Converting a Smart TV from UK to Aus

[AngelaC]

Has anyone had success in converting regions on a smart to from UK to Australia? We have a good TV and know that we wont get much for it if we sell, so wondering if it’s possible to succesfully take a Smart TV from the UK to Australia, change the power plug and change the region to allow the right apps to be available.  Don’t want to get it all the way there and then find out we can’t make it work! It’s a Samsung.

 

Thanks

[Neil B]

Aus power plugs are readily available from Bunnings and easy to fit. As for functionality here's a removalists take on broadcast TV ...

https://blog.pssremovals.com/using-uk-electricals-in-australia#:~:text=Will UK TV sets work,of channels%2C sound or both.

To be frank broadcast channels (free to air) in Australia are famously terrible. Compared to UK there's fewer to chose from and there's more adverts than content so you wouldn't be missing much even if that functionality never worked again. There's even adverts informing users there is such a thing as free to air.

Streamed services (Netflix et al) dominate and should still work regardless but might need the app reinstalled from the Australia app store. It's not dissimilar to mobile phone apps which also may need to be reinstalled before updates will work. As the article says, even if apps don't work there's always set-top style boxes for combined streaming services. They generally require nothing more than a HDMI port on the TV to plug into. It can get a little more complicated if you wish to continue watching UK streaming (eg iPlayer) but that's the case regardless wherever the TV was purchased.

[Ken]

3 hours ago, AngelaC said:

Has anyone had success in converting regions on a smart to from UK to Australia? We have a good TV and know that we wont get much for it if we sell, so wondering if it’s possible to succesfully take a Smart TV from the UK to Australia, change the power plug and change the region to allow the right apps to be available.  Don’t want to get it all the way there and then find out we can’t make it work! It’s a Samsung.

 

Thanks

Normally they build TVs for the world market these days, but go to tuning and see what options they give you. Australian digital TV tuning is the same as German digital TV so if that's an option it will work even if Australia isn't listed, similarly (and as you've said) it should be able to download the correct apps for Australia. The Apps aren't hard wired because they frequently have to be updated anyway.

[altymatt]

I wouldn think available tv apps would be based on location of ip address rather than hard-coded to the tv. As long as your netflix/disney+ etc subscriptions are for Aus services you should be good to go. Worst case scenario you could buy a plug-in like Google Chromecast or Amazon Firestick and use the smart apps there.

[DrDougster]

Our Samsung one works fine. We actually don't have a tv connected to terrestrial any longer!

[InnerVoice]

As @Neil B said, the terrestrial TV here is absolutely dire and I'd even go as far as saying that if you watch too much of it you'll starting thinking negatively about Australia. I sometimes watch SBS for the football, but that's about it. An Amazon Firestick for $50 will ensure you've got most of the TV apps you need, and you can download the rest. Subscribe to a decent VPN (not a free one) and you can watch UK catch-up TV and some live events on iPlayer etc, if you wish. We use NordVPN and there's even an app on Firestick for that, so it's really easy to use. If you change your country using the VPN you'll get a different selection of programs on Netflix, which is very handy.

If your UK TV is less than 50", I'd consider selling it and buying a new one here. We still have a 42" Samsung which we shipped over. We used it for a while, but our rooms are much bigger here so I bought a 55" TV shortly afterwards. Unfortunately, because it's a UK TV no one here will be interested in buying it and I don't want to dispose of it because it's a really good TV, so it's just sat behind the sofa gathering dust.

[Jon the Hat]

On 13/09/2023 at 08:27, InnerVoice said:

As @Neil B said, the terrestrial TV here is absolutely dire and I'd even go as far as saying that if you watch too much of it you'll starting thinking negatively about Australia. I sometimes watch SBS for the football, but that's about it. An Amazon Firestick for $50 will ensure you've got most of the TV apps you need, and you can download the rest. Subscribe to a decent VPN (not a free one) and you can watch UK catch-up TV and some live events on iPlayer etc, if you wish. We use NordVPN and there's even an app on Firestick for that, so it's really easy to use. If you change your country using the VPN you'll get a different selection of programs on Netflix, which is very handy.

