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Vintage Television and Video Vintage television and video equipment, programmes, VCRs etc.

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Old 24th Mar 2019, 11:52 am   #1
Richard_FM
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Default NTSC Sets In The UK

I have wondered how easy it is to operate an NTSC standard TV in the UK.

Obviously a 110v 60Hz power supply would be required, assuming it wasn't a dual voltage set.

Fortunately many recent devices can produce at least a 60Hz signal, but is the line count crucial. My DVD recorder has a selection of outputs down to 480 lines.

I did wonder if anyone here has an NTSC set in the UK & uses it on a regular basis, using an adaptor of sorts.
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Old 24th Mar 2019, 12:37 pm   #2
Lloyd 1985
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Default Re: NTSC Sets In The UK

I have a Motorola 7VT2 TV from the US, it’s not really NTSC, since it’s black and white, but should have a 60hz 525 line signal, I’ve found it’s quite happy having 625 50Hz fed into it. At the moment the mains supply to it is coming from a Variac set to 117V, and the RF is coming from a Chinese modulator set to channel 6 VHF. I can also switch my video player to NTSC to give it the correct 525 line signal.

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Old 24th Mar 2019, 2:46 pm   #3
emeritus
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Default Re: NTSC Sets In The UK

I wouldn't have thought the mains frequency was critical. Doesn't NTSC use a 59.9 something Hz field frequency rather than exactly 60Hz?
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Old 24th Mar 2019, 3:10 pm   #4
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Default Re: NTSC Sets In The UK

Mains frequency is generally in no way critical - only caveat is that some power transformers designed for 60Hz can overheat when fed with 50Hz but this issue is unrelated to field frequency which was exactly 60Hz in pre-colo(u)r days and 59.94Hz thereafter - either way not an issue as field was not locked to mains
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Old 25th Mar 2019, 2:28 am   #5
hamid_1
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Default Re: NTSC Sets In The UK

It's quite easy to use NTSC TVs in the UK these days. There are a number of sources of NTSC signals, such as cheap DVD and media players that can be switched to NTSC output. A few digital TV set-top boxes can also output NTSC, such as the Icecrypt T5000 Freeview box as well as some FTA satellite receivers. Sky digiboxes and most Freeview boxes can not output NTSC directly - you'll need a converter. You will usually also need a 240v to 120v step-down transformer to supply power to the TV. These are easily obtained.

I have used a 12 volt DC 9" NTSC colour TV with a universal 12V DC power supply and an ALBA RDVD 1002 DVD recorder acting as a PAL to NTSC converter. Set the TV system to NTSC in the DVD recorder's menu, feed in a PAL signal via its SCART socket, obtain NTSC video out from DVD and feed in to TV via a modulator if necessary. I didn't need a modulator since the 9" TV had AV inputs. For an American TV with only RF/Antenna input, you will need an American system modulator - a British modulator won't work, you'll get a picture but no sound.

If you try to feed unconverted PAL video into an NTSC TV, you will usually see some sort of picture, in black and white only, and stretched vertically or rolling. You may be able to fix this by adjusting the height or vertical hold controls on the TV. Some of the more modern NTSC TVs have no user adjustments.
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Old 26th Mar 2019, 9:25 pm   #6
Richard_FM
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Default Re: NTSC Sets In The UK

Thanks for the feedback, I was hypothetically thinking what would be needed to get a picture & sound on an older NTSC set with only an aerial connection & might be fussy about an signal that wasn't a system M one.

The multi standard modulator I have can be set to output NTSC VHF channels & 4.5 MHz sound seperation, but I'm not sure if it needs a 60Hz composite source to work. I have at least 1 set that can display an NTSC input, so I'll have to try it out.
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Old 26th Mar 2019, 10:20 pm   #7
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Default Re: NTSC Sets In The UK

Multi-standard modulator will work with whatever source you feed it with - there are no system/standard dependent issues
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Old 30th Mar 2019, 8:03 pm   #8
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Default Re: NTSC Sets In The UK

Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard_FM View Post
Fortunately many recent devices can produce at least a 60Hz signal, but is the line count crucial. My DVD recorder has a selection of outputs down to 480 lines.

480 is the digital TV equivalent of 525 lines/ 60Hz, which I expect you have on the SCART output when 480 is selected.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/480i
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