Would I be safe in assuming that the Monitor interface is independant. ie same for 82163A and 82163B.
The monitor interface is most likely before the RF(TV) output. So they would not be the same on both units. PAL is PAL either composite or RF.
NTSC is 30fps or 60 fields per second. PAL is 25fps or 50 fields per second.
Also here in Aus most older TV's came with NTSC and PAL inputs, was this the case in the USA as well.
No this was not the case with consumer TV's. Atleast I never came across any. The only NTSC/PAL "monitors"(not TVs) that I saw was when I worked in the broadcast/industrial video business. Mainly VERY expensive monitors in studio control rooms and editing suites. Even these were rare to say the least.
I think your "B" model is PAL only and will have very limited use in the USA.
I am not an expert concering HP's different models of this unit though. If anybody can contradict my conclusions on this please do.
I just thought of something when proofing this message Comodore made some NTSC/PAL "monitors". I remember being able to run some PAL programs on my Amiga A1000/A2000 computer. But that was a long long time ago in a far away land...
Chris