Stevie P

Hi, I've tried searching for answers here but thought it best just to ask anyhow, so here goes.
Will my Apple TV and android Kodi boxes work in the states?
I also have an LG sound system for hooking up to a tv etc, will this work?
I mean work as in power up. Thanks.

steveq

Look on the rating plate. If it says 90-240V you should be OK.

Stevie P

Thanks I'll check them 👍

Pulaski

It should also say "50Hz-60Hz", and the "90v-240v" might be "100v-250v", but that is still OK.

Also many other electrical appliances, TV's, HiFi etc. also work on 110v and 230v, but curiously that is rarely true of kitchen appliances.

md95065

Not really curious at all.

Electronic equipment that, internally, operates at a low voltage will contain some kind of regulated DC power supply - typically this will be a fairly efficient switching power supply which can very easily be designed to work over a wide range of input voltages.

In contrast, kitchen appliances tend to include powerful heating elements or motors which are typically powered directly from the incoming mains voltage and which will have been designed and rated for a particular value.

mrken30

And electric toothbrushes are not dual voltage, but shavers are.

durham_lad

If the voltage is compatible as explained above your Apple TV box should work fine. Not sure about the Kodie box in terms of content. My Apple TV box works great in both countries but my Roku did not like having an overseas IP (not being in the USA) and the apps and content on it did not work well so I ended up ditching it once back in the U.K.

I was surprised to find some of my electronic devices were not dual voltage including the newest of the TVs and my Brother inkjet printer/scanner, but our 2 Laz-y-Boy electric recliner chairs were dual voltage.

uk_grenada

Not true of braun/oral b toothbrushes. Generally - if it has an inline transformer get the magnifying glass out and so ling as it says input - 110-240 volts or a wider range, you are fine, just get a physical adapter plug.

No inline transformer box but its a small power usage device [no heating, cooling, big motors involved] check its rating plate for the same info.

Otherwise dont risk it, buy a new one in your destination. In truth goung from 240 to 110 IN ERROR is likely to just have a sulking thing, but it can burn out and burn you out... The other way 110 to 220 is dangerous fullstop...

Nb the background is interesting, americans werent to be trusted with 220, far tooo dangerous for them, the result is things like flexible cables have to be twice as thick - quite dumb really.

iarnell

Some companies are known to be economical with the truth on those plates (yes, Sony, I'm looking at you). I have an old PS3 marked with 220-240v and was looking to replace the PSU when I moved - turns out it's an outright lie and works quite happily with 120v supply at 60Hz.

uk_grenada

Do not do this [ignore rating labels] unless you know what you doing - are an electrical engineer with a test kit, it is dangerous - possibly fatal...

iarnell

Oh, yeah. Don't mess with the mains! But for Brits moving to the US, if there's no motor or heating element involved, it's a lot safer to plug 240v gear into 120v sockets than going the other way.

Pulaski

In fairness I think it has more to do with the US having the world's first power distribution system connected to homes and so there was no experience as to what was "right" or "safe". Unfortunately there is now no practical way, with a country of 325 million people, to get from where we are today to a 230v system.
And yet US sockets are flimsy and US plugs are tiny things with bendy pins compared to solid piece of engineering, with massive brass pins that are the plugs used in Britain.

steveq

That's somewhat racist.

The US AC distribution system was the first (just) and certainly the most developed standards wise for many years. The Americans had standardised things like plugs and sockets, and switches years before the UK got round to even a standard voltage system - and I remember the mixing of outlets with Wirelex and modern 13 A systems, as well as DC.

Back at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century, who would have predicted electric appliances in every home, consuming several kW, demanding high voltages and lower currents ?

Its no different to the reason that the UK has a crap rail gauge, and continental freight has to be reloaded or won't fit through tunnels etc - not because of the stupidity of our engineers, but that we were the first ones.

tom169

Uk plugs are a great feat of design. No exposed wiring is ever live and it's hard for is to push stuff in the sockets.

I also prefer how the wires usually go down instead of out.

steveq

There are some 110 that go down too, usually moulded on, and not rewireable.

The UK 13 A system IS shuttered, which means it takes a fair effort to push back the shutters and push something in the live bits, so why they ever sell so-called kiddy proof outlet covers beats me.