[maggiecu]

I have an opportunity to buy a Benq LCD tv from a good friend who has had it since November of last year. It's a great deal but how do I know whether it will work in the U.S.? What should I look for? And would a standard converter solve all my problems?

[KnowItAll]

Model number?

Many LCD Tvs have external power supplies and most of the models sold outside the US are multisystem.

[Sleuth]

Usually it will say on the TV what voltage it will accept. It needs to accept 110 V to be used back in the USA. I have heard conflicting stories on the life span of appliances hooked to a converter. Not sure if it has to do with the quality of the converter or not.

[discobay]

You need to confirm that the LCD tv is multi-system. The US use the NTSC broadcast format. We and the UK (amongst others) use PAL.

[KnowItAll]

Most LCD TVs have an external power supply which can be replaced easily (similar to a notebook or LCD monitor)

[maggiecu]

Thanks a million for your replies. They are exactly what I needed to know

[lowlight]

The TV itself need not be multisystem; only the tuner does. In many cases, the tuner can be replaced.

Read the back to see what input voltage it requires. Most of them are multi voltage (110-240v) so you should be OK.

Most likely, you will be able to use the TV, but not with regular from the wall cable. I'm sure this is fine though, because your TV's capabilities are far beyond wall cable. Get HDTV via satellite or digital cable, both of which require an external tuner, so will bypass your PAL tuner.

Hope that makes sense

[nemrac]

HK uses PAL system, but some LCD TV support both PAL and NTSC, so better check with the shop first.

[lowlight]

As I've said, ALL LCD TV's support NTSC and PAL resolutions. It's the tuner in them that you need to be worried about. But if you're using an external tuner (as you very well should be if you have a good TV) then it's irrelevant anyway.