I bought the LG 42LB5D last year. Its 1080P 42" and is NTSC.

Now I am moving to the UK in 3 weeks and wondering if I can take it to the UK and use it there or would I be better off selling them here. Moving cost is not an issue as my company pays for it.

The question is can I just buy a PAL (UK Signal) to NTSC converter and use it or will it not work.

Please any help would be really helpful.

Specs for my tv : http://shopping.msn.com/specs/shp/?itemId=766762450,amp;fullDesc=1

I really dont want to spend 1500 bucks on a new TV if I can get a converter for like 200 bucks.

Thanks in advance

Yes you can use your tv you can find the solution at lenexpo-electronics.com look for PAL to NTSC converters

You can buy PAL to NTSC standards converters for varying prices based on the quality you want.

None will deliver as good a quality picture as a native 50Hz display, and these only convert SD sources, so if you want to watch HD broadcasts in the UK from Sky HD, Freesat HD or Virgin Media HD, you would either need an HD model, or a new TV (which is probably cheaper).

European Blu-ray releases are mainly 24p so will output at 60p or 60i (unless your display is 24p friendly) and will play fine on a US HDTV.

European DVD releases will require PAL to NTSC conversion if your TV will not accept 50Hz video (in either SD or HD flavours)

Standards converters at the consumer level are generally dreadful (broadcasters pay tens of thousands of dollars for their broadcast models - and even these aren't perfect quality)

If you are at all interested in picture quality (and given that you have a 1080p display it sounds like you are) then you really should consider a 50Hz compatible TV (all European HD Ready sets are 50/60Hz compatible - so will work with external set-top boxes, DVD players and Blu-ray players in both Europe and the US - though their internal analogue/digital OTA tuners are usuall for Europe-only)

Have you confirmed that your LG model is 60Hz only. (A PAL decoder isn't vital in the UK - as set top boxes with component/HDMI outputs are available - which won't require PAL decoding, just 50Hz support)

Also worth knowing that in the UK we have subscription-free satellite TV (via Freesat and Freesat from Sky) which can deliver SD and HD broadcasts via satellite for no monthly charge. (You get your local BBC and ITV region in SD, BBC HD, ITV HD - freesat only, not freesat from Sky, C4 in SD, as well as quite a few more non-subscription services - and all the BBC,ITV and C4 digital services)

To receive digital OTA signals in the UK, you will need an HD DVB receiver from the UK and connect it to your set through it's component inputs.


There are no HD OTA broadcasts in the UK (apart possibly from the DVB-T2 trials from the Guildford transmitter that BBC R&D are running) All digital OTA in the UK is SD (though lots of it is 16:9 SD)

Virgin Media (the UK national cable provider) provide the BBC HD channel and some HD VOD - but to be honest the HD offering is minimal.

Sky (the UK pay-TV satellite platform provider) provide quite a few HD channels via satellite (DVB-S2 and DVB-S) for a subscription, though not ITV HD (which is freesat only). Sky HD is the best current pay-TV HD solution in the UK. (BBC HD, C4 HD, Sky One HD, FX HD, Sky Sports 1,2,3 HD, Sky Artsworld HD, Luxe TV HD, Sky Movies Premiere, Screen 1 and Screen 2 HD, Rush HD, Discovery HD, History Channel HD, National Geographic HD)

freesat (the UK free satellite platform - no subscription) provides BBC HD and ITV HD (but not currently C4HD which is Sky only), and Luxe TV HD.


The UK uses a different format (DVB) than the USA (ATSC). You should be able to find one over there in the UK.


All DVB-T OTA stuff on-air in the UK is SD only. Only Sweden (and possibly France) are using HD via DVB-T OTA - most countries are now waiting for DVB-T2 (which was ratified as a standard last month) before they launch OTA HD.

There are LOADS of cheap (Sub $40) OTA DVB-T SD set top boxes. Most output PAL composite and 576/50Hz RGB SD analogue video (via the European SCART connector - a 21 pin RGB/Composite/Audio connector). A few may offer HDMI upscaled (some DVB-T equipped DVD/HDD recorders do) - but these are more expensive. They don't convert to 60Hz though - the output is always 50Hz.

Sky SD satellite receivers are SCART Composite/RGB 50Hz only (one cheap Sky box is composite only but it isn't widespread).

Sky HD and Freesat HD satellite receivers are HDMI equipped, with SD SCART outputs. (Some have component HD analogue - but this is no longer as widespread as it was). The HDMI outputs are 50Hz.


