is there anyway to purchase one and have it shipped to the US? any stores that would?..t

Yeah, I'd like to know this, too. I suppose there must be merchants that'll ship them to US. Maybe a dumb question but are the TV frequencies the same?

Get a friend or relative who lives in Canada or near the border to go up and buy one for you.

Yeah, I'd like to know this, too. I suppose there must be merchants that'll ship them to US. Maybe a dumb question but are the TV frequencies the same?The frequencies and power are identical. That's why Americans and Canadians share the same power grid and can pick up each other's stations when they live near the border.

Thanks for the info, guys. Now that I know they're compatible, I think I'll ask my good friend in Mississauga to get one and ship it to me. :) I have a Sony HX-900 and an HX-715 but am becoming paranoid about not being able to find good replacements should something happen to them, knock on wood. Who'd thunk we'd come to this? :(

Thanks for the info, guys. Now that I know they're compatible, I think I'll ask my good friend in Mississauga to get one and ship it to me. :) I have a Sony HX-900 and an HX-715 but am becoming paranoid about not being able to find good replacements should something happen to them, knock on wood. Who'd thunk we'd come to this? :(

Be aware that the Canadian warranty won't apply in the US. You might not need it, but you never know. Also...if your friend is shipping it to you, be prepared to pay some $ for customs duties.

Doh, duties... :(

How and where and when do I pay this? :confused:

Doh, duties... :(

How and where and when do I pay this? :confused:

When I was living in Montreal in the '95, I had my notebook computer shipped to me and had to pay ~$200 in duties or taxes (can't remember exactly). When I moved back to the States, I was able to get a refund. I didn't have any problem with duties/taxes when crossing the border by land. Of course I found out the hard way that my new TV wasn't covered in the US by the Canadian warranty.

I found this online but don't know how accurate it is:

Gifts mailed from abroad to people in the United States can be received by them free of duty if the value of the gift does not exceed $100. Gifts for more than one person can be consolidated into one package. To be eligible for this waiver, each recipient's name must be clearly marked on the package. Non-gift purchases mailed to the United States will pass duty-free if their value does not exceed $200. The outer wrapping must be marked with the fair retail value of the contents; a description of the contents (e.g., shirts, belts, watch, figurines, etc.); and whether the package is a gift ($100 exemption) or for personal use ($200 exemption).

So...if your new HDD DVD recorder was only worth $200, I guess you wouldn't have to pay anything.

Doh, duties... :( How and where and when do I pay this? :confused:I assume it works the same for Americans as it does for Canadians. When you return to the US, the customs agent asks you if you have anything to declare. Based on your response, the value of items you are declaring, and the length of your stay away, you will have to pay the duties right there.

I'm sure that US Customs has a web site with more information.

Canadians don't pay any duty to import electronics from the USA, just sales tax. I think the same is true in reverse. If you have it mailed or shipped, you may also get hit with a brokerage fee (an administration fee for declaring the goods to customs and paying the tax), which is a reasonable amount for everyone except UPS (don't ever use UPS for cross-border shipping).

Thanks everyone for the responses. But I feel it's getting a little complicated. :o

is there anyway to purchase one and have it shipped to the US? any stores that would?..t

There are also websites that would import them from Asia (eg YesAsia), but usually without warranty, and a number of other loose ends you must check (customs, compatibility, return/exchange policy, etc, etc) into before purchasing. Some of them offer a warranty as an additional purchase (I'm guessing some sort of a 3rd party warranty). Needless to say the price is much higher, but if it is something one wants to have, then i guess that's one option.

I thought now that it was against the law to import any item into the USA that only has an analog tuner in it?

So if you went to pay the Taxes/Fees on it would'nt they (The USA) just confiscate it at the boarder?

But I guess if you opened it up in Canada & just brought it back in your own car they probably would'nt bat an eye because not too many Amercian's normally would be buying electronics in Canada & bringing them into the USA. :D

But you never know they may have told the custom agents to be on the lookout for this thanks to pressure from Hollywood. :mad:

Maybe we all should make some friends with custom agents who probably have tons of them at home :eek:

So if you went to pay the Taxes/Fees on it would'nt they (The USA) just confiscate it at the boarder?Some have suggested that the restrictions on importing and interstate transport only apply to businesses, so an individual carrying something across the border on their own might be OK. But if it was me I'd phone customs prior to leaving and try to get clarification before risking my hard-earned money.

