| Import Hardware FAQ - by Jez Overton |
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The UK import scene has never been healthier. More and more games players are
realising the benefits of importing and are dipping their toe into the water for
the first time. If you are importing hardware from abroad, there are some
technical issues that you need to be aware of.
General
Q1. Why should I import?
This is a technical guide and as such is not the best place to answer this
question. If you want to know about the benefits of importing, read at our
feature here.
Q2. What are the technical issues I need to be aware of
when importing?
First off, you need to know that you can't just buy an electrical appliance off
the shelf from Japan or America and expect it work in the UK. There are
different power supplies and different television standards.
Secondly, you need to know that these barriers can overcome. Doing so is fairly
easy as long as you follow good advice.
Basically you will need a step down converter and a television or monitor that
will display an RGB (or in some cases an NTSC) signal. We’ll look at these step
by step.
Overcoming the Power Supply Issue
Q3. What is a step down converter?
In the UK, our mains electricity supply runs at 240 volts. In the US and Japan
it runs at 110 volts. This extra voltage means that if you plug an import
console straight into the mains, you will burn out the power supply or possibly
the console itself. Clearly, this would be a disaster.
To circumvent this, a step-down converter is plugged into the UK mains and then
your imported console plugs into the converter. The converter then "steps down"
the voltage from 240 volts to 110 volts. Converters are very reliable provided
you buy the right one for your console.
Q4. What issues are there with step down converters?
The Voltage is the simple part, but you also need to take into consideration the
power requirements of the console. This is measured in Watts.
In a nutshell, different electrical appliances require different amounts of
power. All UK appliances run on 240 volts, but a washing machine for example
will require a lot more "Watts" to run than say a clock radio.
As games consoles have become more complex, their power requirements have
increased. Each console has its own power requirement and will need to be
supplied by this amount of power in order to work. Step down converters have
power ratings too, ranging from something small like 20 Watts to industrial step
downs which can provide thousands of Watts.
It is important that the power rating of the step down at least matches the
power requirements of the console, so a 100 watt step down is the minimum
requirement for a 100 watt console. However, at NTSC-UK we strongly recommend
using a step down with a power rating of at least 30% higher than the power
required by the console. Nowadays, it is not worth buying a step down of less
than 50 watts.
Below is a table showing the minimum recommended power of the step down for
every console:
Console Power Recommendation (Watts, W, VA)
32/16/8 bit consoles (PSone, Super Famicon, etc) - 50 Watts
Dreamcast - 75 Watts
PS2 - 100 Watts
Gamecube - 100 Watts
X Box - 150 Watts
Some step downs have more than one output so that they can power more than one
appliance. These generally cost a little more, but can make good economic sense
and take up less room if you have more than one console. The power rating of the
stepdown must equal the total requirements of the consoles plugged into it e.g.
A PS2 and an X-Box drawing power from the same stepdown will require a power
rating of 250 watts if both consoles were switched on at the same time.
Q5. What happens if I use a step down with too low a
power rating?
The console will try to draw the amount of power it needs to run from the step
down. If it is not up to the task, the step down will blow and you will have to
replace it.
Q6. I have step-down and it's running hot. Is it okay?
All step-downs will generate a certain amount of heat, especially during long
periods. If it's hot to the touch it's usually okay, but if the plastic is
melting then you've got problems!
Q7. How come US and Japanese mains plugs have two pins
whereas we have three?
The two pin plugs are missing the earth. This is not important in a lot of
electrical devices anyway.
A step down will normally convert the three pins to two. If it doesn't, you will
also need a three to two pin adapter plug. These can be bought cheaply from most
electronic shops.
Q8. Can I use the converter the wrong way round and
send 500 volts through my console!?
This isn’t possible with a step down; they only work one way. There are step up
converters, but these tend to be more expensive and you would be unlikely to buy
one by mistake.
Q9. Where do I get a step-down from and how much do
they cost?
Import shops sell them as do electronic shops. Import shops will have a better
knowledge of the requirements of gamers and should sell you the right one. Try
www.videogameimports.com, an excellent UK supplier that stocks a couple of
different step downs.
The average price is £20, but expect to pay more for step-down's over 100 watts.
Q10. Instead of using a step down converter, can I just
plug in a UK power supply?
