Packing a DVD player

lokie

The other post about customs reminded me of a question I've wanted to ask. My husbands family wants LOTS of presents ! One of them is a DVD player. How hard is that to bring through customs? I am thinking we will have problems but I really have no idea. We also are bringing gold jewelry. It is going to be a pain in the ! I don't feel like carrying all this crap around India but I have no choice in the matter. Luckily we will give these gifts after a few days in India so we don't have to carry them too long. We will be staying at a pretty good hotel in Bombay the first two days and just now thought of storing in safely in the room. Any idea how big the safety deposit boxes are?

shere

I also get this problem every time I go over, People who have never bothered to write or telephone phone up out the blue requesting mobile phones, cd players and dvd players. I would not bother taking a DVD player, you can get a decent Phillips DVD player in India for less than 4000 RS plus if it breaks down it can be repaired easily. This is what I did. It was quite a wasted purchase in the end as the bollywood DVDs were on such bad dvd media that they stopped playing after a few times.

Customs should not be a problem if you keep your receipts and can prove the items are within your duty free allowance, otherwise they will make you pay duty. Wrap the player in that bubble wrap and put in your hand luggage. this is safer that putting it into your checked in luggae as the baggage handlers are well known for throwing things around.

I would not leave anything of value in a hotel room especially gold jewellery.

Mandsaur

Remember that a DVD player from the US won't work with TVs in India since they are on the PAL standard--another reason to buy it once you get there.

shere

Partially true. But most of the new televisions can accept NTSC signals. Most DVD players are also able to convert NTSC to PAL.

It actually works out cheaper to buy from India. The Phillips player was close to £90 in the UK and same player was 4000RS in India.

lokie

I'm sure his sisters have older TVs, so does that means they won't be able to use it? I'm electronically stupid

I even told my husband .. why don't we just buy it there. But he didn't want to listen to me. I just figured they can use an electricity converter and that was ok, I didn't know about this other stuff.

shere

Yes if the television is old it is unlikely to have rca type sockets (composite video/audio) for video and sound in and DVD players as a norm do not have rf modulators built in. As you say you are better off buying it from over there unless you plan on buying them new televisions as well

A few years ago some one wanted me to get them an Iron, bought them a Philips one from Delhi and they did not know it was from India.

MaJa

NTSC/Pal is not the only problem with DVD players - a bigger problem is that to allegedly prevent piracy, etc., the industry has divided the world into 7 regions, and DVD players of 1 region cannot play DVDs of other 6 regions (if the DVDs have been encoded), and vice-versa, UNLESS you have a multi-region DVD player.

For more info:
http://www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html#1.10

crvlvr

lokie,

Most cities in the US have Indian stores that will be the best place to get advise on DVD players etc -- as to compatibility etc.. India has changed much in the last fews years and currenlty one can get almost anything there and usually for a cheaper price than India. I have had friends visit from India who refused to buy anything here as it was more expensive than India.

There is definetly some intangible value that the family receives in bragging that their son brought this & that back from the US for them. Traditions live on in India and this is one of those.. lets hope its put to rest soon..

Taking anything thorugh customs is a factor of luck. If you get harrased with duty assessment (although the duty structure has been reduced drastically over the years). If this is the case, the best thing to do is to state that you are going to bring it back to the US , at which time and they will enter it on a form. Although they are supposed to check when you leave they rarely do, and you may get away without paying duty. Just to give you an example.. I have taken my SLR camera 2 times to India and brought it back with no hassles, but on the 3rd trip they wanted me to pay duty.

All the best!

shere

The multi region issue is not much of a problem. Most India DVDs are region 0 so will work in any player. The pirated discs you get in India are also copied so they work in any region ie region protection is removed.

shere

Duty on a cemra. They are taking the pi$$. I hope you stood your ground. A camera is counted as a personal effect and as such is not subject to duty.

Nick-H

What about televisions? It has crossed my mind to buy a Philips LCD screen TV (which would double as a PC monitor) to take with me, about £400 in UK.

UK and India are both PAL, I think?

So, what's the advice: buy here or there?

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oldhippie

You will be taxed on a DVD player. I recommnd picking up a player locally as they are cheap and code free.

Also do not carry any fake DVDs. If you get caught the penalty is 6000 Rupees each. The customs can tell fakes these days so be careful.


>>A camera is counted as a personal effect and as such is not subject to duty.<<

I had to pay $900 duty on my Nikon D1x just 8 weeks ago. I had my company pay for this but if I need any electronics I prefer buying them locally.

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maharajoo

Hi guys. I am new to IM. My wife wants to take a dVD player to her uncle in India, picked it up dirt cheap here ($40 CAN)...but now after reading these posts, I am concerned. The DVD will be in checked baggage - am I correct in assuming that upon arrival, customs in India will check and charge a duty unless I claim that I will be taking the DVD player back? Also, I am taking my own laptop - will I have to pay duty on that as well (unless I claim I will be taking the laptop back to CAN?). Also, I have some burned CDs/DVDs. Will this be an issue??? Help, I am leaving for India on Mon...