Will a 60hz rated (Electricity) US Blu Ray Player work O.K. in Australia (50hz)?

[Rick Grimes]

I live in Australia and I wanted a decent Region A BR Player (to play my South Park & Walking Dead Region A BRD's).
While my sister was visiting NYC over Xmas, I asked her to buy me a Sony Blu Ray Player (BDP-S590 to be exact).
I thought everything would be O.K. if I simply bought a 240v to 120v Step Down Transformer.
Only now do I find out that the Sony has an electricity rating of 60hz, not 50hz (which our electricity is output at).

I have searched all over the web for answers to whether or not the Blu Ray player will be affected by the 60hz/50hz electricity difference.
Some say that it will be O.K., and one web contributor has found no issue with their player when they used their US player here in Australia.
Others say that there might be a problem with the BR players longevity and running "hot" / having a shorter life due to electricity frequency issues.

Here what I have discovered, so far:
*I have read that there can be issues with electric timing devices in electrical appliances due to the 50/60hz issue.
*I have also read that the "driver that spins the disc" for the Blu Ray Player is converted to a DC output anyway, so their will be no ill effects. And Step Down transformer companies (still choosing one to buy) say that their transformers are suitable for any appliance.

Q: Will the US Sony BDP-S590 120v 60hz work fine using a 240v to 120v Step Down Transformer? Has anybody out there bought a US player (Power requirements: 120v/60hz) and have it work O.K. in Australia?

Web knowledge is both limited and contradictory. Please help... Last thing I want to do is hook it up and destroy the player!!!

Note: We have the BDPS-590 in Australia and it is rated for both 50-60hz electric output... Being that companies try to have similar builds for models the world over, might that mean that the US model will handle 50hz?

[The Duke]

It's right in the manual, I took a couple of seconds to download the PDF. Last page, under Specifications:

Power requirements: 120 V AC, 60 Hz

There are many converters that convert 240v 50hz to 110v 60hz. Here's one for $12.99. The must be readily available in Oz. Check the one you bought to make sure it doesn't also convert 50hz to 60hz as well as 240v-110v, it's pretty standard, the voltage conversion doesn't help if it's still 50hz.

[stratford]

have you heard of gattiweb?????

[42041]

50Hz, 60Hz, should be all the same to your player, since it's working from DC, and I don't see any reason why the power supply would care.
Edit: actually, upon thinking more about it, the power transformer might run a bit hot, and they probably used the cheapest part they could get away with, so might not be the greatest idea.

[The Duke]

Originally Posted by stratford

have you heard of gattiweb?????

No, I hadn't heard of it, but Google is my friend.

Looks like an online merchant for multi-region BD players and mod kits in Melbourne, which is probably the easier route to go for Aussies who want an multi-region player rather than importing one from the US because of differences in electrical power supply.

[HDTV1080P]

100% of OPPO brand Blu-ray players work anywhere in the world in terms of the Power Supply: ~100V – 240V, 50/60Hz AC.

[joie]

Getting 50/60 Hz right can be important. Some circuitry may derive an internal clock from the line frequency, because it's usually an accurate and stable frequency reference. So, aside from other problems that may arise, you could create internal clock problems by using an incorrect line frequency, if those internal clocks are derived from the line frequency.

Now, some global manufacturers will design "universal" supplies that can operate with 120/240 V, 50/60 Hz input, because one design can be less costly to produce. A player (or any other device) with such a supply will usually indicate that it can accept those different voltages and frequencies.

[stratford]

I'd be interested to read your own experiences of gattiweb--Being local to you the waranty will be in safe hands too

[Rick Grimes]

Originally Posted by 42041

50Hz, 60Hz, should be all the same to your player, since it's working from DC, and I don't see any reason why the power supply would care.
Edit: actually, upon thinking more about it, the power transformer might run a bit hot, and they probably used the cheapest part they could get away with, so might not be the greatest idea.

Yeah. That's what I got most out of all my searching. The step down transformer does say it is for 50-60hz. It was a top of the line, expensive transformer from a specialist electronic store in OZ. Will get a new power board and try it soon. Will let this forum know how it goes...

Thanks for all your help those who have replied.

Please, if anyone else out there has anything else to add, I'd appreciate it.

[Rick Grimes]

Hey all,

For those interested in this saga of my desire to purchase a US Blu Ray player for use in Australia. I have used a STIG DX-120 Step Down transformer (bought from Jaycar electronics) to convert the 240v to 120v.
Seems that the 50hz/60hz issue has not been a problem so far.

Played The Walking Dead S1 Special edition extras for two hours and no issues. Blu Ray unit did not get hot. Step Down Transformer stayed cold (slight warmth).

Used the setup to check Region A playability for AUS releases of Beverly Hills Cop II and Quiz Show.

For those who want to purchase a Region A Blu Ray player, get a Step Down transformer from Jaycar (get a STIG series... Twice as much as others in price ($99), but it is electrically isolated and much safer, with a high 150w rating). You can get then buy a top quality player from the US. Cheaper than purchasing a Region A chipped Aussie BR Player.

Very happy with the Sony BDP-S590 3D Blu Ray Player, once I set it up with the options I desired (which you should do with any BR player, by the way).

Thanks again Blu Ray fans for your input and help with this forum.