Also, you will need an AC electric outlet adapter to adapt the UK electric outlet to your USA set's plug.

Yep - and your TV will need either to accept 230V AC at 50Hz, or be able to accept 110V AC at 50Hz (NOT 60Hz) if you use a step-down transformer. If your TV only accepts 110V/60Hz mains it might not be happy with 110V/50Hz power.

HOWEVER the key thing is that all European broadcast TV is 50Hz. US broadcast TV is 60Hz. Whilst European TVs accept both 50Hz and 60Hz TV signals, US TVs are often 60Hz only.

If your LG TV only accepts 60Hz video signals you'll need to standards-convert the 50Hz SD (and possibly HD if you want HD) broadcast signals that any set top box (OTA, Cable or Satellite) will output.

Standards conversion at a consumer level is seldom satisfactory as a main way of watching TV - fine for occasional viewing of home videos, but I couldn't watch it day-in, day-out...

Hey thanks for all the responses. This is what it says on the back of my TV

Power: AC 100-240V 50/60 HZ - 2.5A

In the specs with 1080P this is what it says
HDMI 60p/30p/24p
Component : 60p/30p/24p
RGB : 60p

So my voltage is fine, it can handle 230V, the British so I assume I wont need a transformer.

It seems I also have 50 hz (will confirm with LG). So does this mean If I get a box with HDMI or Component outs I should be fine?

Hey thanks for all the responses. This is what it says on the back of my TV

Power: AC 100-240V 50/60 HZ - 2.5A



Very good news. With those PSU specs you should be able to plug your TV directly into a UK 230V AC mains supply. If your TV has a power cable that plugs in at the TV end you should be able to buy a moulded UK cable dead easily, if not then it might be better to chop off the US connector and fit a UK one, particularly if your TV requires an earth/ground connection. BEWARE - UK and US mains wiring uses a different colour coding system for Live/Neutral/Earth.


In the specs with 1080P this is what it says
HDMI 60p/30p/24p
Component : 60p/30p/24p
RGB : 60


That looks to be bad news. No mention of 50p or 50i anywhere there.

Does it mention 50i or 50p for 1080i, 720p, 576p or 576i inputs?



So my voltage is fine, it can handle 230V, the British so I assume I wont need a transformer.



Yep - no requirement for a producer if your TV is 240V/50Hz friendly. Our mains voltage is around that.


It seems I also have 50 hz (will confirm with LG). So does this mean If I get a box with HDMI or Component outs I should be fine?

There is no real point bringing your TV to the UK if it doesn't accept :

1080i 50Hz or 720p 50Hz as a minimum.

That will allow you to watch TV via a Sky HD box (but not using a regular Sky box - as the SD models are 576i 50Hz only) - either via HDMI or Component. (There are a couple of different Sky HD boxes - the older ones have component outputs and HDMI, the newer ones are HDMI only)

Sky HD boxes will output the following via HDMI :

1080/50i (aka 1080i at 50Hz)
720/50p (aka 720p at 50Hz)
576/50p (aka 576p at 50Hz)

They will also output 576/50i via component and composite/S-video-RGB.

Well I know for a fact my TV accepts 1080i, cause that is the output of my DVD player.

is the 50/60 HZ mentioned in the power different than the 50HZ for picture quality or is it the same thing?

Well I know for a fact my TV accepts 1080i, cause that is the output of my DVD player.


If you are in the US your DVD player will output 1080/60i -i.e. a 60Hz video signal. Your broadcast HDTV is 1080/60i or 720/60p, and your SD broadcast TV is 480/60i.

In the UK and Europe our HD TV broadcasts are mainly 1080/50i (with some 720/50p) and our SD broadcast TV is 576/50i.

Just because your TV accepts 1080i from your DVD player doesn't mean it will accept ALL variations of 1080i (and 720p for that matter) - there are 50Hz and 60Hz variants.

I suspect you know for a fact that it accepts 1080/60i because that is how North American DVDs will be replayed when upconverted to 1080i. This doesn't tell you it is compatible with 1080/50i (which is used in Europe)

European HDTVs accept both (the European licensing standard for the "HD Ready" logo requires it).

However as there is no real need for 50Hz support in North America, many HDTVs sold in the US are 60Hz only, and won't accept 50Hz HD or SD sources...


is the 50/60 HZ mentioned in the power different than the 50HZ for picture quality or is it the same thing?

Your TV needs to accept a 50Hz mains supply to be safely powered in the UK - i.e. so that the power supply doesn't fail.

