After seeing full-page ads in the local papers for the PS3 - totally overpriced as usual at two thousand greenbacks, - yes you read that right, around $1700 and $2000 packaged with an extra controller and a game. I decided to ask Sony if those units advertised in the paper were US units imported by Sony's Argentina branch or if perhaps those were Euroland PAL units somehow converted to the local PAL/N flavour/oddity.
Carrefour's full-page PS3 ads in the paper
Although the PAL sub-formats are only of interest for Standard-definition (SDTV)outputs and while almost all 1080i component video inputs in HDTV CRTs are either PAL-B or NTSC, I wanted to know, so I asked. The reply came from Federico Augspach, Sony Argentina's marketing manager, who used to be in charge of "Sony SCE" marketing and now is apparently in charge of the firm's TV segment as well.
Augspach said that Sony is not importing the PS3 console into the country, and that selling it in the country is "illegal". He said that in order to sell the console, the Japanese giant must certify it for compliance with the local RF spectrum regulations, that is, the frequencies watchdog agency, or FCC wannabe, the CNC. He said a couple of weeks ago that the firm had not initiated the certification for the device's Bluetooth capability at the time, and that "until that certification" and approval - also known as rubber stamp -
does not exist, that it's not legal to sell the PS3 console
He concluded by saying that Sony Argentina "is warning the main dealers" that they should "abstain" from importing it. Pressed further about his opinion then on the newspaper ads for the console he only said "I have no idea, our recommendation was not to sell it".
Lees meer bij de bron : The Inquirer
