MikeUK

Yep

Most TV's are built using a switched mode power supply units, they run from 90v up to about 250v 50 to 60hz
I have run an older Tube SONY TV on 120v after my elaborate 120v to 240v setup died...
I thought why not? opened it up, I checked inside it was a SMPSU, (I know what I'm looking for)
So pluged it in, and it ran, but you do this at you own risk...

lins and Stef McLachlan

just buy a Power converter. Take it all with you. our desktop, I took it in for repair and the guy there just flicked a switch on the back and gave me a new canadian lead for it...works just fine. you can unlock DVd players, there are websites which will tell you what to do to enable a multi region scenario.
Why buy other things when you have good gear. the only thing that wont work on the Tv is the TV side of it...perfectly good to play DVds through and for gaming.
stef




[/QUOTE]

MikeUK

When you consider that most people now will use a set top box for either satelite or digital cable, and it'll be HDMI, then it will do that now without issue..

Very few will want to use the aerial connection

ccwestcliff

Hello everyone,

I found this thread very useful in the past weeks as we will move to Canada in a coupe of month and only a year ago I bought a nice KDL-EX503 that I would like to take with me.

After reading this thread I decided to send an email to Sony to ask if this unit has a switching power supply (100-240v 50/60Hz) and the answer to this precise question from Sony Support was "no, you can't use this TV in Canada and it doesn't have a switching power supply".

By chance I checked eBay (UK) today to have an idea for how much I could sell our Bravia in order to buy a new TV that supports 100-240v. To my big surprise I found a chap selling a power supply for this TV with high quality pictures and guess what? the label said 100-240v 50/60Hz. Since our Bravia is out of warranty since November I decided to remove the ca 12 screws and have a look inside to verify if our TV has the same power supply and (expected) surprise again, it has!!!

I have no idea why Sony support gave me the answer they did (can only suspect legal reasons) but it was crap however.

So if you are a Sony owner and your unit is out of warranty, I can only recommend to have a look for yourself (if you are familiar with screwdrivers and take precautions when opening your unit) and save yourself the hassle of selling your TV and buying a new one!

Best,
Chris

lins and Stef McLachlan

Hi
the power source is also easily overcome by purchasing a power adaptor, as stated in my previous post. Your Tv may work on alternative power, but it is very unlikey that you will get any Tv programmes through it as Canada ia on a completely different network and most TVs are not capable of that switch. You will still be able to use it as a screen for gaming or DVD playing.

you can pick up decent Tvs here for under $1000, some are really cheap during the sales. we brought over two TVs from the Uk, bought a couple of power adaptors and they play well for those purposes. then we just bought another Tv for receiving programmes.

we also brought our other electrics. my flat irons work just fine with a travel adapter. My hairdryer, however did not, until I realised that if I plugged it into my dryer socket, it worked just fine. dryers use same voltage as Uk so you do have that power in most homes, people just do not realise it. this is handy for me as my Iron also works in there
hope this helps
stef

pigfender

I've had an email conversation with Sony regarding my own TV that I want to bring with me. They stated:
They haven't told me what the "health and safety implications" might be.

Hmmm

kennykill

Right folks, I'm gonna put the kebash on this mother once and for all

I arrived here in Vancouver a few days ago and the main character of my post, my 46" Sony Bravia, arrives here in t-minus 13 days. If I do nothing else that day I'm gonna buy a Canadian power cord and plug the damn thing into the socket and finally end this debate!

All this mush about insurance too is doing my head in, what's a tow bar got to do with if my telly works or no

On the off-chance that a convertor is required to run the gear, does anybody know if I can expect my electricity bill to be higher? I assume that as it requires double the power to run it'll use up more electricity than a Canadian bought set?

MikeUK

Part 1 the only reference to the insurance thing that I have ever read referred to equipment need to meet the standard of an recognized standards body, it didn’t state which ones they were and although the local ones are CSA and UL, CE is also a standard body that is well known too, and everything sold in England should have that on it, the restriction is probably more directed at stuff from China which can arrive without any approval stamp or even bogus stamps.
Part 2 If you do run a transformer us may find that the appliance will consume on average about 20 -30% more depending on the efficiency of the transformer, however you may need to allow for a switch on surge when you pick that transformer, on old CRT’s I’d buy double the rating on the back of the device, I’m not sure you need to go that high with new LCD

pigfender

It shouldn't use a noticable amount more. It'll use the same power (Watts), it just needs to change the way it gets them. That's assuming it works of course!

Congrats on your arrival and let me know - I have only a few short weeks to make my own go/no-go decision on my tv.

MikeUK

For simple safety, use a power block with a switch and a fuse!

pigfender

MikeUK is right - if you end up needing an external transformer you will get a slight bump in draw due to inefficiencies in the transfer from 110v to 220v. (lost as the iron core heats up)

kennykill

Iron core!? Now your getting technical

Doesn't sound like the bill will be too high though which is good.

rivingtonpike

All I can tell you is that our UK TV (a Polaroid of all things!) is sitting in the kids' playroom, with a Canadian plug on it, working just fine - along with a UK DVD player which is also just plugged into a regular plug socket. For our main family room we bought a Canadian LG 42" LCD TV for about $550. Many more things work here than you might imagine. Our Dyson, for example, will work - albeit at a reduced power - by just plugging it into the normal wall socket; fine if you just want to scoop up a few crumbs without getting transformers out.

I still subscribe to the same mantra: if it's not nailed down and it "might" work - bring it!

kennykill

Alright folks, it's time to put a cap in the ass of this discussion!

The center character of the piece, aka the Bravia 46' tv, arrived in Vancouver yesterday morning after an uneventful atlantic crossing along with the rest of my kit. After unpacking it, I stuck the lead into the back of it, put a Canada adaptor plug on the plug and stuck it into the wall and pressed the power button.

And what happened you all ask, well the same thing that has always happened when I've pressed the power button on it. Fired up without a flinch, and no dimming of the sitting room lights either before you ask! It works perfectly fine, and I even checked the back for the old 110~220 label to which I only found a 220 label!

So in finishing, yes the tv works fine and no need for convertors. My recommendation to anybody else wondering whether or not to bring such things from the UK, I would say yes do! I would have a great telly sitting in storage at home or sold at a cut price for no reason if I didn't bring it. To add to it, I bought some new furniture and got a free 39" LCD to go in the bedroom! Altogether a very productive move!!

GandH

Glad to hear that all your stuff arrived in one piece. You have now put our minds at rest as we were having the same thoughts as you regarding plugging a Sony Bravia into a 110v outlet with only a 220v sticker on the back of it.

Cheers for being the guinea pig