Your TV also needs to accept a 50Hz video signal to display UK (and European) HD and SD TV signals - if it is only compatible with 60Hz video, then it won't work without a converter, which at a consumer price point is unlikely to be of satisfactory quality (If you own an HDTV you probably want a half-way-decent picture...)

50Hz power and 50Hz video compatibility are entirely independent - one doesn't guarantee the other.

(50Hz power compatibility is widespread because Japan has 100V/60Hz mains in one half of the country and 100V/50Hz in the other - even though they only have 60Hz video signals.)

Thanks for all your help.

I guess with a tear in one eye, I will put my TV up for sale. No point in bringing it to the UK, if it requries me to spend another 300 bucks and then I can't even bring it back (will cost too much then).

Yep - unless you can confirm with LG that your model will accept a 50Hz video signal then there is no real point bringing it over.

When you come to the UK, as long as you buy an "HD Ready" display (which is a European licensing standard) it is guaranteed to work with both US 60Hz and European 50Hz HD signals via HDMI and component. If you ensure that it also has a 110V/60Hz -friendly power supply then you'll be able to take it back to the US and use it as an HD monitor with external HD sources (satellite receivers, digital cable boxes, Blu-ray or upscaling DVD players etc.)

NB : "HD Ready" mandates 1080/50i, 1080/60i, 720/50p and 720/60p compatibility. 1080p support is not included - so you need to additionally check 1080p compatibility when you purchase. (Increasingly most displays sold are 1080p input compatible even if they aren't 1920x1080 resolution panels) "Full 1080" or "Full HD" are marketing (but not licensing) labels for 1920x1080 panels over here (which may well be the case in the US)

Every European HD display I've seen has also accepted US SD NTSC composite, S-video and 480/60i or 60p US SD component inputs - so you'd also be fine with regular US DVD players and VCRs.

Depending on where you live, you may find you want a smaller display anyway! (In a lot of cases our main living rooms are smaller than in the US)

Yeah I think I will get a 27".

The original reason I was brinign my TV over was to play my XBOX 360 on it, which I can still do. But the cost factor wont make sense when my one year is over in London.

I will be with a TV no one will want and shipping it back (will be on me) cost's too much.

Ah well, GTA IV on 27" will be just fine!

If you're buying a TV in the UK then it is always worth visiting John Lewis.

It is a well regarded department store in the US. All TVs come with a 5 year warranty as standard (though probably not much use to you if you are leaving after a year) and they will price match other high street stores and SOME internet stores. They don't stock the cheapest brands - but I've always been impressed with both their prices and their customer service.

www.johnlewis.com

If you're looking for a very cheap display then the main large supermarkets, like Sainsbury's, in the UK are also worth a look. They often have very good deals on "brands" like Sony. Usually not the high-end models - but some good deals (albeit with just the standard 1 year warranty usually)

On the flip side, do you think I can still buy a TV in the USA, which will work in the UK?

Saying that, because I still have two weeks and can buy a TV

1. Weak Dollar = TV's way cheaper here
2. No shipping cost for me, as company pays for it
3. After a year I can still sell it as it will be a TV that will work in the UK.\

for example, something like this :

http://www.220-electronics.com/tv/Toshiba-32A3500-Multisystem-LCD.htm

On the flip side, do you think I can still buy a TV in the USA, which will work in the UK?

Saying that, because I still have two weeks and can buy a TV

1. Weak Dollar = TV's way cheaper here
2. No shipping cost for me, as company pays for it
3. After a year I can still sell it as it will be a TV that will work in the UK.\

for example, something like this :

http://www.220-electronics.com/tv/Toshiba-32A3500-Multisystem-LCD.htm

Have a look at www.comet.co.uk They have a 32" Tosh LCD for £389 including VAT. Don't know how that differs from the model you've posted? Comet are probably the best of the big high-street and out-of-town electricals retailers - usually deemed better than those in the DSG (Dixons Stores Group) - PC World, Currys, Dixons etc.

Before buying any TV in the US for use in the UK I'd always check that it supports :

1080/50i and 720/50p via BOTH HDMI and Component inputs, and 576/50i PAL Composite/S-video.

Supporting SD PAL/SECAM composite is a hopeful sign - but I'd double and triple check the HDMI compatibility for 50Hz HD signals before parting with money.

Thanks a lot for all your help. I will give these guys a call tomorrow.

Cant believe will be there in 2 weeks. Sad to leave Chicago!

