provided the power related specs of your TV. 50/60Hz mentioned refers to the frequency of the power. If your TV is NTSC only, then HDTV in India will not work.
Hope this helps.
Best
Xenogamy
Thanks. Dish TV TruHD STB has setting to configure the HDMI output as 1080i/50 or 1080i/60. Since my TV has 60Hz refresh rate, will it work if the output from STB is set as 1080i/60 ?
If the Dish tv stb has a switchable output like you're saying, it will work. This would be the best news ever for all of us who are part of this blog. Do try it out share your findings here for everyone's benefit.
All the very best.
Xenogamy
Can you tell me how the picture appeared on yout TV when you connected Sun HD ? Also whether your TV is HD Ready or Full HD ?
Also, does your TV supports Interlaced and Progressive scanning method ?
Dear Murli
No picture appeared on my tv. I have a full HD 1080p Sony kds60a2020. But when I connected it to another tv ( in another room , a panasonic plasma bought in India) it worked just fine and showed me the menu screen. I tried to find the setting where I could change the output, but no luck. Any update about the dish tv HD stb yet? Have u tried it?
Best
I did not try Dish TruHD yet. I am hearing that it will not work even with Dish TruHD STB. I do not know whether it is specific to that TV. Here is the link I am referring
http://broadbandforum.in/zee-dish-tv-dth/10086-ntsc-format-programming-zee-dish/2/#post406489
It might be something to do with built-in tuner. HDTV tuner has to support digital signals other than ATSC standard too ?
Hey Murali,
I've gone through the thread that you've linked. If the Dish TrueHD STB has switchable output like you had confirmed, then it will surely work. Is it possible that the user who said he has tried did not change the settings because the factory default would be set to PAL and hence will not show any picture, thereby not allowing you to even see the menu and hence settings page. Ideally one would have to connect this to a PAL TV change the settings to NTSC and then reconnect it to the NTSC only TV. Let me know your thoughts.
Best
Xenogamy
You are right. I will ask the technician to first change the output to 60Hz and then connect to my NTSC TV. Right now they do not have stock. I will check with them after 2 days. Thanks for this input. I hope it will work then.
All the very best Murali. My fingers are crossed. Will eagerly await your findings in two days
Best
Xenogamy
Thanks.
Someone already replied to that thread that he tried the same way but it still did not work over HDMI even after setting HDMI to 60Hz.
I will anyway give it a try from my side as well
Hi all, It is Oct10 and it is time to revive the age old question - Will US bought NTSC HDTV work in India.
Anyone any update?
hey...i want to buy a sony KDL32EX710 model tv and take it to india...can you please tell me what all equipment i need to buy to make it work in india and how much would it cost approximately
hey...i want to buy a sony KDL32EX710 model tv and take it to india...can you please tell me what all equipment i need to buy to make it work in india and how much would it cost approximately
Hi Guys,
Recently we brought a SHARP LC-32LS510UT TV from US. we have taken connction from TATA SKY and it working fine. we did not use any convector. I heard only SHARP is working fine here without convector.
Guys,
I just spoke to Dish TV Customer Care and they said they support NTSC tuner also. But the representative asked to mail to customercare@dishtv.in as technical team is situated somewhere else.
Today I called up Dish TV CC and they confidently told that their HD STB supports NTSC TVs as well over HDMI. I also read in some blogs that Airtel HD works / doesnot work with HDMI. So, I am still not sure whether to buy Dish HD STB or not.
I bought a LG 42" LCD in USA (NTSC) with 120-240 V and 50-60Hz compatibility and currently using Sun HD box over HDMI. Works flawlessly and excellent quality. I think all HDMi should work by deafult. Also for whose who dont want to go for HD connection, there is a Sun Box whihc has NTSC option in the Menu.
MURALI ..GO AHEAD AND HAVE DISH TRU HD INSTALLED , IT WORKS WITH NTSC TV.
BUT FIRST EITHER THE DISH GUY NEEDS TO CONFIGURE YOU SET TOP BOX BY CONNECTING TO A PAL DISH TV AND SET THE PICTURE OUTPUT TO 1088i/60hz OR IF THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE, YOU SHOULD FIRST CONNECT YOUR STB TO YOUR NTSC TV USING COMPONENT OR THE RF CABLE AND GO TO THE MENU OF YOUR STB , SETUP, PICTURE AND SELECT THE ABOVE SETTING , NEXT YOU CONNECT YOUR HDMI CABLE AND VOLA...IT WORKS LIKE A CHARM...I GOT IT INSTALLED LAST MONTH AND ENJOYING WORLD CUP IN HD ...EVEN NO HD CHANNELS WORK LIKE CHARMS WITHOUT ANY HASSLES....SO AS OF NOW I GUESS ONLY TRU HD WORKS FOR SURE.BUT BE READY TO SHELL A MININUM OF 425 RUPEES TO ENJOY THE CHANNELS AS DISH TV MANDATES THAT YOU SUBSCRIBE TO THEIR COSTLIEST PLATINUM PKG PLUS ANY HD PACKAGE TO HAVE THE TRU HD STB WORKING.
