Alan Smithee

I just got a Sony Blu-Ray player and found that it refuses to play PAL-format DVDs (yes, I'm completely aware that there is no PAL/NTSC issue on Blu-Ray discs, I'm talking about regular DVDs.) Are there any Blu-Ray players in the US that CAN play them? I don't care if they convert to NTSC, they just have to be able to play the disc!

If no such players exist, looks like I'll still have to have a separate player for standard DVDs, which would not be fun.

TheBigDave

Actually, there is a PAL/NTSC issue with Blu-Ray discs. I have a couple region-free Blu-Rays from the UK. The special features are in SD PAL, which won't play in the PS3.

E Unit

My Memorex MVBD2510 plays PAL discs just fine, it plays my Region 0 discs without any issue. For the few Region 2 or 3 discs I want to play on it, I simply rip a copy and remove the region coding.

Gizmo

LG 200 with a small remote hack.

tsetse27

proud owner of LG BH200, for about two weeks

indeed it will output PAL with little hack, however it will work only if the TV support PAL signal. It won't convert PAL to NTSC.

beebs

Hopefully the new Oppo will do this and be region free for SD-DVD. Current beta folks say this isn't the case... but, fingers crossed, they may just be following rules or NDA clauses here. This PAL playback and good SD upconversion from a BR deck will sell me on a player.

-beebs

Gizmo

Did you call LG about the $75 rebate?
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1088835

Gizmo

Looks unlikely Oppo will be bending the rules.

darkside

I got my rebate check recently. Thanks for the heads up on that.

I have the LG BH200 as well and its very easy to set it up for region free playback.

Gizmo

I got 2, $75 checks back and called a few days ago for another 2 (I have 4 players). Life is Good thanks to LG.

tsetse27

Thanks for reminder!

I have no idea about the BH200 hack until I read about it at AVS few weeks ago... lucky me, I found the last brand new one at my local BB.

the only problem is my old projection TV does not support PAL, so I still have to keep my Oppo SD player.

Alan Smithee

I was all set to get the BH200 but since it doesn't automatically show 4x3 content properly (it's stretched out to 16x9 unless you mess with the TV's settings, then you have to set it back for stuff that is 16x9) that was a dealbreaker. I forgot that some Blu-Rays do have PAL content on them too. The Sony will not play Video CDs either. I guess the perfect do-everything player is still far off in the future- I'll forgive the exclusion of HD-DVD only because no new titles are being put out, but it'd be nice if the people who design these things remembered that some people have a lot of HD-DVDs and will always need something to play them on.

truelies

This is the biggest problem for me. I have several blu rays from UK, I can't play the special features.

Gizmo

Apparently the new Oppo has been modified to play any region BD/DVD.

Vipper II

The LG BD390 plays PAL.

woosters

Hmmm...I have an LG BD390 and it wouldn't play the PAL DVD I tried. Do I need to change some setting or something?

Jay G.

There's also the 50hz/60hz issue with HD material. Some UK/Europe Blu-rays are encoded as 1080i50, which some (many?) US Blu-ray players won't play. This mostly affects "made-for-TV" material like Torchwood, Planet Earth SE, and Life.

List of region-B Blu-rays, their region codes, and if they're 50hz:
http://bluray.liesinc.net/index.php?region=b

I know my Insignia NS-2BRDVD can play SD PAL material; I think most Insignias can. Here's a list someone compiles of PAL compatible Blu-ray players:
http://forum.blu-ray.com/blu-ray-pla...atibility.html