British computer use in the USA?

[geoffm3]

Originally Posted by Tupin

What I was actually considering doing was just getting a VGA to composite cable, modding the Spectrum for composite video, and plugging it directly into the monitor using the adapter cable. It can run in 50Hz and I'm pretty sure it can auto-detect PAL and will switch to PAL mode and give me color.

There are no direct composite video to VGA cables. There has to be some signal processing since the signal is completely different. Composite has the color signals mixed together with the luminance and sync (hence the name). Also, Composite NTSC uses 15kHz horizontal sync, which is half the lowest acceptable sync rate for most VGA monitors.

I have seen converter boxes that have TV tuners built-in that will allow you to watch TV or a composite signal on a VGA monitor before. The quality of the one I saw was not very good, but it was also only around $100. Some of those may have a PAL compatibility mode.

[Tupin]

Well, then I guess I'm getting a PAL converter to go with my cable. Unless I can find a compatible TV.

[carlsson]

Over here, most quality brand TV sets made in the last 5 years or so can display NTSC composite video in colour. I've heard the opposite it is far less common, but it may be feasible to find a working TV. Sometimes you can even find a 10 year old TV with this ability, but it would seem to be a matter of brand.

[geoffm3]

Originally Posted by carlsson

Over here, most quality brand TV sets made in the last 5 years or so can display NTSC composite video in colour. I've heard the opposite it is far less common, but it may be feasible to find a working TV. Sometimes you can even find a 10 year old TV with this ability, but it would seem to be a matter of brand.

I've never seen one sold over here that has a PAL compatibility mode, although I have seen VHS VCRs sold at the end which had PAL media compatibility.

OP, if you can't find a reasonably priced converter, I would suggest looking into a video capture/TV tuner card. Most of those I've seen do support PAL.

EDIT: can->can't

[carlsson]

Perhaps you have no quality brands in the USA? *hides* Usually the ability to receive an NTSC video signal is not advertised even in the manual, it is something you will have to discover yourself.

[Tupin]

Most modern TVs (made in the last 2-3 years or so) have both of these features, while older ones don't. It also depends on the brand. Some "store-brand" TVs that you would buy at a store like Best Buy, such as Insignia, have 60Hz only and 120v only. That TV is from 2007, and I have another one by Magnavox that has both, 50/60Hz and 100-240v. The Magnavox is actually broken, but it's a bad capacitor on the power supply, which I can replace easily.

Having 50Hz compatibility AND an operating toleration of up to 240v, wouldn't that mean it could technically work in PAL mode?

[FishFinger]

50Hz and PAL generally go together, but they're not necessarily the same thing. PAL is the method of encoding the colour information onto the signal, and is independent of the refresh frequency. So the TV handling 50Hz doesn't automatically mean it can do PAL too.

Most TVs made within the last 10 years or so can probably support both 50 and 60Hz, but it's pretty hit and miss whether they can do both NTSC and PAL. The only TV I have that will actually show NTSC in colour is a cheap portable. The other (newer and better) TVs I have will all handle 60Hz, but won't do NTSC colour, so they only show it in black and white.

[geoffm3]

Originally Posted by Tupin

Most modern TVs (made in the last 2-3 years or so) have both of these features, while older ones don't. It also depends on the brand. Some "store-brand" TVs that you would buy at a store like Best Buy, such as Insignia, have 60Hz only and 120v only. That TV is from 2007, and I have another one by Magnavox that has both, 50/60Hz and 100-240v. The Magnavox is actually broken, but it's a bad capacitor on the power supply, which I can replace easily.

Having 50Hz compatibility AND an operating toleration of up to 240v, wouldn't that mean it could technically work in PAL mode?

The TV power supply may work on those input voltages and frequencies, but that has little to do with decoding the color information in a PAL signal. The TV will operate but will only decode NTSC, unless it also has a PAL compatibility mode.

Maybe things have changed since I worked at a store selling TVs, but I doubt it. We bought an LG 47" TV (a "quality" brand ) in 2006 and it doesn't have a PAL mode.

[Tupin]

I guess I'll have to get a switcher, unless by some miracle the TV I'm looking to use has the ever-so-elusive hidden PAL mode.

[Tupin]

Does anyone know where I can buy a ZX Spectrum for a reasonable price? For being Britain's best selling home computer ever, it sure is hard to find it, even on ebay.co.uk.

I could actually just buy one without a power supply, and get a variable power supply in America. That is ideally all I would need. But I might need to get an NTSC to PAL converter.