GOOD LUCK AND ENJOY YOUR NTSC TV WITH DISH TRU HD...NOTE IF YOU ARE LOCATED IN HYD .I CAN GIVE YOU THE DISH TV TECHS PHONE NUMBER WHO IS WELL AWARE HOW TO GET THE NTSC TV WORKING WITH TRU HD.
Hi Sunny,
I installed Dish TruHD box yesterday, very eager to watch Indo Pak match on HD. YES , IT WORKS GREAT. I am very glad that finally my NTSC TV got a life. The technician indeed knew about the configuration to be done for NTSC TV. With my little help, he could configure my TV through component to set the HDMI output to 60Hz as you explained. Thanks for your help
Best Regards,
Murali
Hey Murali,
Few questions:
1. What's the exact make and model of your TV?
2. If your TV is NTSC only how were you able to view the settings menu (when typically they would be set to PAL by default) through component cables?
Some clarifications will greatly help.
Best
Hi Murali,
A few questions:
1. Can you please share your TV's make and model.
2. If your TV is NTSC only, how were you able to view the settings menu through component cables? Did you use another TV?
Your feedback will greatly help.
Best
Hi Xenogamy,
do not bother about make and model.
Any TV including NTSC will support the RFC cable - so just connect your Red yellow white or the component cable , RFC cable ships with the dish tru hd box...so once you hook up your TV with RFC cable...
just ask the tech guy to go into the menu of your STB
you can go to menu either by pressing the menu option on the stb or the stb remote
ask him to select setup - picture ..then select 1080i-60 setting
next connect hdmi ..you can remove rfc or leave it..once you connect your hdmi..you should select the hdmi input option on your TV setting.
good luck
My TV make is Sony Bravia KDL-40v2500 NTSC TV bought from USA in 2007.
When I connected the HD STB via RCA,Component and HDMI, it displayed
Black&White in RCA
Color picture in Component
Nothing in HDMI
Chose the Component and selected the STB settings and the selected the HDMI settings. Selected the HDMI output to 60Hz. Then switched the video source to HDMI. It displyed the picture.
So, all that is required is to set the HDMI output to 60Hz.
Dear Sunny & Murali,
Thanks lot for your detaied account and guidance.
Truly appreciate it.
Best
Hi Mav,
Where can I find "The Com-World Professional Video Converter CMD 1200" in local stores in Pune?
Regards
Saroop
Hi Mav,
Where can I find a local store for "The Com-World Professional Video Converter CMD 1200" in Pune?
Regards
Saroop
can any one tell me what is the best way and safest way to ship 46 inches led tv to Hyderabad,india preferably with some kind of insurance.
thanks,
srinivas
can anyone tell me what is the best way to ship 46 inches LED tv to india with some kind of insurance.
thanks in advance,
shree
May be this is useful
Why NTSC and PAL Still Matter With HDTV - http://hometheater.about.com/od/televisionbasics/qt/ntscpalframes.htm
Hey, Thanks for your tips. I am planning to purchase LCD-LED 3D Tv in UAS and will bring it to India while coming back.
Please let me know how you carried the TV to India and what is the maximum size of TV I can carry (i.e. 42" or 47" etc)? What are hurdles to carry TV in India?
Also, one more thing I would like to know is, if I don’t carry TV from here, the XBOX purchased here will that work with any TV in India?
Thanks in advance
Hi,
Recently my brother sent me samsung LED tv from US.
I attached the TV with converter, but i cant view the TV screen entirely. Bottom line is completely not seen.
Could you help me out.
Hey Shshant,
Regarding TV setup you can find some info on http://www.r2iclubforums.com/forums. search tv to india or similar strings in this thread, you'll get details steps in one of the thread.
I am also planning to send tv to India, can you please tell me following details:
1) What is size of TV (46" or 55") and how your brother shipped tv to India.
2) What is the shipping cost?
3) How much customs you paid? was there any hassle in customs?
4) And also ask your brother about shipping information for 55" TV
Regards,
Guru
Post a Comment