If your UK TV is less than 50", I'd consider selling it and buying a new one here. We still have a 42" Samsung which we shipped over. We used it for a while, but our rooms are much bigger here so I bought a 55" TV shortly afterwards. Unfortunately, because it's a UK TV no one here will be interested in buying it and I don't want to dispose of it because it's a really good TV, so it's just sat behind the sofa gathering dust.

Aussie TV is definitely best watched on the various apps.  We watch a bit of ABC, SBS, and very occasionally some channel 7, 9 or 10.  We don't have an ariel plugged in at all.  I use express VPN for iPlayer, but all our other UK apps are out of date and not working now, not worked out how to get amazon fire TV stick to download UK apps.

[InnerVoice]

4 hours ago, Jon the Hat said:

Aussie TV is definitely best watched on the various apps.  We watch a bit of ABC, SBS, and very occasionally some channel 7, 9 or 10.  We don't have an ariel plugged in at all.  I use express VPN for iPlayer, but all our other UK apps are out of date and not working now, not worked out how to get amazon fire TV stick to download UK apps.

I can see that would be a better way of watching Australian TV. ABC and SBS are the only channels I've ever watched too. I don't really enjoy watching the news or current affairs programmes to be honest, and would rather hop on the Internet and read it on the BBC, Reuters or Aljazeera websites. It's less timing-consuming - and less biased.

When you buy a Firestick there are instructions on how to install it. It plugs into an HDMI socket and then you change your TV's input source to whichever socket you've chosen, so it overrides the menu system on your TV. You will find most of the apps you want to use are already preloaded on the Firestick, but you can download others and update any that are out of date. Before you do any of that you'll need to have an Amazon account, and create a username and password for any of the apps you want to use (I'm sure you're aware of all this).

[welljock]

On 12/09/2023 at 17:15, Neil B said:

Aus power plugs are readily available from Bunnings and easy to fit.

Bear in mind it is illegal to do this in most states and may invalidate your house insurance. 

[Ken]

43 minutes ago, welljock said:

Bear in mind it is illegal to do this in most states and may invalidate your house insurance. 

A lot of modern TVs have a standard power connector socket so you can just swap cables.

[Jon the Hat]

2 hours ago, welljock said:

Bear in mind it is illegal to do this in most states and may invalidate your house insurance. 

I looked into this in WA, and while lots of electricians want you to believe you cannot change a plug, the legislation actually specifically states it is not an offence:

(1) Subject to this regulation, a person who carries out any electrical work commits an offence unless the carrying out of that work by that person is authorised by a licence or permit.

(2) Subregulation (1) does not apply — 

h) to the affixing of a plug, electrical appliance plug or cord extension socket to a flexible cord used or intended to be used to connect an electrical appliance, portable sub-distribution board or residual current device to a plug socket outlet through which electricity is supplied or to be supplied at a nominal pressure not exceeding 1 000 volts alternating current or 1 500 volts direct current;

Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991 - [07-v0-00].pdf (legislation.wa.gov.au)

[Nemesis]

11 hours ago, welljock said:

Bear in mind it is illegal to do this in most states and may invalidate your house insurance. 

This is Queensland - We had a dodgy fuse box which the landlord should have updated years before, but when it caught fire the insurance refused to pay out anything (minor brown-out damage) as the landlord said he knew we had changed the plug on my desktop from UK to Australian ourselves.

[InnerVoice]

Most people are aware that the domestic supply voltage (230-240V) here is the same as it is in the UK, and think that all you need to do is change the plug and their UK appliances will work. It most cases that's true. However, a lesser-known fact is that the standard socket-outlet in Australia allows a maximum current of 10A, as opposed to 13A in the UK, so if your UK appliance draws more than 10 amps then it won't work properly here.

[Nemesis]

6 minutes ago, InnerVoice said:

Most people are aware that the domestic supply voltage (230-240V) here is the same as it is in the UK, and think that all you need to do is change the plug and their UK appliances will work. It most cases that's true. However, a lesser-known fact is that the standard socket-outlet in Australia allows a maximum current of 10A, as opposed to 13A in the UK, so if your UK appliance draws more than 10 amps then it won't work properly here.

My desktop actually worked perfectly (no idea what current it used) and the outcome in the end was that the landlord got a huge fine from whatever electric company it was for having 6 units with outdated fuseboxes and had to fix them asap! That guy was so dodgy even the cockroaches avoided him. 

