modfather

I'm thinking about taking a job in the U.K. If we do, we'd take very little with us, but I'd hate to leave behind (or sell, whatever) our collection of nearly 500 dvds. Are region-free dvd players plentiful in Britain? Will my region 1 dvds play on a PAL dvd player/TV?

Also, if there's anyone from the U.K. (or anyone who's moved there) who might be interested, I started a thread about the move in general to: this thread.

Thanks!

mrhan

Sure, take them with you. The prices there are crazy. Whenever my brother comes back to California he stocks up on DVDs here and brings them back to Leeds. All you really need to do is buy a convertor and plug all your U.S. gear into it and if you go the region free route; region free players are easy to get there.

wendersfan

It's much easier to get a region-free player in Europe. There's absolutely no reason not to take your DVDs.

Lastdaysofrain

PAL TVs can also handle an NTSC signal with no problem (it's a lot easier for a better quality format like PAL to handle a lower quality format like NTSC than vice versa)

Take em.

Squirrel God

Region free DVD players are sold in many high street stores here (but not the big electronics chains) and on the Internet. You can even pick them up from Amazon.co.uk, which shows you just how mainstream they are.

Any TV that you buy here now will be compatible with NTSC and PAL, so you have no worries there. And if you are buying an older TV, maybe used, most DVD players will also convert NTSC to PAL/60 - which is basically playing back NTSC but using a PAL colour carrier. You'd be hard pushed to tell the difference.

If you go onto UK DVD forums, you will see that something like 95% of them have region free DVD players.

Seriously, don't sweat it. I own way more Region 1 DVDs than I do UK Region 2 ones

illennium

When I make a big move (which I've done four times in the past five years), I like to make a fresh start. But that's just me.

Dazed

Dont be mad, take your dvds, youll regret leaving them behind

wildeny

That happened to my CD collection when I moved to US for staying 5 years and then to Japan for 2 years. At that time, I haven't started to collect DVD.
I put them into two big luggages with my clothes(*) as the buffer and carried them onto the plane. The rest of my stuff can be shipped by sea, but not my collection.
PS: enough to survive for 2 month(+) till the rest came.

bozman

Bring them all over I have imported over 900 R1 DVDs and they all work fine . Probably best to leave your DVD player etc. behind. Unlike the US, region free PAL/NTSC DVD players are available on tap here. UK DVD disc prices are not as bad they used to be especially online - you can get some much better deals on boxset etc in the UK than in the US and there is a very short time span before discs are heavily discounted online on Play/Amazon/ChoicesUK etc.