Does Elgato works with cable tv in Brazil?

Answer

If you can buy the unit at an electronics store in Brazil, it will likely work there. However, the unit sold in North America would not work with your cable TV in Brazil. The standard definition television broadcast in the US and Canada is a format called NTSC (National Television System Committee) while the standard definition signal in Brazil is PAL (Phase Alternating Line). In NTSC, 30 frames are transmitted each second (actually 29.98) and each frame has 525 scan lines. PAL transmits 25 frames per second with 625 scan lines. Naturally then, the world couldn't agree on one HDTV standard either. In fact, there are at least 4. In North America the standard is called ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee). In Japan the standard is called ISDB (Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting). Brazil uses a derivative of this system called ISDB-T. Ironically, once the video is recorded, it is converted to Quicktime MP4 (H.264) which is used pretty much everywhere. Now, as I say, Elgato MIGHT produce a model of the EyeTV HD Recorder just for the ISDB market, but as far as I know they do not. You would have to get in touch and ask them directly.

• Answered by Shirley F from Port Colborne
• Aug 19, 2011
• Flag as inappropriate