- 86,658
- Rule 12
- GTP_Famine
Ahhhh, Shakespear's most famous split infinitive.
Well, just arrived in the post this morning is my NTSC/J PS2 and GT4. So, I'm here to answer a few questions.
How long did it take to arrive?:
I ordered on 27th December. It arrived this morning (4/1/05), having had a weekend and at least three bank holidays in the way. That's THREE working days from Hong Kong to my doorstep, via Cologne. Not bad, eh?
How much did it cost?:
It cost me exactly the same as it would in the shop down the road. The console was marginally cheaper, the game was marginally more expensive. Postage made it up to the difference.
What about Import duty?:
Tough one to answer this. If you're lucky, you won't be charged import duty. If you're unlucky, you will. This will cost about £20, depending on the exchange rates at the time you bought it. But remember, if you don't get charged import duty, you have a legal obligation to inform your local Customs & Excise (or regional equivalent), or face possible fraud charges. Seriously.
So. Power requirements?:
The new style PSTwo has an external power module. This will accept 110V-240V AC at 50Hz OR 60Hz and step it down to 8.5V DC. Power compatibility is not an issue. Mine also came with a 2-3 pin plug adapter, so that wasn't an issue either.
And the TV?
Ah, yes. Obviously you're going to need a TV capable of receiving, processing and displaying signals from an NTSC input. These needn't be super-expensive, but they're unlikely to be super-cheap. Most TFTs should be capable, but unless it shouts out that it's NTSC compatible, it probably isn't. Check your TV's instruction book fully first.
Instruction book... Symbols... Aaaaaaaargh!
Nope. Half of the instruction book (well, all of it, but one half of the volume) is in Chinese. The front half is in English.
So, the game...
Not played it yet...
I'm so magnanimous.
Well? Impressions?
I don't do impressions.
The game comes in a big, THICK, bundle. We're talking LOTR special edition thick. The front half is the game. The back half is a Reference Guide, which is so thick you could use it to beat seals to death.
Reference Guide?
Yes. It's big, thick and glossy. It contains a page each on most of the tracks available from the start, a page each on most of the vehicles available from the start (in full technicolour - it really is a nice piece of work) and the obligatory driving/drifiting/parts/tuning guides.
Cool. I guess that's in English, like the PS2 instructions?
Errrrr... Guess again.
Still, it looks nice...
Hmm. Well, importing. Is it worth it?
Oh yes.
Any further questions regarding importing? Feel free to ask me - either here or by PM. Now, I'm off to play GT4.
Well, just arrived in the post this morning is my NTSC/J PS2 and GT4. So, I'm here to answer a few questions.
How long did it take to arrive?:
I ordered on 27th December. It arrived this morning (4/1/05), having had a weekend and at least three bank holidays in the way. That's THREE working days from Hong Kong to my doorstep, via Cologne. Not bad, eh?
How much did it cost?:
It cost me exactly the same as it would in the shop down the road. The console was marginally cheaper, the game was marginally more expensive. Postage made it up to the difference.
What about Import duty?:
Tough one to answer this. If you're lucky, you won't be charged import duty. If you're unlucky, you will. This will cost about £20, depending on the exchange rates at the time you bought it. But remember, if you don't get charged import duty, you have a legal obligation to inform your local Customs & Excise (or regional equivalent), or face possible fraud charges. Seriously.
So. Power requirements?:
The new style PSTwo has an external power module. This will accept 110V-240V AC at 50Hz OR 60Hz and step it down to 8.5V DC. Power compatibility is not an issue. Mine also came with a 2-3 pin plug adapter, so that wasn't an issue either.
And the TV?
Ah, yes. Obviously you're going to need a TV capable of receiving, processing and displaying signals from an NTSC input. These needn't be super-expensive, but they're unlikely to be super-cheap. Most TFTs should be capable, but unless it shouts out that it's NTSC compatible, it probably isn't. Check your TV's instruction book fully first.
Instruction book... Symbols... Aaaaaaaargh!
Nope. Half of the instruction book (well, all of it, but one half of the volume) is in Chinese. The front half is in English.
So, the game...
Not played it yet...
I'm so magnanimous.Well? Impressions?
I don't do impressions.
The game comes in a big, THICK, bundle. We're talking LOTR special edition thick. The front half is the game. The back half is a Reference Guide, which is so thick you could use it to beat seals to death.
Reference Guide?
Yes. It's big, thick and glossy. It contains a page each on most of the tracks available from the start, a page each on most of the vehicles available from the start (in full technicolour - it really is a nice piece of work) and the obligatory driving/drifiting/parts/tuning guides.
Cool. I guess that's in English, like the PS2 instructions?
Errrrr... Guess again.
Still, it looks nice...
Hmm. Well, importing. Is it worth it?
Oh yes.
Any further questions regarding importing? Feel free to ask me - either here or by PM. Now, I'm off to play GT4.
So I hope it comes out in Feb (prepare to see me in Feb shaking my fists angrily when it gets delayed, again.)
I'm hoping it'll be here weds or thurs at the long outsider. 