You can provided the console has an external power supply. This is important as
only Nintendo consoles tend to have external supplies. The PS2, PSone, X Box and
DC all have internal supplies with a simple power lead. Using a UK lead will
send 240 volts through the internal power supply blowing it to kingdom come and
most likely crippling the machine instead. Don’t do it.
Nintendo UK power supplies can be purchased directly from Nintendo. Their
telephone number is: 0870 6060 247. They cost around £25.
Note that some Asian countries have 240 volt mains power like the UK. A
PlayStation 2 purchased from Singapore for example will be a Japanese PS2 with a
240 volt internal power supply and can be plugged straight into the UK mains. Of
course, always double check first!
Overcoming the Television Issue
Q11. How do I run an import machine through my TV?
The most important thing to do first is to check that your TV can support 60 Hz.
All imported consoles refresh the screen at 60 Hz (60 times a second). In the
UK, the TV standard we use (called PAL) updates the screen 50 times a second.
Because UK TVs have not needed to display a 60 Hz picture, some do not support
it.
However, most modern UK TVs will support 60 Hz. The TV manual may tell you this,
but if you or a friend have a recent UK console like a Dreamcast, PS2, Xbox or
Gamecube then you can test the TV another way. With an Xbox, set the screen to
display in 60 Hz from the settings menu under display. With the other three
consoles, you will need a game that will display in 60 Hz. Not all do, but more
recent games generally tend to. If you have chosen a game that does, you will
see an option at the start of the game asking for either 50 Hz or 60 Hz. Select
60 Hz from the options.
Another way to test for 60 Hz is if you have a multi-region DVD player. Any
Region 1 DVD (US) or Region 3 (Japan) will play in 60 Hz.
If the picture is stable, then your TV supports 60 Hz. Do not be necessarily
concerned if the picture is black and white, if you use RGB this problem will be
overcome. If the picture ‘rolls’, then unfortunately the TV does not support
60hz. There is no way around this issue and you will have to use a different TV
that does support 60 Hz.
Provided the TV in question supports 60 Hz, the best solution to connect an
imported console to a TV is by using RGB. This is a universal standard which all
territories use, therefore bypassing any differences in television standards
between them.
Q12. What is RGB?
It's a high quality standard for sending visual information. Rather boringly, it
stands for Red, Green and Blue. More interestingly, it provides the best quality
picture for an interlaced (i.e. standard TV) screen. More information on
interlaced scanning and its opposite progressive scanning will follow in this
FAQ.
Provided the console can output RGB and your telly can support both RGB and a 60
Hz picture, you will see a full colour, full screen display from your imported
console.
Q13. How do I get my imported console to output RGB to
my TV?
All modern tellies will accept an RGB signal. If you're TV has a scart socket it
is almost bound to have RGB, but always check to make sure. Note that if your TV
has more than one scart input, it is likely that not all will support RGB, so if
one doesn’t then try another.
Assuming everything is okay, the final ingredient is an RGB Scart lead. Note
that the scart must be RGB to deliver an RGB image. Many scart leads are not RGB
and are merely composite which will give an inferior image and will possibly
show a black and white picture on your TV. Note that a lead with three phono
plugs into a scart block is a composite lead. All leads supplied with UK
consoles as standard are composite leads.
With the Dreamcast, Xbox and PS2 it is perfectly fine to use a UK RGB Scart lead
(either official or non-official). However, the UK RGB leads made for the UK
Gamecube will not work with imported Gamecubes. This is because their internal
electronics are slightly different. You will need a modified Import RGB lead.
Because these leads require special modifications, they tend to cost more at
around £45. On the more positive side, many consider the RGB image to be
superior to the UK console.
www.londonconsole.com
is an excellent site that can supply Modified RGB leads for imported Gamecubes.
Note that the PS2 requires RGB/Component to be selected from the video options
on the main menu to output RGB.
Q14. When is it not possible to use RGB?
Sometimes RGB is not available (or desirable from a cost point of view).
Firstly, some older consoles do not support RGB. The most recent console that
does not support RGB is the N64 (although an imported N64 can be modified to RGB.
This is a very worthwhile investment, see
www.londonconsole.com
if you are interested in this).
Secondly some consoles have a few specific games that do not support RGB. The
Dreamcast is the main culprit here, with a few games such as Giga Wing, Street
Fighter Zero 3, Street Fighter II X, Vampire Chronicles and Eternal Arcadia all
with RGB support removed.
