I am an Ex-Pat living in London for a year and would like to buy a
television.  The question is will the television work if I bring it
back to the United States?  I understand that the power supply is
different and I will need a transformer, which shouldn't be a problem.
 Is there anything else I need to know, such as is the actual TV
signal different? Thanks!

---

Clarification of Question by televisions-ga on 02 Jan 2005 08:47 PST

Also, I am looking at buying a plasma TV, specifically the Pioneer
PDP-435FDE.  This TV has an external tuner, which I could possibly
switch with another one in the future.  Thanks.

The television system used by broadcasters in the United Kingdom is
known as "PAL", and is based on a transmission system of 25 frames per
second/50Hertz. The US transmission system, known as "NTSC" is based
on 30frames per second/60Hertz. The systems are incompatible, so that
a TV set bought in the UK is unlikely to work in the US.

You do have the option of purchasing a TV that will process and
display both NTSC and PAL.  I can't say whether this would an
economical option for you, but it is something you might want to
consider:

"So can you play a PAL VHS, DVD or laserdisc on an NTSC TV? The answer
is no. TVs are either NTSC capable, PAL capable or both.
Unfortunately, nearly every TV in the United States is NTSC only. If
you live in a country where PAL is the standard you can generally get
a TV that is capable of both PAL and NTSC native playback."

The Electronic Company: PAL/NTSC/SECAM FAQ
http://www.theelectroniccompany.com/pal_NTSC_FAQ.htm