Region Free DVD Players

[WhoFan]

Does anyway have any experience with Region Free playesr?

Do they work? Is there a best brand?



Thanks for any help or advice!

[Steve Crook]

name='WhoFan']Does anyway have any experience with Region Free playesr?

Do they work? Is there a best brand?



Thanks for any help or advice!

In the rest of the world, outside the US of A, it's hard to find one which isn't region free or can't easily be made to be region free by entering a simple code with the remote control.



Within the United States you have the additional difficulty that as well as needing to be region free they also need to play PAL format DVDs - that's the format that most of the rest of the world uses.



Our PAL equipment can easily play NTSC tapes or DVDs. But it's harder to find any NTSC equipment which can raise its standards and play PAL tapes or DVDs



They do exist though, although they are often the more expensive players.





But you should be able to play any DVD in the DVD player in your computer. Most DVD players in computers can play PAL as well as NTSC. The region coding is ignored by most of the better media players like VLC. It's only a few of them, like the Micro$oft Media Player, that lock you in to a single region after playing a few DVDs.





All region coding is of dubious legality anyway because it's a restraint on free trade and all of the countries that produce these region encoded DVDs have signed up to all of the free trade agreements like GATT



Steve

[WhoFan]

name='Steve Crook']In the rest of the world, outside the US of A, it's hard to find one which isn't region free or can't easily be made to be region free by entering a simple code with the remote control.



Within the United States you have the additional difficulty that as well as needing to be region free they also need to play PAL format DVDs - that's the format that most of the rest of the world uses.



Our PAL equipment can easily play NTSC tapes or DVDs. But it's harder to find any NTSC equipment which can raise its standards and play PAL tapes or DVDs



They do exist though, although they are often the more expensive players.





But you should be able to play any DVD in the DVD player in your computer. Most DVD players in computers can play PAL as well as NTSC. The region coding is ignored by most of the better media players like VLC. It's only a few of them, like the Micro$oft Media Player, that lock you in to a single region after playing a few DVDs.





All region coding is of dubious legality anyway because it's a restraint on free trade and all of the countries that produce these region encoded DVDs have signed up to all of the free trade agreements like GATT



Steve

Thanks Steve!

I've actually played a few coded DVDs on my computer and until you mentioned didn't think much about it! I can just buy what I want play it my computer and if I want to watch on the TV, I have streaming capabilities.



Had the solution alll the time just didn't think it through!



Thanks Again!

[christoph404]

Stores like "richer sounds" will supply you with a multi region player with the adjustment built into the machine so no need to fiddle about with remote control hacks, its usually about £20-£30 more than a regular player. I bought my sony blu ray player there and it is multi region for DVD playback, I have quite a few DVDs from the US so couldn't really live without a multi region player!

[autolycus]

Blimey, for £20 - £30 i think i'd rather 'fiddle about' with hacks :-)



I was wondering: could the OP - in theory at least - source a European multi region player and use it in the US, with a suitable voltage transformer?

[Edward G]

Some manufacturers, like Panasonic for example, cannot be made multi-region with a hack or code inputed from the remote control. They have to be chipped. Some retailers (I assume Richer Sounds included) will do the chip replacement for you. This is their advantage, as far as I recall....

name='autolycus']Blimey, for £20 - £30 i think i'd rather 'fiddle about' with hacks :-)



I was wondering: could the OP - in theory at least - source a European multi region player and use it in the US, with a suitable voltage transformer?

[rjd0309]

It can be difficult getting hold of multi-region equipment in the USA. Store employees for the most part have no idea what you're talking about when you ask for "PAL and NTSC capable".



That being said, there are some websites where you can purchase multi-region equipment. Just Google "multi-region" or "PAL NTSC".



I've had good luck with Pioneer DVD recorders and players. I've heard many good reports on Panasonic brand, though to be fair, I've heard just as many negative Panasonic reports.

[Steve Crook]

name='Edward G']Some manufacturers, like Panasonic for example, cannot be made multi-region with a hack or code inputed from the remote control. They have to be chipped. Some retailers (I assume Richer Sounds included) will do the chip replacement for you. This is their advantage, as far as I recall....

