DVD + Xbox/Wii Question

[xernstx]

I'm relocating to Singapore later this fall, and was planning on bringing some of my DVD collection along w/ an Xbox 360/Wii + Games. All were purchased in the USA.

I've just read that Singapore censors will possibly inspect each DVD for pornography/prohibited content and charge $6 SGD per half-hour to watch the content. Has anyone imported DVDs with them and been subjected to this? Is it just not worth the hassle? I'd like to bring them, but by no means is it critical.

Also, I have a NTSC/US Xbox 360/Nintendo Wii. I'm fine w/regards to voltage (adapter supports 100-240) - but Singapore is PAL, and my systems are both NTSC.

Has anyone imported one of these from the US, and what was your experience like? I've read online that the new LCD/Plasma TVs are multi-system (support PAL/NTSC), but I'd like to hear the results from someone who has actually done this.

Thanks!

[bigfilsing]

Well i can confirm that Singapore TVs/ DVD players are multi system so no probs there.
The XBOX 360 should be fine too although voltage adapters are not ideal. It will work thou!.

Can;t really see DVD's been a big problem unless theres a lot of ones that are banned here.
If you have a big collection i'd bring em in bit by bit ...just to be sure.
In theory they are part of your "household" so not a big deal.
It's people who import to sell or import pirate copies that get the grief

Good luck

[micknlea]

Most of the Wii (and XBOX and PS3/PS2 etc) sold here are either Japanese or US anyway, almost all need adaptors, and all are of course NTSC, it is the TV you have to worry about for that. Since most of them now support all systems you should be right. We have a PAL PS2 and an NTSC PS2 and an NTSC Gamecube that all work on all our TVs that were bought here.

As for your DVDs well unless you have a big stash of porn or really violent movies I doubt they will bother you. Usually you are asked to make a list of what you are bringing in. Only the ones not on the censor list would be queried and even then I have only ever heard of a few people having to have them viewed etc, and they were french films and the like.

[Splatted]

If you are bringing (original) DVD's in your suit-case on the plane, you generally will not get questioned.

I've brought half a suit-case full twice, and they have never searched my luggage at the Singapore end. They did, however, open up and examine my desktop PC however which was also shipped by plane. I'm not certain if that happened at the Australia end or Singapore end.

[xernstx]

The DVDs I was planning to have shipped via air/sea to Singapore - they are for the most part well-known US films - but they're not worth the hassle.

To the poster who had his PC tower opened - do they actually scan/comb through your hard drives?

I have 2 external drives with about 1 TB of space - I don't believe i have anything offensive on there, but the content has been built up over the past 8 years and I'd prefer not to have to go through it with a fine-tooth comb.

Would someone actually scan the contents of a hard disk prior to entering singapore?

[Splatted]

To the poster who had his PC tower opened - do they actually scan/comb through your hard drives?

In a word, no.

I've carried hard drives frequently in hand luggage. It's obvious when passing through the x-ray machine what it is, and not once was I asked aside so they can view the contents.

I would assume they opened the tower to ensure there was nothing extra hidden inside, though one would have thought an x-ray would have sufficed.

In any case, you may want to remove the hard drive from your tower before shipping it, and placing it inside an external usb plastic casing to carry in your hand luggage. You'll be surprised how rough the baggage handlers actually treat your property.

The second time I shipped a PC by air, the motherboard had unclipped from it's place within the tower through all the rough handling (or throwing would have been a more appropriate word). No damage, fortunately, to either the motherboard or the HD that was also contained in the tower on both occasions, but I don't think I'll be doing that again.