HK Channels for US TV?

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Apr 2008
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    HK Channels for US TV?

    Hi,

    I know this has been covered in pieces but I haven't found a sufficient answer other than go to Sham Shiu Po and that didn't help neither.

    I'm trying to watch local HK tv. My bldg has the wall outlet but since my TVs are from the US, I don't have the same antenna input.

    I have two TVs...one has an RF input which I can plug in, but I believe because the signal is PAL I don't get audio and the channels are grey and aspect ratio thrown off.

    My other tv I can't even plug in because it only has SVideo, Component, Composite, and HDMI. No RF input, and I can't find a tv antenna that outputs to component.

    Anyone know of a way to watch on both or either of these TVs? I can't seem to find a PAL ---> NTSC Converter anywhere.

    Will plugging the local antenna into a DVD player work if I output it using composite, SVideo, or component cables? I'm afraid it'll still come out PAL. If it'll work, I'll buy a cheap dvd player at Broadway or Fortress. Thanks everyone!

    I can see Now TV but it doesn't broadcast local channels.


  2. #2

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    If a "TV" doesn't have an RF input then it isn't a TV it's a monitor.

    You need a device which has a PAL (or multi-standard) tuner in it to demodulate the RF signal and send it over a video output. DVD players don't generally have tuners in them. An old-fashioned video recorder would do the job; perhaps DVD recorders also exist with a tuner - that's not something I've ever looked for.

    The moral of the story is not to bring non-multi-standard TVs to Hong Kong (something that you would have been aware of had you read this forum before you came ).


  3. #3

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    It is a TV. Just doesn't have a tuner. Who uses RF anymore in the US anyway? Esp for HDTV. But you can also say it's a big monitor I suppose.

    Perhaps I will have to find an old used VCR somewhere, even though no one uses it in HK.

    And it didn't cost me anything to bring the tv over so it's not a big deal.


  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by Noodlesz:

    And it didn't cost me anything to bring the tv over so it's not a big deal.
    It is if it doesn't work though

  5. #5

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    I don't know why people can't just help. If you don't know then let it be.

    Find something better to do with your life than to look on Geoexpat and put in random comments which help no one.


  6. #6

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    Mar 2008
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    I think your only option is to buy a PAL to NTSC converter box. They aren't inexpensive. Here is one product listing from the web (click). I remember back in the 90's, I had a VHS player that could record PAL into NTSC and vice versa. But I don't think it could do it for live TV.

    Last edited by buckshot; 03-05-2008 at 12:22 PM.