Japanese Electronics

[aswedc]

My PS3 came from Japan today

Found this on the web:

United States 120V 60Hz
Japan 100V 50Hz,
100V 60Hz

Do I need an adaptor?

 

[Injury]

Don't know, but usually you need an adaptor or a power brick from the American system to get it to run right.

 

[Vegitto]

You probably need an adapter, yeah.

Maybe a PS2 one will work .

 

[aswedc]

The power brick is internal...the cable to the outlet looks identical to the standard PC power cable. Maybe I need a third party product? Can anyone recommend something?

 

[Vegitto]

Maybe it'll just work.. I don't know.. It seems logical for it to be a converter, otherwise they'd need like 8 different versions. They don't make entire different machines for PAL and NTSC markets, do they? It's just firmware.

 

[aswedc]

You're right, plugged it in and it's fine. Thanks

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: Vegitto
Maybe it'll just work.. I don't know.. It seems logical for it to be a converter, otherwise they'd need like 8 different versions. They don't make entire different machines for PAL and NTSC markets, do they? It's just firmware.

Typically, this is extremely bad advice. However, the US/Japan do use the same plugs, with the difference being that the US uses 120v for many devices vs. the Japanese using 100v for many of their devices.

If you want to be safe, you might want to buy a step down transformer for the device that converts 120v to 100v. I'm not sure of the tolerance of the machine, or what may happen if you have a spike in the line. The problem with this is actually finding a store that carries it.

 

[Gibson486]

The plugs look the same, but they are not. My advice? Go to an elelctronics store and buy a stepdown converter. As much as I hate radioshack, that is probably the simplist place to go that will sell everything you need in one package.

 

[Injury]

Originally posted by: Vegitto
Maybe it'll just work.. I don't know.. It seems logical for it to be a converter, otherwise they'd need like 8 different versions. They don't make entire different machines for PAL and NTSC markets, do they? It's just firmware.

Yeah, but I'd figure that much like PCs have that little red switch on the back to go from 120 to 240, I'd think that some consoles have something similar on the inside, whether it's a lead/trace in one place rather than another, or a completely different power supply board altogether.

If there were no difference among the models besides firmware, then why would it take so long to release consoles in Japan to US to UK?

 

[mcvickj]

I thought Sony just raked some company over the coals for selling their equipment in markets where it has not yet been released? Will this unit be able to play US released games? It must have cost you a small fortune to get that PS3 shipped 2 days after release. During a weekend no less.

 

[Phokus]

ebay it now and profit

 

[Shaotai]

Originally posted by: aswedc
My PS3 came from Japan today

Found this on the web:

United States 120V 60Hz
Japan 100V 50Hz,
100V 60Hz

Do I need an adaptor?

If you look on the bottom of the PS3, it should tell you what it accepts.
It should be able to run just fine.
Usually it says 100-220v, 50Hz-60Hz, meaning it's universal.

Read off what it says at the bottom of the unit...

 

[kami333]

If it only reads 100V 50/60Hz it will probably work ok, but why risk it in the long run.

My family and our friends have a lot of electronics from Japan and it's usually ok but there is the oddball appliance that will refuse to work (like my dad's old word processor). I've been using my Sega Saturn and Dreamcast fine for the past 5+ years but a PS3 is a lot more complicated so it might have lower tolerances.

Japan is both 50Hz and 60Hz, just depends on what region you are in.

 

[aswedc]

Originally posted by: mcvickj
I thought Sony just raked some company over the coals for selling their equipment in markets where it has not yet been released? Will this unit be able to play US released games? It must have cost you a small fortune to get that PS3 shipped 2 days after release. During a weekend no less.

Yeah, Lik Sang. That whole thing was kinda strange. In any event, it was Sony Europe, so imports to the US are still running fine from a bunch of places.

The PS3 is region free, and Japan is in the same Blu-Ray region as the US, so I'll have no problems with games or movies.

Yes, it costed a small fortune, but the profit from selling my US PS3 reserve made the system and importing it almost free (Flame away capitalism haters).

I'll look for a 120v to 100v step down converter. Thanks for the answers.