[sci.electronics] U.S. TVs and VCRs in Britain...will it work?

adnan@sgtech.UUCP (Adnan Yaqub) (05/26/89)

A friend of mine is planning to tap into a large source of American
teaching videos by purchasing a U.S. TV and VCR plus a step down
transformer.  Will a TV and VCR designed for 60 Hz work at 50?

Thanks
--
Adnan Yaqub
Star Gate Technologies, 29300 Aurora Rd., Solon, OH, USA, +1 216 349 1860
...uunet!abvax!sgtech!adnan

wiz@xroads.UUCP (Mike Carter) (05/27/89)

Adnan Yaqub:
 
The only thing you would need after purchasing a US T.V + VCR is 
a power supply that DOES supply 60HZ.
Why?
Because the Vertical Sync uses it.
Without it, your screen would be totally intelligible.
 
	-Mike

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flash@lopez.UUCP (Gary Bourgois) (05/27/89)

From article <ADNAN.89May25222752@sgtech.UUCP>, by adnan@sgtech.UUCP (Adnan Yaqub):
>   Will a TV and VCR designed for 60 Hz work at 50?
> 
Yes, so long as you do not try to use it to RECEIVE british programming or
play British tapes.  It will reproduce playback images just fine.  The
speed of the videotape is determined by servo circuitry, which runs on dc.
The only problems that have been encountered is that the CLOCKS on some of
the older machines ran slow.

HOWEVER, in addition to taking the line freq into account, you should be
using an ADEQUATE step down transformer.  Select one that is OVER RATED for
the load, because it will run slightly hotter at a lower frequency.  I have
a friend in Hamburg with whom I have been exchanging personal videotapes
for ten years now.  He purchased a fairly hefty step down transformer in
Czechoslovakia, which he uses to run a lot of NTSC video equipment.  The 50
hz situation has never caused any problem.


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