Foreign Video game Machines on Irish TVs

CCCP^

Hellew,

I'm abroad right now and I've purchased a few video game machines. I understand that if I were to bring them back home, voltage would be an issue, but you can just get a transformer. But what about the TV issue? Some machines need an american/european TV to work, is that right? So what I'm really wondering is, do I need to hump my tv from Canada back to Ireland when I go? Thanks for any help.

po0k

Depending on the connections and the TV, you should be able to do it.
US/Canadian/Jap TV is NTSC (or a derivative) at 60Hz.
Most of Europe uses PAL 50Hz (60Hz exists too afair), but alot of modern TVs should be able to display 60Hz NTSC signals.

Probably more information than you need, but worth reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NTSC
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PAL

CiDeRmAn

Make sure the step down, the device to take the 220v we have here and drops it to the 110 the US and jap machines can take, make sure that the wattage it can handle is enough for what ever you plan to plug into it.
I bought a Gamecube at launch and I got a pretty standard stepdown convertor, which tried to turn itself into a puddle of plastic and live wires in a couple of hours of being plugged in because the machine was trying to draw on more power than the stepdown was rated for, generating heat.

Also most TVs can handle the signal, pretty much all flat screens will do it.
Otherwise a PAL to NTSC convertor can be bought from Maplins, should cost around 50/60 yo-yos.

CCCP^

Excellente, much appreciated!