Where to buy PAL to NTSC converter in Bangalore, India
Did you recently move from USA or other countries to India and brought NTSC TV or other video devices that do not support PAL format? I am sharing my experience in buying a PAL to NTSC converter in Bangalore, India.
When we moved from USA to India permanently, we decided to bring all of our electronics devices. Most of the electronic devices like TV, Camcoder etc were used, but we bought a few new devices as well. We were very aware of the NTSC - Pal incompatibility issues we are going to face in India, but we thought we can deal with it easily.NTSC Pal Compatibility issues for electronic items from USA to India
NTSC is the standard in USA, where as in India, the standard is PAL. The digital transmission in India is in PAL format. If you bring an NTSC TV from USA to India, it will not work with the cable providers in India without using a converter. Period. It will not work.
When I purchased the new TV from USA to bring to India, I heard from various sources that NTSC - PAL incompatibility is history and modern setup boxes provided by cable TV operators like Tata Sky, Dish network etc will work anywhere and on any devices. I was very optimistic and bought all NTSC devices from USA. And to be on the safer side, I brought one Atlona PAL NTSC converter as well.
After coming here and getting the Cable TV subscription from Tata Sky, I learnt few things:
1. My assumption of "somehow" we can make it work was wrong. Tata Sky people connected the setup box and left the home saying your TV does not work with PAL system.
2. The Atlona converter I brought from USA was dead and useless.
So, I decided to start shopping for a PAL to NTSC converter in Bangalore. Before
too long, I learnt it is not easy to buy one in India. I asked many people and checked with many shops. No one have any idea where to buy a converter in Bangalore. Learn more about where to buy PAL to NTSC converter in Bangalore, India.
I found an online shop which sells NTSC Pal converter in Mumbai. They do ship to other parts of the country as well. I called them and they confirmed they can ship to Bangalore. However, I felt the price is pretty high. They said it costs Rs 7900. But the primary reason I decided to continue the search was, I have no clue if the product they sell are reliable.(Someone just adviced me that this unit has no HDMI input. It has only composite video input and HDMI output. It may still work as a converter, but it may not be the best choice)
Based on some recommendations from the Tata Sky technician, I decided to give a try in S.P Road in Bangalore. I have heard from few others also that in S.P. Road, you can buy any foreign brands there.
Today or tomorrow, I will visit S.P. Road and share my experience.Where to buy a PAL to NTSC converter in Bangalore, India
Today I went to SP Road looking for a PAL to NTSC converter to make my US made TVs work with the cable TV providers in India. I heard from many people that all electronic devices will be available in SP Road in Bangalore.
After some confusion, I finally managed to reach SP Road. It is a very crowded place with 100s of electronic shops. I asked several shops and no one had the converter I was looking for. After spending more than 2 hours walking from shop to shop, I heard from couple of shops that it is available in a shop called "Pankaj Electronics" in the same Road. I finally located that small shop, which was in the entrance of the SP Road itself.
They had PAL to NTSC converter in stock. But it was a very small and dirty piece. It did not have any HDMI cable options, meaning I will not be able to take advantage of the High Definition display of my latest 3D enabled, 55" LED TV. After spending so much money for the TV, it will be ridiculous to watch low clarity video on it. Moreover, this converter did not look like a good quality product. It just had a power cable and a single cable composite input/output. The price of this Pal to Ntsc converter is Rs 7500.
I was not satisfied with this converter. So, I gave up on them and continued my search in several more shops in SP road. Many more shops suggested Pankaj Electronics and said there are no other shops which carry such products.
If you like to buy a Pal to NTSC converter in Bangalore, you may contact Pankaj Electronics at SP Road. This is a small shop on the ground floor and is located on 3rd building on the left side when you enter the SP road.
Phone Number of Pankaj Electronics: 9341215140
I gave and decided to go back home. While going back, I made a last attempt in another store. They told me they can get me the item within 30 minutes if I pay an advance right away. I can't see the product before I buy it since he has to get it from elsewhere. According to the shop owner, this is an imported product with HDMI and USB options. (I am not sure about the purpose of a USB in a Pal to NTSC converter.) The price of the Pal to NTSC converter in this store was Rs 12,500. I decided not to buy since he can't even get the product to show me until I pay the money. If you are interested in buying this, you can call them and get more details: Phone (Vaisal): 080 22220697
I did not get a converter in SP Road or anywhere else in Bangalore after spending a full day shopping on the roads and online. I decided to try to bring a good one from USA which would cost about $200, but atleast I can trust the quality.
(I could have rather bought the converter from the Mumbai shop I mentioned above. I decided to try in SP Road because I thought the price in Mumbai shop was pretty high. But what I learnt today after spending Rs 300 to a traffic policeman for red-light violation, another Rs 450 in a restaurant and spoling my 1 day was that it was worth buying from the Mumbai shop!)
Conclusion
You cannot buy a reliable, high quality Pal to NTSC converter in Bangalore or anywhere in India. If you bring a TV from USA, bring one or 2 converters too. It is worth keeping a backup unit instead of wasting your time looking for it in India. Or, if you have an extra unit, you can sell it to people like me!
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This is absolutely what I was looking for when searched to locate a converter in Bangalore. Just like you, I also moved recently and on the same boat. Luckily one of my store brand LED TVs works and the brand name TV does not.
Any luck locating a working converter so far?