Hi,

I plan to bring a sony vcr to a friend in madrid as a gift. I have been told that our vcr's are not compatible with theirs or in other word it would only work if you watch
movies that are manufacture here... something about they use a PAL system and we don't. Can anyone shed some light to this.
thanks ,
Jaime

Hi ato913! Welcome to the group. Your friend is right, a standard VCR bought in North America (USA, Canada, Mexico, and probably all of Latin America too) will not work in Europe because the "coding" of the videotapes and video head is different. Europe uses the PAL system which we do not use here in the USA so while your gift idea is a nice one it will not work. And don't buy videotapes or DVDs from the US for them either. They won't work either. Good luck with new gift ideas!

Saludos, MadridMan

Gracia MadridMan,

Thanks for the information. How about if I brought something like a 100 watt mini shelf
stereo system? My understanding is I would need a converter which can cost about $40.00.
Is that true?
thanks again,
Jaime

The gesture would be appreciated, I'm sure, but just like with an ordinary extension cord, if you have an appliance with the express plan of keeping it plugged into a transformer/converter, you run the risk of electrical shock. You may be better off looking for a non-electrical gift.

FYI: If you absolutely can't steer clear of electronic gifts, the converters you'll find in Spain (at a Corte Inglés or other department store) are much heavier duty than the plastic US ones (Franzus or Samsonite for example), and usually cheaper.

I agree with CaliBasco. The thought is nice, but don't bother bringing electrical presents over there. It just doesn't work out right. The converters can be a nightmare, and from what I gather, the products themselves don't last as long as they should.

About the only things that work right are tapes, and CDs........ but not the video types. Just sound.

Remember.... if you opt to buy electronic stuff in Spain, it's a lot more costly than here. Anway, it was, last time I was there, but with the lack of value of the peseta, it's a bit better. The only problem is, after Dec. 31, it will be the Euro coming into play, and that for some reason is over-valued compared to the peseta..... go figure!

Wolf

Wolf, the peseta/euro exchange rate was fixed a couple of years ago (166,386 Ptas. per Euro) and is always the same (no subject to any change). So, there will be no difference at all after January 1st; in fact, during the first months you can pay in pesetas or euros