Thirdly, RGB is supported in the UK through a socket called a Scart which is a
European standard. As a result, consoles released in the US and Japan do not
come with Scart leads. As these consoles often appear in the UK last, it can
take some time for an RGB Scart lead to become available. With the Xbox, it took
until the UK launch for an RGB Scart lead to become available. With the Gamecube,
it took almost six months for the modified RGB leads to appear on the scene.
Q15. What alternative is there to RGB to display an
image on a UK TV?
This is where things can get a little more complicated. The UK uses a television
system called PAL, the US and Japan uses a system called NTSC (this is why
imported consoles are often referred to as NTSC consoles). The two systems are
not compatible; an NTSC console will not work on a TV that only supports pure
PAL. However, there has been a cry from consumers in recent years for TV's to
support NTSC and manufacturers are now including NTSC in their UK TVs.
Q16. Will all modern TVs support NTSC?
Not quite. There are two versions of NTSC, one is referred to as NTSC 3.58 and
the other if NTSC 4.43. It is NTSC 3.58 that is required to run imported
consoles. Unfortunately in a perverse way, a lot of UK TVs that tout themselves
as NTSC compatible only support NTSC 4.43.
Q17. If I have a TV that supports NTSC 3.58 I can play
an import console without RGB?
Yes. All you need to do is decide how it is best to connect it.
The recommended connection is S-Video. If you do not have a TV with an S-Video
input at the front, most TV's with a second scart will take an S-Video input
through this. You'll need an S-Video to Scart adapter which can be picked up for
about £5 from shops like Comet. This can be the preferred option, as it stops
having wiring trailing round the front of the TV.
The next best connection is composite (yellow phono lead with a red and white
sound leads) and last of all in terms of quality is RF (The standard old aerial
lead). Note that with RF, the sound will be mono only.
Q18. My TV only displays a black and white picture?
Your telly doesn't support NTSC 3.58. If you are trying to connect using RGB,
then the lead you are using is not RGB. Try a proper RGB lead. If you are not
using RGB, read on.
Q19. How do I display an image on a telly that doesn’t
support supports NTSC 3.58 without RGB?
As always, your TV will need to support 60 Hz (See Question 11 of this FAQ).
If this is the case, you will need an image converter. You can either use an
NTSC to RGB converter or a NTSC to PAL-60 converter. This will give you a full
colour picture, but at a price. The conversion process takes some of the quality
off the picture, so that it can look blurry and the colours washed out. Some
people can't tell the difference whereas others think it looks awful. Some
converters are better than others.
Most of the time gamers use a converter as a stop gap solution. Some Capcom
titles on the Dreamcast have the RGB disabled, but most other Dreamcast games do
not. Some people with imported Dreamcast use the converter for Capcom games and
the superior RGB for everything else.
For new consoles where no RGB Scart lead is available, the converter is very
much only a temporary measure. Eventually an RGB Scart will be released and the
converter can be left to one side. This is what happened most recently with the
X-Box and Gamecube.
If you find the image is really unacceptable, the only solutions for displaying
the image through a TV is to either upgrade the TV to one that supports NTSC
3.58 or use RGB (if possible).
Q20. What is component?
Component is best described as the US and Japanese equivalent of RGB Scart. In
fact, it is different to RGB, but the picture quality is virtually identical.
The Gamecube, PS2 and X-Box can all be connected via component. Component leads
for these consoles are not sold in Europe and will have to be imported.
Component is often confused with composite, but they are different.
Composite is inferior.
Q21. Are there TVs with component connections in the
UK?
More and more are appearing, usually on more expensive sets. If your TV supports
component, you can simply plug a PS2, Gamecube or X-Box straight into the TV
using component leads. Some TVs will support a progressive scan image though the
component inputs only. If this is the case, it is worth investing in component
leads for your imported consoles (See question 30 in this FAQ X for more on
progressive scan).
Older consoles do not support component out of the box.
Q22. My TV hasn't got component. Can you get a
component to Scart converter?
Yes, but only proper studio equipment which is very, very expensive. You'd be
better off buying a new TV or use RGB instead.
Q23. What are the benefits of connecting an imported
console to a PC monitor?
PC Monitors display very high quality images. A true image on a monitor will
surpass an RGB image on a normal TV. The image is also progressive scan (see
Question 30 later in this FAQ).
Imported consoles are usually much easier to connect to monitors than their UK
cousins, so it is worth exploring this option.
Q24. How can I connect my imported console to a PC
monitor?
