Sex Fiend

Well, I can't speak for anyone else, but my main reservations have always been the following:

1) Have to buy another player with PAL conversion capability. And GOOD PAL conversion capability, too, which is tough to be certain about until you have the player in hand. And since I already have three R1 only players, it's tough to justify the extra expense for a good multi-region/PAL converting player.

2) Who knows if future player technology I may eventually have to invest in (BR, HD-DVD and beyond) will even play out-of-region disks? And will I always be able to find replacement multi-region SD-DVD players when whatever current player I have goes kerflooey sometime in the future?

3) It seems reasonable to assume that almost everything released in other regions will eventually be released in R1, if one is patient. And even when the out-of-region region releases are the only current releases, the preponderance of historical evidence seems to suggest that the eventual R1 releases often surpasses the out-of-region releases.

I understand that there is some merit to going multi-region, too. But for the most part, at least for the moment I find the expense and trouble to be a bit more than the return.

Trout

I'm still waiting for Scarecrows.

Nebiroth

But many players have that capability. That is because it is cheaper to design and manufacture a single model worldwide than it is to produce "local" models. This has been pushed along by the fact that Region-2 includes both Europe (which has a lot of PAL) and Japan (which is NTSC). DVD standards say a player must be able to play any disc for it's region. So multi-standard players are common. Across the world they are identical, they just have their region-coding set at the factory before sale in the designated area.

The same is true of TV's. Many TV's these days will accept either NTSC or PAL direct, for the same reasons.

I know its not quite as common in the States because of the market there, but it probably is still fairly common.

This becomes a non-issue of you use the player's RGB output connected to the TV's RGB input.

I'm willing to bet that at least one, and probably all three, of your players can be made multi-region capable. In many cases this means inputting special codes, but some players require modified handsets (which input a sequence of very complex codes) or in extreme cases, a mod to the firmware inside. Try Googling your player make/model and "region hack".

Well region-coding is so easy to evade I can't see that being an issue! And multi-region is so popular it will happen, and that's assuming that SD players cease to exist, which is very unlikely.

Not really. The differing nature of the markets, the audiences and rights mean that there are releases happening in some regions that will never appear in the others.

You're lucky to be in r1. The sheer size and unfragmented nature of that mean that it generally has the largest selection of titles, many of which only see release because a tiny percentage of the audience buying still makes a profit.

The fragmented nature of r2 means that each market is much smaller, so they will never be profitable to release here.

Rights problems mean that titles which are near impossible to release in one country are easy to do in another.

Some things are perceived as locally "popular", so they get a release there, but are obscure unknowns everywhere else.

There may be local "specialist" companies (Dark Skies, Media Blasters in the USA, or Network here in the UK) that release titles that no-one else ever would, so they too will never see the light of day in another region.

And so on.

It's very cheap to go multi-region. As explained above, many players can be changed to multi-region with a few codes - often these can be found free on the net. Even "mods" can be had for reasonable prices. There is no need to buy a new player.

steebo777

Oppo 981-HD for all of your multi-regional DVD needs

scarredgod

I am waiting for THE SKULL (peter cushing, christopher lee). I dont think its been released in any region yet.

Ringmaster

Now that "Re-animator" has been re-released, has there been any word from Lionsgate on re-releasing a special edition of "Bride of Re-animator"?

TomOpus

I've been thinking about picking up the previous Oppo due to the attractive price, all-region hack and DVD-Audio/SACD capability.

Nebiroth

You are correct.

Unfortunately, both the Hammer and Amicus (of which The Skull is one) films are extremely fragmented in terms of rights, being owned by a number of different studios. And the rights are different, depending on which country you are in.

There are a number of Hammer and Amicus titles that are exclusive to either r1 or r2. The only solution to anyone who wants to make even an attempt at collecting is to go multi-region.

JMcCraw

I am region free but have no desire to purchase a full frame OOP DVD for $60.

zyzzle

Looking for several cool 70s-80s horror flicks:

Spookies (1984)
Incredible Melting Man -- At one time this was scheduled for R1 release...
NIGHT OF THE CREEPS. Glad I still have my LD copy.
Seizure (1974)
The People (1972)
ZOMBIE HIGH (1987)

The list goes on endlessly...

