Korean Job Discussion Forums

[cellphone]

Has anyone ever shipped their full CRT computer monitor FROM home country (USA or such) TO Korea? Whether this was with US Postal, UPS, FedEx etc. Were the prices decent?

BUT much more importantly than that, are such shipping carriers really reliable enough to ship something so internally fragile as a standard CRT comp monitor? (note: not LCD)..

Anyways I have my Philips 109B2 19" CRT Flat Screen monitor back home in California. Ever since I came over here to Korea, I either can't find any great gaming 19" crt flat screens that ALSO have "extra bright" or "highlight" options (which boost the screen 30%+ brighter for gaming), or I cannot find any in a good price range, OR when I go to the used section at Yongsan I just can't find one to my liking (i.e. sharp picture, bright, solid images, at a good price).

So with the risk of not getting what I like here in Korea, also the idea of buying a new one when I already have mine back at home, causes me to wonder about shipping mine over here.

In any event, what do you suppose about the whole shipping process, not only within America, but I wonder how well postal workers/shippers here in Korea would handle it. I wonder if Korean shippers are a little rough when moving stuff around. Any shipping services that specialize in fragile stuff recommendable?

(on a side note, I'm also thinking about buying a digital camera off the internet, but am already wondering about the postal system throwing the box around or leaving it outside my home).

[Draven]

I don't know about shipping your CRT monitor from the states, but I'd bet that the shipping would be cost prohibitive - unless you send it by surface mail, in which case you'll wait for 2 months to get it.

As for shopping on the internet in Korea, my wife and I have bought lots of stuff online here and haven't had any problems. The delivery guy always calls us first to see if we're home and only delivers if we are. We had some problems with a cell phone we bought online not working properly. We shipped it back and had a replacement in two days. I'm only talking about Korean companies online services, though. Don't know about companies from outside the ROK.

[barrybrown]

If you have a decent video card (@ least 32mb) you can control brightness and other adjustments through the cards program.

[Bulsajo]

With the plummeting price of CRTs these days I can't imagine shipping one to Korea to be cost-effective; Shipping rates are by dimensions and weight so a 19" crt is going to be expensive any way you look at it. Throw in the possibility of it sustaining damage en route and perhaps even a customs surcharge if you can't convince them it isn't new and I doubt it's worth your while to attempt.

[Demophobe]

I shipped my 21" Samsung to Canada and back to Korea again. No problems. You have insurance. The box wasn't even dented in the least.
Go with the postal service if you like...I always use shipping companies. They take about 4-6 weeks, but the package isn't handled so much, just placed in a container. The container is then shipped intact to it's arrival place, the company's yard, and you go and get it. The box is actually only handled once....putting it in the container.
Go for it, although CRTs are gettingcheaper. Compare before you do.
Check into the Samsung line...they have all of the features you described, are 120~220v and are of exceptional quality...mine has highlight, Dynaflat, .20 dot pitch, BNC connections....good stuff.

[Demophobe]

Just checked the Philips 19" (109P4) inch on danawa...396,000...no a bad looking monitor, but the DP is .24. It will cost you much less than that to ship it.

[Bulsajo]

True but there's a huge supply of refurb monitors out there. I bought a refurb 19" NEC for $175 CDN 2&1/2 years ago- it was like new when I bought it and it's still going strong.

Said it before and I'll say it again- don't get too attached to the hardware- it all changes too fast.

[Demophobe]

Well, CRT tech hasn't had a revolution in a while. Improvements, yes, features, yes, but not a revolution...an evolution.

As far as refurbished CRTs, it can go either way. It's like buying a used car. It can go on for years, months weeks or days.

I opted for a new one and got a three-year warranty...it wasn't that much...800,000. I never skimp on the monitor...for the sake of your eyes. Newer screens can handle 1600x1200 @ 85Hz no problem. No flicker, a nice, tight picture, energy-efficient, true flat screen.

I owuld agree that hardware inside the box changes fast, but in the world of CRTs, not really.
LCDs are a totally different story, as are many new monitor technologies.
You said it yourself...you bought a used one 2 years ago...a testament to the stagnation of CRT development. In most any other area, a two-year-old part means it's ancient...almost to the point of being useless. Heck, Sony isn't putting anything into their famed Diamontron tech anymore. The focus is 100% LCD and the likes. (Plasma, thin-film displays...) They are just starting to get to the point where you can game on an LCD...until very recently, there was too slow a draw on the LCD, causing that awful "tearing". Another year or two, and they will be the cheese.

Two-year-old parts are almost free!

[mack the knife]

You're asking the WRONG QUESTIONS. The real question is this: "How much tax am I going to be slapped in the face with when this little piece of hardware arrives?"


Answer: A lot.


Unless...


You do the bright thing and claim it's only worth, say, $100. There. I've saved you a bundle in cash. You owe me a beer, or eight.

[Bulsajo]

Going to buy THIS monitor after work today. I just finished cobbling together a computer for my wife (someone gave me a tyan board, a 20GB hard drive, a CD drive and a tower case- coupled with the hardware I have lying around I've turned it into a respectable PIII 733/256- perfectly acceptable downloading k-pop, playing go-stop online, checking email & instant messaging, and other related things she'd like to do but can't cause I'm playing UT or KOTOR).

A flat screen 17" crt for $87 CDN sounds reasonable to me- surely there must be comparable deals in Korea? Sorry but I still can't get over the fact that anyone would want to try and ship a CRT across the Pacific.

[Demophobe]

Yeah, well my monitor was about $1000 Cad. If you can't understand why I wouldn't want to be re-buying that everytime I moved, then you are rich or silly.

[shawner88]

Your also going to need a proper power adapter too, don't forget.