Will an American tv work in Australia with a transformer?

Answer 1

While some North American televisions will work in Australia, not all of them will. There are a number of factors to be considered.

First, the television will need to run on a 230V supply instead of 115V in North America. Many televisions will handle any voltage from 100V to 260V at 50 to 60Hz. If it is rated for just 110V, a transformer can work but is not ideal. You should be aware that consumer-grade Transformers (voltage converters) are not intended to be used continuously for long periods of time.

Second, Australia uses 50Hz PAL and 50Hz HD whereas US video is 60Hz and NTSC encoded. Many modern televisions will handle either 50 or 60Hz and when displaying SD signals will decode PAL or NTSC signals. Not all displays have this capability and there is no low cost way to satisfactorily convert 50Hz signals to 60Hz. The manufacturer will be able to confirm its capabilities or look in the specification for signal handling that includes: PAL, 576i 50Hz, 1080i 50Hz, 720p 50Hz, 1080p 50Hz and 1080p 25hz. If it handles these signals, it should operate with Australian signals.

Finally, the terrestrial tuner is likely to operate at different frequencies so you may need to use a separate terrestrial cable or satellite receiver to receive off air signals.

Before investing, be sure that each of the point are covered. It could be an expensive investment if you get caught out with incompatible signals.