As to going MULTI-REGION, there is one problem that is insurmountable. I hope someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but PAL (region 2) films in NTSC are all affected by a 4% speedup due to the 25 fps signal encoding. So, going multi-region means spending big bucks for DVDs which are sped-up and sound squeaky-pitched. 100 minute films run only 96 minutes... this is not acceptable in my opinion, regardless of the number of must-have films released in Region 2... It may be correctable on equipment costing thousands of dollars, but I think there is no "cheap" solution to this annoying problem. Again, please enlighten me if there is!

Living Dead

My $150 Oppo DVD player plays DVD's from all regions without speedup issues. So it is possible to solve the problem on the cheap.

JOE29

I'm waiting for a few hits like Psycho IV, Witchfinder General (Conqueror Worm ) for R1.

AOD

If you can go multiregional, the UK and DE amazon have a release up. HERE is a link. It appears as though it is sold by Amazon in the UK and is distributed by Jef Films. Jef Films is kinda shady, so I don't know. There's only 1 left (more on the way) as of right now. Amazon.de even has it as an import from the UK HERE. Best of luck.

Trout

The user review makes it sound like a poor quality bootleg. I think I may pass on this one (mainly because I'm not multi-region)...oh well...

Joel Goodsen

The mutilator is available on DVD but region 2 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mutilator-Ma...5767463&sr=8-1

Curtains is also getting a release on Region 2 but bad cover art and the company releasing it is supposed to be dodgy.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Curtains-Joh...5767552&sr=1-1

We must think alike, I am waiting for Killer Party, Slaughter High and Curtains. I am also waiting for:

Final Exam
Night School
Humungous

They have got to get a release soon....Surely?

Nebiroth

You are essentially correct, but a 4% difference certainly doesn't make people sound as though they've been inhaling helium!

Most people wouldn't notice anything, but you might if you've been told beforehand to expect a difference, or if you played two discs and compared.

IMHO the problem is a very minor one.

I don't think it should stop anyone from getting hold of great films they may never be able to get in their home countries.

Half a loaf is better than no bread!

lotsofdvds

Anyone know why we don't have Prom Night 2 yet?

EdTheRipper

It's available in Canada.
http://www.amazon.com/Prom-Night-Hel...5781672&sr=8-1

Giles

saw this on imdb:

The version of the film shown on the MonstersHD channel (August 2006) is completely uncut. However the added bonus for this version is that they showed the film in its proper widescreen format. The film has never been issued in a widescreen format at all (short of its theatrical run) previously to this. the film is not true widescreen. It was shot open matte and the widescreen version on monstersHD, though the most beautiful print in existence, just has black bars added to the picture to give a false 1:85:1 ratio

the raft massacre scene can also be seen in it's uncut form in the documentary film 'Going to Pieces' - in open matte.

gutwrencher

Excluding imports....my official needed horror that I'm still waiting for adds up to 93 titles. I have no time to list....so you'll just have to trust this humble....horror....tramp.

advdfreak

A couple I would like to own on region 1 that have not been mentioned are "Student Bodies" and "Saturday the 14th". Anyone heard anything on these?

EdTheRipper

Saturday the 14th does have a Region 1 release. However, it's out of print and is apparently pretty tough to come by.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listi...6376931&sr=8-1

Those prices make me wonder if I should sell my copy

camwar

I heard awhile back that Rawhead Rex might be getting re-released on R1. Does anyone know if this is true or not?

JJE-187

Scarecrows is available at all $1 Shop's as a double feature with Garden Of The Dead. I bought mine around christmas and I have seen a few in the shops today. I believe it is uncut but I have not seen it for years.

Nebiroth

Don't know, but let's hope that someone releases it in proper OAR because at the moment only the French release from Mad Movies is anamorphic 1.78:1, all the others are 4:3 jobs.

The Horror Channel here in the UK has been repeating it, in letterbox.