There are two methods. The first is by using a VGA converter, the other is a
direct connection. Direct connection is by far the better method.
VGA is the signal required by a standard PC monitor to display an image. There
are no conflicting standards.
Q25. What is a VGA converter?
A VGA converter will convert the standard image of the console (either composite
or s-video) to VGA. They can be purchased for most modern consoles from £20 to
£50. Redant are the main manufacturer of such converters.
As a conversion is taking place, a lot of image quality is lost. The result is
usually less than spectacular and far worse than RGB.
There are more expensive options such as the XRGB2 which costs around £200. The
results of these are much better, although a direct connection is still
preferred where possible.
Q26. How can I connect my imported console to a monitor
with a direct connection?
Each of the main four home consoles can be connected in different ways. The
results for every one are excellent.
Dreamcast
The Dreamcast had an official VGA box made for it by Sega, but there are third
party VGA boxes as well. The results are excellent, but not all games support
VGA. The back of the game boxes usually say if the game will support VGA.
Gamecube
A modified VGA lead is required. Only games that support progressive scan will
work and the game must be switched to progressive scan at start up (hold down
B). This means that early games like Super Monkey Ball and resident
Evil/Biohazard will not work.
Note that the dashboard will not display on a monitor using this method.
XBox
A modified VGA box is required. The best model at the time of writing is the
X2VGA which can be purchased from
www.x2vga.com . All imported XBox games support VGA. Some will even support
a high resolution on a PC monitor than they will on a TV.
PlayStation 2
Only games that support progressive scan will work, which at the moment is
limited to about a dozen including Socom and Tekken 4. There is no official VGA
solution for the PS2 at the moment and a device that takes a VGA image from the
PS2 via component connections will be required.
Q27. What is HDTV?
High Definition Television (HDTV) is a new TV standard that increases the
resolution of the standard TV image and gives much better picture. It's the
equivalent of increasing the resolution on your PC monitor.
Q28. Why are there no HDTV sets in UK shops?
The UK is way behind other parts of the world when it comes to HDTV and it will
be many years before we see HDTV images broadcast over satellite or cable
services. Until this happens, there will sadly be little market for it in the
UK, but some TVs especially plasma screens and projectors will usually support
HDTV images.
If you are lucky enough to have such a TV, you will need a component lead to
display a HDTV image.
Q29. Could I import a non-plasma HDTV?
The writer knows of no company that supplies non-plasma HDTV sets to the UK
market. Hardly surprising, considering their huge bulk would cost an enormous
amount in shipping costs if sent individually.
Q30. What is progressive scan?
Progressive scan can be output by some of the modern consoles. All XBox games
support progressive scan, most Gamecube and a few PS2 games also do. More detail
can be found in our TV guide here.
Basically, Progressive scan is the opposite of an interlaced picture.
Interlacing is the process carried out by the vast majority of TVs to display a
picture, each frame that is displayed is only half the image separated down the
screen. The second frame then displays the second image, like so:
Progressive scan works by producing the whole image in each frame:
Progressive scan can give a much better quality image than a standard interlace
picture.
The differences of progressive scan are very pronounced. Animation will appear
smoother and jagged lines will be smoothed out. The whole image will become much
clearer and writing in particularly with be easier to make out. On the whole,
the benefits are well worth it if you can get it, either using a VGA connection
(see question 23) or by connecting to a progressive scan TV.
Purchasing an Import Console
Q31. Where can I purchase an NTSC console from?
Consoles can be bought in the UK or from abroad. Buying in the UK is often more
expensive, but the chances of item being lost or damaged in transit is lessened
and returning a faulty item is easier. Many people buy a console from the UK but
buy their games from abroad, but the choice is yours.
Click here for a link to recommended suppliers of consoles and games.
Q32. What costs do I need to take into account?
The cost of a console itself plus a step down if you not already have one, the
cost of shipping, import tax (if bought from abroad) and any extra leads such as
RGB Scart leads.
Thus concludes our FAQ. If you have any questions, please feel welcome to search
for an answer or post a query on our Videogame Q&A forum.
This is preferred to sending us emails as then anyone with a similar query can
search the database the whole community can benefit from the advice. Signing up
the forums is free.
We hope that you found this FAQ useful and feel free to comment. The
aim is that it will dispel some of the inaccuracies about importing and if you
do decide to import, we trust that you will now do so with good advice behind
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