Job Discussion Forums

Ookami.K · Joined: 28 Nov 2007 Posts: 15

I've had a Playstation 3 for a while, but I just moved back in Japan and I am without a television in my new apartment. I have done a bit of searching, but it seems like HDTVs cost far more in Japan than in the United States.

At the moment, I am leaning towards a 32" Toshiba REGZA. At the local YAMADA it is on sale for 83,000 yen. I would also get about 150,000 yen worth of points that I could use to buy things at the store the next day. I wish I could just get those 15,000 yen off the price of the TV.

Really, I would like to get a BRAVIA, but I'm not willing to spend an extra 15,000 yen for the privilege. That said, 32" is a bit big for my apartment, but all of the 26" TVs cost the same or more than this 32" TV.

Is there a good place to find inexpensive televisions in Japan?

David W · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 457 Location: Japan

So let me get this straight, if you buy an 83,000 yen TV, Yamada Denki will give twice that amount in points? I never knew they were a philanthropic organisation. Are you sure it wasn't 15,000 yen in points. Without knowing which Regza model it was, it's impossible to know if it's a good idea. If you know the exact model you can compare prices here (Japanese only) http://kakaku.com/itemlist/S2041000009N101/

Ookami.K · Joined: 28 Nov 2007 Posts: 15

Oops. Yes, I meant 15,000 points. I am still getting used to yen again, as I have been using won for the past six months. I believe the REGZA is the 32C3500. I suppose if I plan to use the points - it would be worth it to get it from Yamada.

Thanks for the link though, I can check out some other brands there, too.

David W · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 457 Location: Japan

Yawarakaijin · Joined: 20 Jan 2006 Posts: 504 Location: Middle of Nagano

I would say a 32" HDTV for about 800 USD is a pretty good price. I doubt you would find anything much cheaper than that. That being said, When I hit the electronic stores there seems to be quite a bit of variation in the picture quality of many HDTV's. I went with a Sharp Aquos and have had no regrets. It wasn't the cheapest model out there though.

Ookami.K · Joined: 28 Nov 2007 Posts: 15

You mean the Sharp Aquos?

Like I said, I would prefer to go with the Bravia because of the XMB and better compatibility with the PS3. That said, I don't know if that's worth it to go from 32" to 26" for what may just be my way of justifying my brand loyalty.

Yawarakaijin · Joined: 20 Jan 2006 Posts: 504 Location: Middle of Nagano

Wintermute · Joined: 11 Jun 2007 Posts: 79

I just checked out some American sites and HDTV's are cheaper in the States, I wonder why? I bought a Samsung 26inch TV from their Japanese website before it was shut down - my impression was that Sony put pressure on them to stop selling in Japan (at the time Samsung was making Bravia's screens). I thought I was getting a good deal at 75000yen (this was in 2006) but I would like something a little bigger now, maybe around 37inches would be great.

Ookami.K · Joined: 28 Nov 2007 Posts: 15

Hmm, I heard there was better compatibility somewhere. I know that they have the exact same interface, which is the XMB (also on the PSP). Other than that, I suppose not much.

Wintermute · Joined: 11 Jun 2007 Posts: 79

Yeah, I wouldn't bother too much about getting a Bravia just for the sake of the Sony brand name. All of the major brands are roughly of the same quality, I would pick the one that is cheapest (me personally I would go for a Panasonic Viera if I had to buy my TV again - I love Panasonic's menu system and plasma TVs generally produce sharper blacks). The biggest thing for me, other than screen size and resolution, are inputs. Particularly HDMI, you can't have enough of them. Get a TV that has at least more than 2, 4 being optimal. Also, a VGA input is good to have if you want to hook your PC up to it.

Ookami.K · Joined: 28 Nov 2007 Posts: 15

I was looking at the inputs as well. The Regza has 2 HDMIs, but no DVI for my computer (MBP) to connect with. I suppose I can always get a DVI to HDMI adapter or something similar...

Ookami.K · Joined: 28 Nov 2007 Posts: 15

Okay, I picked up the 26" Regza - which is the same as the 32" model, except it fits in my "entertainment center". So far, the difference in the games is absolutely amazing. I should have definitely gotten one of these long ago!

Yawarakaijin · Joined: 20 Jan 2006 Posts: 504 Location: Middle of Nagano

Congratulations, I know the feeling. I bought mine specifically for the world cup. It was amazing, being able to tell who the players were even from the sky cam. The day I hooked up my xbox 360 to my aqous was the happiest day of my life LOL, I actually cried a little when I got my ps3 hooked up to it. Wink