Although that's usually to the user's advantage. My Panasonic DVD player will play DVDs from any region, any format. I don't have to put in any special codes, I just play the DVD



Steve

[Edward G]

Sorry, Steve - when I said it was to the "retailers advantage" I meant it was a marketing advantage for them over other retailers (who don't chip DVD players for their customers) and was therfore worth the extra £30 or so that Autolycus was querying....

name='Steve Crook']Although that's usually to the user's advantage. My Panasonic DVD player will play DVDs from any region, any format. I don't have to put in any special codes, I just play the DVD



Steve

[earlb]

I've mentioned before 'Cambridge Audio' Make all their DVD players region free. Richer Sounds stock them among others I believe.

[johng]

name='earlb']I've mentioned before 'Cambridge Audio' Make all their DVD players region free. Richer Sounds stock them among others I believe.

Their products are good unfortunately they do not seem to make DVD recorders?



According to their web site their products are only available from Richer Sounds

[JohnB_Toronto]

name='rjd0309']I've heard many good reports on Panasonic brand, though to be fair, I've heard just as many negative Panasonic reports.

Unfortunately my experience with Panasonic in North America is not good. Nice machines but not intended for worldwide play. Panasonics and SONYs are the two brands that are not likely to play PAL discs no matter if you've cracked the region coding or not (SONY definitely will not play PAL .. the kid in my local SONY store sent me to the Chinese discount shops for a $30 player that would do the trick!). Most North American players will play both PAL and NTSC without any problem - it's the region code setting that prevents play.



Before you buy, go into your local stores and see what models are currently on the shelves. Then go here to the Videohelp site and see if they have a region hack available for it. The new codes to make your player region free can simply be entered by using the number pad on the remote handset. If you find a code for the model you have in mind you only need to enter it once to change the firmware setting. It never needs to be entered again. The machine will now be region free for as long as you leave that setting alone.



I'm currently using a Philips 5140, about two years old, that plays anything and everything after I entered the hack to make it region free. Most Philips players can be hacked and if one code doesn't work the chances are one of the others will. They only use two or three different sets of firmware for all their machines so many different models use the same codes.

[WhoFan]

Thanks for all the help guys!

I've got several solutions that will cost me nothing now as I 've found code hacks to 3 of the 5 DVD player/recorders I have, plus I can stream to my TV from my PC!



As always happens on this forum people step up and help others!

Thanks again!

:

[Monkeymanbob]

I purchased a Bush upscaling dvd player for the bedroom from ASDA for £20.

IT's cheap and has spongey remote, which does causes issues opening/closing the tray. But it is region free and the picture via a HDMI lead is very good.

[narabdela]

I don't think that either ASDA or Richer Sounds have branches in Michigan.

[Monkeymanbob]

ASDA are owned by WALMART, and do a range of sub $60 players.

Generally the cheaper dvd players are region 0 as they are produced for multiple markets.

[Steve Crook]

name='Monkeymanbob']ASDA are owned by WALMART, and do a range of sub $60 players.

Generally the cheaper dvd players are region 0 as they are produced for multiple markets.

But they often don't tell you that in the advertising. And none of the "sales people" in the big warehouse type stores knows anything about them, they're just box shifters



Steve

[Monkeymanbob]

name='Steve Crook']But they often don't tell you that in the advertising. And none of the "sales people" in the big warehouse type stores knows anything about them, they're just box shifters



Steve

True. But I see what models are on sale and then use the net for reviews and multi region hacks

[Merton Park]

I can happily recommend www.220-electronics.com where I recently bought 2 different multi region DVD players. Very good service with a great choice and sensibly priced. No hesitation using them again, very reliable.

[johng]

name='Merton Park']I can happily recommend www.220-electronics.com where I recently bought 2 different multi region DVD players. Very good service with a great choice and sensibly priced. No hesitation using them again, very reliable.

But they seem to be an American concern? Surely better to buy from some organisation in this country in case of problems?