Lamps and lights. You can use almost all of your existing lamps and lights in The Netherlands. As long as there aren't any electronic controls such as sensors (dusk to dawn type sensors) or motion sensors, you only need to change the light bulb from a 110/120 volt bulb to a 220/230 volt bulb. I have a touch sensitive lamp (you just touch it and it comes on and there are three levels of intensity) and it works fine here. I bought the cheaper two prong ungrounded plug adapters, put in new 220 v bulbs, and all my lamps work fine. The self-help store at Schinnen stocks energy saving fluorescent bulbs and you can do a one-for-one swap if your 220v bulb burns out.
TVs and DVD players have several issues; voltage and the signal standard. You have the same issue with voltage we talked about on the last post of course. The US uses the NTSC standard for TV signals and Europe uses the PAL standard. If all you are going to do is watch old DVDs from home and/or you buy an Armed Forces Network satellite dish, then you have no problem there. But if you are going to get Dutch or German cable or wireless TV in your home, you will need a PAL capable television set. Most of the TVs sold at the PX at Schinnen are duel voltage (110-230v) and multi-system (NTSC, PAL, SECAM), but make sure you ask before you buy.
The Netherlands has all sorts of TV providers and means of receiving the signal. They offer standard cable, satellite dish, wireless, and over the telephone lines. Many of the companies offer "All in One" plans where you can get telephone, TV, and Internet through one company with a package discount; these are often cheaper plans. The ACS office at Schinnen can provide you with up-to-date information on the various choices and even help you contact the company to sign up. Not all the companies are available in your neighborhood. Ziggo, for example, has a monopoly in my town. In The Netherlands, only the children's shows are dubbed, all the rest are shown in their original language with subtitles if needed. I get plenty of fairly recent US programming through the provider I use as well as BBC shows. There are no US news feeds on my cable though. My cable TV provider also provides dozens of radio stations and you can switch between radio and TV a the touch of a button.
For the most part, you cannot connect with online video services from the states from here. Hulu, NetFlix, and many news feeds are restricted to US-based ISPs. You can still get NetFlix DVDs in the mail though. The Schinnen Shoppette carries a limited selection of rental DVDs but the library at the NATO base in Brunssum has a very large selection of DVDs.
If you absolutely cannot live without US programming your only choice is to get an AFN satellite dish antenna. They are not too expensive to buy (couple hundred dollars) and there is no monthly charge. Setting it up is a bit of a bother and you must get permission from your landlord before you can mount the dish on your house. Keep in mind that rain and snow will degrade your reception and it rains a lot in The Netherlands. Twelve years or so ago we missed the final episode of the original Survivor series because of snow on the dish.
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