Buy a TV with English System Menu

Hi Guys,

So I was in Bic Camera today just about to buy a Sony Bravia TV. KDL-50W800B. I just happened to ask the guy how to switch the menu to English and to my amazement he said it didn't have a change language option. I know they sell this exact same model in NZ and Australia so it has to exist somewhere.

Has anyone had this problem before? Is there a way to buy a foreign TV in Tokyo? I looked online for firmware updates as well but no luck.

Thanks,
B

well sad to say most Sony & Panasonic brand electrical/electronic goods sold in Japan DO NOT have language option, all in Japanese.
Unless you can get an export/international (extra cost) version. what I did was download the English version manual and familiarize with the menu/function.

Check out LAOX in Akihabara, upstairs on foreign equipment floor. They understand English as well.

I do not recommend trying to buy a TV set in Laox at Akihabara because stuff sold there is supposed to be for export not for being used in Japan. The target are foreign tourists not foreign residents.

Lot of 200/220V electronic products and set to be used abroad. Tuners inside those TV are probably not adapted to work with BS Digital and japanese digital terrestrial television.

I will also say that the large majority of foreigners in Japan are asians and south americans not english-speakers westerners, mostly chinese, korean, pinoy, brazilians so I do not see the necessity for Sony and others to make products with english menus knowing in has a cost (money) and very limited utility (limited users) meaning products will be even more expensive (and they are already more expensive than they are abroad).

It wouldn't cost anything extra to include language options on the TV. The exact same TV is sold in Europe with English, Spanish and other language options available on it. The point is, this menu system already exists in multiple languages its just not included in the Japanese firmware. Most firmware for smaller electronics sold here (such as cameras) include language options.

Most electronics makes include all of the language options so that they can simplify the supply chain for their products. On the other hand, Sony and Panasonic specifically produce Japanese language models to differentiate their product line and better control regional prices. So long story short, they know the issue but to them it's a feature rather than a bug. If you need English menus then try one of the other makers. They're pretty much all excellent systems.

Sharp Aquos models have an English menu option.

However, a lot of the information that shows up under specific menu items (like TV program information) is not part of the menu per se, but rather is downloaded from the broadcasters. This information is usually only in Japanese.

So even if you have a Sharp Aquos and you have set the menu to show up in English, the TV program information will still show up in Japanese.

Furthermore, the remote control is in Japanese. So not really a user friendly solution.

For more information see:
http://www.sharp.co.jp/support/aquos/doc/lc32-20d30_qsg.pdf