ARCHIVED FORUM -- March 2012 to February 2022READ ONLY FORUM
This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
The family and I just moved to the US and I wanted to check whether the BV7 will work on a US power supply. I've pasted a photograph below. My initial idea was to just get a UK to US voltage adaptor so that I can also run a few other things (a UK video player, Super Nintendo and my Mac) all off the same power strip rather than have half a dozen plugs with region adaptors. I suppose the questions are:
I suppose I should have eBay'd a lot more before I left but time was a bit short and I was using this until the day we left as a monitor for the computer in my living room.
Hi Calvin
Yes you only need a step up transformer from 110 to 220 volt. No issue with the frequency 60 Hz. The system is designed for 50 to 60 Hz. However the DVD player is locked to region 2, so you have to contact a dealer to have the DVD unlocked or changed to region 1. the CTV section support PAL-Secam and NTSC. You will need a STB box for TV signal as the signal is ASTC, which you connect to the input socket of the BV 7. BS Centory only need a stup up transformer from 110 to 220 volt.
Brgds/fritz
Great stuff. So the broadcast TV here needs a digibox the same as the UK? I suppose I'll see how desperate we are for that. It's more of a computer/media monitor so I might just see if we can stream PBS/news from Chrome like most the the rest of the things we watch.
Not to bothered about the DVD player being region locked, it's just that there's a case of DVDs that got packed up when I stuck a lot of my stuff into storage a few months ago prior to the move and it would be nice to be able to watch them still. And I'm guessing the SNES, MacPro and VCR will just think they're in the UK still so no problem there.
I'll make sure to ask about how much you can load on these power convertors, I guess I might look to getting a pricier one for the living room. The BV7 has two hefty fans so I'm guessing it pulls a good 3-400 Watts and the MacPro must be the same again when it's doing something hefty like video processing.
Of course if the kids were a bit older I would just buy a newer TV here. There was a thread a few months ago about pets+kids where I explained how my 1 year old precludes me from buying a new one for a few years. Grrr.
If I may recommend, please look at the TODD System voltage transformers. One thing to keep in mind on the transformers is to buy one with more watts than the equipment you connect it to.
Buying a cheap and under power transformer will hurt your unit.
I recently imported a Loewe TV to US and I am using 1000W TODD system transformer. No issues whatsoever. Link is here..
https://www.adaptelec.com/Step-Up-Transformers
Best
Good shout, thanks so much! I went down to the local hardware shop and got a basic 50W one for my kitchen sound. I'll get that TODD system you recommend for the living room. Always best to take stuff like this o nrecommendation.
Just thought I'd post to say that it arrived regular post in just 1 day and it works great. A bit industrial looking but to me that means says "reliable and well made" - I'd hate if it looked plasticy like something you'd find down the value store - plus it's hidden from view anyway.
Just this morning I had a scare though, the volume on the BV kept decreasing to zero, it wasn't the Beo4, and I thought "damnit, I've just spent a load of money on this rather than a new TV, only for the TV to break" Then I discovered my BeoTime (flute style alarm clock / remote) had been moved into the room by my toddler and he was the one holding the button to decrease the volume!
The one thing that annoys me is that I forgot to bring any SCART cables to plug the VCR in. For years (like everyone in the western world) I kept a spare couple in the back of a drawer and I'll be damned if after all that I have to spend money buying one! I'll go without for a while and see if I see any being thrown out on the street with an old tv.
Re: the SCART cable, you might need to end up buying one - I could be wrong but I'm 99% sure SCART is/was a European thing so it's unlikely you'll find one thrown out