Some have suggested that the restrictions on importing and interstate transport only apply to businesses, so an individual carrying something across the border on their own might be OK.
The restrictions only apply to "Responsible Parties" according to the FCC Rule. Those are "Manufaturers and Importers" and it prohibits "interstate commerce" by those parties only.

Individuals, wholesalers and sellers/retailers are not affected by the Rule.

"Interstate Commerce" means that a Retailer/Whoesaler can still ship older models across State Lines but I don't think it means that Retailer's or Wholesaler's in another country can ship them into the USA.

INTERSTATE = Shipping Goods Across State Lines (Not The Boarders)

So I would say that No Manufacture, Importer, Wholesaler or Reatailer can ship any into the USA but maybe an individual person from Canada could ship one to someone in the USA or let you take it across the boarder yourself but before that I would want to find out how the USA Customs Dept. was treating the law because in the end that's all that counts.

"Interstate Commerce" means that a Retailer/Whoesaler can still ship older models across State Lines but I don't think it means that Retailer's or Wholesaler's in another country can ship them into the USA.

INTERSTATE = Shipping Goods Across State Lines (Not The Boarders)

So I would say that No Manufacture, Importer, Wholesaler or Reatailer can ship any into the USA but maybe an individual person from Canada could ship one to someone in the USA or let you take it across the boarder yourself but before that I would want to find out how the USA Customs Dept. was treating the law because in the end that's all that counts.
"Retailers/Wholesalers" are not "Responsible Parties" (RP) bound by the FCC Rule. The "interstate commerce" rule applies ONLY to the RP.

Retailers and wholesalers are NOT RP per the definition given in the FCC Rule, so they can do what they want with analog equipment, even ship them in interstate commerce within the U.S. or across the border into the U.S.

They are not the ones bound by the FCC Rule.

What language am I speaking here?

I don't want to get into any fights here & I don't know what they mean by "Responsible Parties" but the law was ment to keep out a list of certain items that might have Analog Tuners in them & maybe Retailers are not included because they can't/don't import goods so the Gov. would'nt care what they did with things that were already within our boarders only the companies/persons that would be importing them directly from other countries.

But if you think that it would be ok for Wal-Mart (A Retailer) in Canada to buy a bunch of Pioneer Recorders from Pioneer of Canada with Analog Tuners in them & then ship them across the boarder to their warehouse's in the USA & ship them to a store in every state in the country (Interstate Commerce) your kidding yourself because the Gov. at this point would now consider Wal-Mart the "Retailer" Wal-Mart the "Importer" who is banned from doing that.

I'm also sure it would also apply to any Reatailer/Wholesaler/Distributor & etc that might try to use a website in another country to try & ship things into this country that are against the law.

I don't want to get into any fights here & I don't know what they mean by "Responsible Parties" but the law was ment to keep out a list of certain items that might have Analog Tuners in them & maybe Retailers are not included because they can't/don't import goods so the Gov. would'nt care what they did with things that were already within our boarders only the companies/persons that would be importing them directly from other countries.

But if you think that it would be ok for Wal-Mart (A Retailer) in Canada to buy a bunch of Pioneer Recorders from Pioneer of Canada with Analog Tuners in them & then ship them across the boarder to their warehouse's in the USA & ship them to a store in every state in the country (Interstate Commerce) your kidding yourself because the Gov. at this point would now consider Wal-Mart the "Retailer" Wal-Mart the "Importer" who is banned from doing that.

I'm also sure it would also apply to any Reatailer/Wholesaler/Distributor & etc that might try to use a website in another country to try & ship things into this country that are against the law.

A number of Pioneer HDD models are listed at the import sites. For example at YesAsia.com they have: 450H, 550H, 650H, 745H. But the prices are high, no warranty, and returns/exchanges do not sound like a bed of roses :)

A number of other websites import them to the USA: Link to those in http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=10985855#post10985855

I assume all these websites wouldn't import them if it was against the law?