I had my 42LC2D-UD for almost 2 years now and in that time I managed to move from Canada to Europe. The LG accept both 115V/60Hz and 230V/50Hz. I've had it hooked up here to my PC and a Playstation 3. Both via HDMI and switched in a receiver to the output HDMI. Everything has worked fine.

Now a friend wants to take over the LG but we fail (Invalid format) to hook it up to any local HDMI equipment from here (except PS3).
In HD-ready devices both 50 and 60Hz frame rates should be supported, so the question is: is the 42LC2D HD-ready or not? I cannot find the logo anywhere in the manual.

If the LG only takes 60Hz frame rates over HDMI and component (yes, I tried that too), what equipment is needed in order to do the conversion? Advanced PVR? Receiver with more than a mere switch? Suggestions?

"HD Ready" is a European licensing scheme - and is only used within the European region AIUI. Models sold outside Europe may or may not have the same compatibility, but they probably won't use the logo.

If the display in question doesn't support 50Hz inputs - then it will work fine with European Blu-rays (other than some European releases with 50Hz extras) as these are 1080/60i or 1080/24p which will replay at 60Hz.

However European broadcast TV - SD and HD - is 50Hz. You COULD buy a standalone SD standards converter - this will be a solution to let you watch - but the picture quality is likely to be very poor on a decent HD set. (These converters are fine for home movies etc. but not a solution for daily viewing if you care about quality)

Some high-end scalers will do a tolerable frame rate conversion for HD - but again they won't be great quality. Broadcasters pay shedloads of money for HD standards conversion to do just this job - and even then the results aren't transparent.

Receivers will transcode between formats in some cases - so will convert from composite to component or HDMI, but they won't change frame rate - so NTSC 480/60i comes out as 1080/60i and PAL 576/50i comes out as 1080/50i for example.

You can run a PC at 60Hz output with 50Hz input cards (such as a DVB-T digital OTA or DVB-S satellite or analogue PAL/SECAM tuner), or an XBox 360 or similar Media Center extender set up to output at 60Hz streaming from a 50Hz Media Center PC. However the 10Hz motion judder this generates is horrid. AFAIK no mainstream European PVRs will output 60Hz SD or HD signals.

If you have a PS3 then the PlayTV add-on adds dual DVB-T (aka Digital OTA - SD in most countries, HD in some) reception - and you MAY get this to work at 60Hz (albeit with 10Hz judder) This is available in most High Street stores in the UK and turns the PS3 into a PVR.

Thanks sneals2000! Your info certainly explains why I'm experiencing some problems :-)

I didn't know about the PlayTV add-on. However I believe the PC solution would work better since it's possible to connect more inputs, e.g. a 50Hz VCR, and output to the HD set.

On my current setup I'm running a PC with a TV capture card (S-Video 50Hz) and a graphic card (DVI 60Hz) and although it's not HD quality it's perfectly watchable.

I've been trying to contact Topfield support (topfield.co.kr) to check if their PVR boxes are actually PCs with 50Hz capture cards and multi-output HDMI graphic cards. If so, it could be a way to receive DVB-T and also enable other 50Hz input (via SCART).

I got the answer from Topfield and unfortunately the output is only 50Hz from their boxes. However I followed the advice and got myself a PlayTV for my PS3 and it works fine. The picture is of good quality and I don't notice the judder. The only problem I have is that it doesn't seem to find some of the free channels.

Sneals2000,
Thanks for your clear and very helpful responses. I have a mate heading to the UK who asked the same question of me. You posts gave me the answer.

There is so much good info here, you could edit out the chaff and ask the moderators to post a sticky.

Thanks again,

Tom

There are a couple of threads asking similar questions here with bits of my input in.

The problem with stickies is that they date quickly. This thread, for instance, is out of date, as we get HDTV OTA in the UK from December 2nd when Freeview HD launches!

However the bottom line is usually - most US TVs are 60Hz only, whilst European TVs are almost universally 50/60Hz.

As a result, you can buy a TV in the UK and use it with most US HD gear (apart from stuff that only has an RF output - stuff you can only tune to Channel 3 I believe) you bring over (games consoles, Blu-ray players etc.)

However bringing most TVs over from the US will mean you can't easily watch good quality UK SD or HD TV - as you will have to do a 50/60Hz conversion (using an HTPC, PS 3 with Play TV or an SD standards converter etc.) as most US TVs don't accept European 50Hz video signals (and most 50 to 60Hz conversions are horrid at the consumer level)