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Moving to Japan, will my TV work? (1 Viewer)

KurtE

Auditioning
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Mar 4, 2000
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I will soon be moving overseas, to Japan, and I'm debating whether or not I should bring my 43-inch projection TV with me (It's a Toshiba 43AX60). It's an analog TV, but it is only a year old, and TV's of this size and greater are prohibitively (for me) expensive to buy new in Japan (at the moment). Bringing it plus its stand will only add about $500 to my moving bill, so I'm leaning towards taking it.

However, how do I know if it will work in Japan, or what other steps or hassles are involved in getting it to work? Are there anyone ex-pats currently living in Japan (or elsewhere) with some insight? The Toshiba manual doesn't mention anything.
 

Stevie B

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Jun 5, 2001
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I do not think it will work. I believe Japan runs on a different power system not 120V 60Hz like here at home. It might be 100V 50Hz or it might be 220. Second, Japan has more scan lines per frame in their broadcasts. You might be able to buy a box to convert it but I'm not sure. The power might be your biggest obstacle.
 

Jeff Leeds

Stunt Coordinator
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Aug 10, 1999
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131
No way, leave you set at home. The power is different and they are PAL or some other standard. Plus, the sets there are far more advanced, at least two years ahead of what we've got.
 

KurtE

Auditioning
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Mar 4, 2000
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Thanks for the replies so far. Would still love to hear from anyone who might have tried (successfully) to take their TV overseas, especially from the US to Japan as I'm thinking about.

Having done some web searching, this is what I've found out so far:

--Both US and Japan are on the NTSC M standard.

--There is a difference in electricity, US is 120V, 60hz; Tokyo (where I will be living) is 100V, 50hz. However, this can be probably be "solved" by buying a transformer.

--Because Japan assigns channels differently than the US, you can't just plug the TV in and watch through a regular antenna; you need to have your tv hooked up via an S-Video connection through a VCR or satellite receiver. This would be how I would want to use the TV anyway, so no problem here.

One thing I'm not clear on, however, is the scan line issue that Stevie mentioned. I found one reference to "Japan television has a different frequency range"; I don't know if we're talking about the same thing here, or if this problem would be solved by using the S-video connection.

Lastly, on Japanese-language discussion boards related to foreigners living in Japan (most definitely non-technical), other posters have indicated that they have brought over their TV's and by using a transformer and connecting through a VCR, they've experienced no problems. However, I would love to hear from folks in this forum on their opinions or experiences.

I realize US technology is behind the times (with mobile phones it's a joke!), but I simply won't be able to afford a new Japanese-bought TV (of this same size) for quite a while, so if there's a way to have this TV work over there for another couple of years or so, I would love to bring it.
 

Jeff Kleist

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Dec 4, 1999
Messages
11,266
The only difference between Japan NTSC and the US is that Japan sets their IRE value (basically the bottom of the black scale) at 0 and the US at 7. As someone who has used tons of gear direct from Japan, it will work.
And yes, you need a transformer, and they do use a different band so you will need a Japanese VCR to act as a tuner to watch TV. Other than that you should be fine. Most US shows are shown with the original language, or at least with English on the 2nd Audio track. Japanese TV is great though, so I'm sure you'll have fun watching the game shows :)
Now the real question. How do you plan on getting it into a Japanese apartment? :)
 

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