Is it common in the EU and/or Russia to have multiple standard TV sets?
Like, if I buy my XBox 360 before I leave, will I be able to buy a TV in Russia that I can use it on, preferrably HD? A TV in Europe? I know they’re PAL, and Russia is some PAL variant now, but didn’t they used to be dual-standard, PAL and NTSC?
Practically all European TV sets that you can buy today support both PAL and NTSC, and HD TVs have also started to appear in larger numbers. I don’t have the first clue about Russia specifically, though.
keywords: multisystem HDTV
extra keywords: russian mafia economy
translation: You can get whatever luxury item you want in Russia, but for a price. Better to buy it here and ship it with your household goods.
What Christoph said.
Europe: Easy (but somewhat expensive compared to the US)
Russia: No idea…
I do know, that when Sony announced the closing/consolidation of their CRT factories the reason was, that there was no point in selling CRTs in western Europe anymore, when 90% of the market was high end HD-ready flatscreens, but they would keep one factory to service the Eastern European market.
Which shows, that they’re behind Western Europe in terms of tech.
[QUOTE=Roger Wong]You can get whatever luxury item you want in Russia[/
QUOTE]
I don’t understand… are you saying that you don’t buy luxury items for free over there? What store in the US sells HDTV’s for free? Because I’d buy one at that price. COLON DASH CAPITAL P.
It’s cheaper to buy a TV at retail prices Canada than it is in a country where the Organizatsiya control 40% of the economy.
edit: Also, once you’re there, don’t let people know what you have. Hide your electronics, etc. You’re going to be a Have in a country of Have-nots, and thus a target for burglers.
Ok, so Finland is just next door, so if I have to I can buy a TV there. Good to hear, so I can buy a X360 before I leave if I feel the urge.
As for the Russian Mafia and Havenot thing… Well, have you ever lived in Russia, or are you just quoting some documentary?
Russia is repressive, socially backwards and, for the most part, dirt poor compared to the US/Europe. Is that even in question?
Backov, have you ever lived in Russia?
He lives in Russia right now, I believe.
I’ve never lived in Russia, but I know people who have. As a kid, I myself have lived in a poor Turkish olive oil/fishing town, and I know from that experience some of the pitfalls that income disparity can entail.*
The average Russian family earns less than $100 a month in a country where a can of Pepsi still costs 25 cents. You’re going to have at least 20x the disposable income of your neighbors, which means you have to be a little bit careful of who sees what.
I mean, your neighbors will probably be great people and you probably won’t have anything to fear from them. But, you might feel the urge to share the joys of your XBOX with their son. The next day, the son will tell all his friends at school about how he played XBOX at his foreigner neighbour’s house, and whoops, now complete strangers know that you have some rare electronics gear.
But back to your TV:
Don’t buy the TV in Finland. Buy it in Canada and ship it as part of your household goods.
If you buy it in Finland:
The dollar is weak compared to the Euro, and you will pay Finland prices. You might also have to pay 22% VAT, but if you have an airline ticket and the store has the necessary paperwork, I think you can get it refunded.
You will have to go through Russian customs, and Russian officials can really fuck you if you are unlucky. The bad ones will want personal bribes, tell you that your passport/visa is invalid, that you’re going to jail unless you pay the ‘processing’ fee, etc.