[InnerVoice]

6 minutes ago, Nemesis said:

My desktop actually worked perfectly (no idea what current it used) and the outcome in the end was that the landlord got a huge fine from whatever electric company it was for having 6 units with outdated fuseboxes and had to fix them asap! That guy was so dodgy even the cockroaches avoided him. 

Sorry, I wasn't implying that your desktop was the cause of the problem (they don't draw much current at all). I just like quoting 'fun facts' from time to time 

Glad your dodgy landlord got his comeuppance!

[Nemesis]

12 hours ago, InnerVoice said:

Sorry, I wasn't implying that your desktop was the cause of the problem (they don't draw much current at all). I just like quoting 'fun facts' from time to time 

Glad your dodgy landlord got his comeuppance!

No its ok, I got that!!

That was just the beginning of his problems - he was renting out units for cash, no bond or contract, and would let himself in randomly to wander round hen he felt like it and pick up the rent in brown envelopes! I only discovered this when I told my hubby (who had lived there for a few years) that we should tell the agents about the fire. He looked puzzled and said "what agents?" A rare temper loss on my part, and insistence on moving to a more secure and safe property, came just before the police started looking at him, and the ATO came along close behind. We got out in time, the other tenants ended up with 3 days notice to leave, and of course no recourse to RTA or anything. 

Back on topic though, I remember being surprised when told about the whole plug-changing thing. Back in my UK childhood, eons ago, it was almost a rite of passage to be able to change a plug properly!

[AngelaC]

Thanks everyone for the replies! Appreciate the help and sharing the experiences.

Agree with the consensus, we haven’t watched terrestrial TV for years! 

[Ken]

On 15/09/2023 at 22:59, Nemesis said:

Back on topic though, I remember being surprised when told about the whole plug-changing thing. Back in my UK childhood, eons ago, it was almost a rite of passage to be able to change a plug properly!

Wiring a plug was something that was taught to cub scouts when I was a kid (there was probably a badge for it) you didn't even need to be old enough to be a scout.

[Nemesis]

11 hours ago, Ken said:

Wiring a plug was something that was taught to cub scouts when I was a kid (there was probably a badge for it) you didn't even need to be old enough to be a scout.

I think I learnt it around the same age, when I was in the Brownies

[Parley]

16 hours ago, Ken said:

Wiring a plug was something that was taught to cub scouts when I was a kid (there was probably a badge for it) you didn't even need to be old enough to be a scout.

That sounds a great idea, getting tiny children to mess around with electricity.

[InnerVoice]

2 hours ago, Parley said:

That sounds a great idea, getting tiny children to mess around with electricity.

We were messing around with a plug, not electricity, and we were supervised by an adult - even back in those days. It's amazing how many people don't understand the first thing about electricity and electrical appliances, and treat it like it's some fearful mystical force.

[InnerVoice]

I've a degree in Electrical & Electronic Engineering so I can probably manage a plug.

[Quoll]

38 minutes ago, InnerVoice said:

I've a degree in Electrical & Electronic Engineering so I can probably manage a plug.

All depending on which state you're in, unless you are a licenced electrician, it could be illegal and any insurances void in case of an electrical fire. No matter how many degrees you've got. I think Qld is the one that is most draconian.

[InnerVoice]

24 minutes ago, Quoll said:

All depending on which state you're in, unless you are a licenced electrician, it could be illegal and any insurances void in case of an electrical fire. No matter how many degrees you've got. I think Qld is the one that is most draconian.

I've lived in Queensland for over 20 years so I'm au fait with the law on this matter - and yes, it is draconian. If the job involves repairs to the electrical infrastructure in my house then I always use a qualified electrician even though I'm quite capable of doing it myself. I'll admit that I still do a few small jobs, like changing a plug on the particle accelerator in the shed - the one that powers the DeLorean - and I've not ended up black, crinkly, and dangling from the ceiling like a Tasmanian electrician would do. What's life without a few risks??

[calNgary]

Im in QLD too, a couple of years ago we had to put in a pretty large insurance claim due to a fire on our property, not once did anyone from the insurance (one of the 'big ones) or assesors ask if we had changed a plug ourselves !  

       Cal x