Why don't you have a region free player?
 

First off, just a note...I am not intending this discussion to be for people who already have region free players, so please don't move to the International Forum!

I am curious from time to time when people ask when such and such a movie is coming out on DVD and it's been out for YEARS over seas in another region. And often better editions get released over seas, TV shows don't suffer the music edits they suffer in America (which, AFAIK, is the reason season sets of Ally McBeal are available in every region except region 1), and not to mention there are movies out over there that haven't been released here yet, TV shows from the UK and such....the list goes on and on of over seas material not available here in America.

I will tell people I know about region free players and they always say the same thing..."Yeah, I gotta get one." And yet they never do.

It's not like region free players are hard to come by. If you don't like ordering your electronics online, you can find plenty of players in regular stores that can be hacked with little difficulty to play region free. And you can find easy to hack players or even region free ready players for low prices. The days of ultra expensive region free players is a thing of the past.

So....why haven't you bought a region free player yet?

I've owned several "do-it-yourself" region free players.

cal. how about you refer me to a couple.

other specs i am looking for in a region free player
-upconverting to 1080i/p
-zoom function

I have one. Who told you I didn't have one?!?!?

Well, it's not so much that region free player is hard to come by. It's more like imported DVDs are more expensive to purchase. So, it's a bit of an investment but if there's enough you want you can justify it.

I don't have a 1080 HDTV yet so I can't really give recommendations there. I've referred to www.dvdrhelp.com and http://www.hkflix.com/hardware/ in the past for recommendations on regular region free players from actual pros and consumers...not sure about high def region free at this point. I do see some HD upcoverting players on the hkflix link when I go to it.

I have the Sony DVPNS75H, anyone know if this is easy to hack?

When I first got into buying dvds, I planned on getting a region-free player. Now, as the years have passed, I've lost interest.

I have a Denon 3910 firmware upgraded to Region Free.

It's an awesome beast: Plays all regions as well as PAL discs; up-converts to 720p/1080i; plays SACD and DVD-A. It's a great companion to my HD DVD player, and will remain a part of my set-up until it dies.

good thread OP...

good stuff...

Personally, the only things I've come across in other regions that I *need* are music DVDs, and thus far they've all been R0 and my TV plays PAL so I've never had to get a region free player. However, I am considering it lately since it's becoming clear to me that Lost Highway is never going to get a R1 release. Ever.

Sometimes the overseas version is more expensive, and sometimes it's not, but it's not as though you're compelled to buy the non-R1 version if you don't think the quality difference warrants the cost. Additionally, once you go region free you can sell some of your OOP R1 titles for outrageous prices and rebuy the titles in equal or better quality non-R1 versions.

If anybody's looking the ~$40 Philips DVP3960 really does play anything and is very easy to make region free. I've enjoyed it very much and the price is right, check Wal Mart for it.

I don't have one. I'd say that while there are some special edition sets in other regions that are impressive, I don't care enough to seek them out over just going to Best Buy or Target, and thus don't feel the need to spend the money on a new DVD player. I guess i'm just not as big of a collector to feel I need one.

Plus, I watch DVD's in other locations in the apartment, including the PS2 now thats hooked up to my bedroom TV. That would cause a hassle. Not to mention having to tell people that ask to borrow a movie that they can't because their DVD player won't play it.

I have a region free player and the only reason I got it was to watch Region 3 Hong Kong movies, since most HK DVD's are very affordable. Alot of overseas DVD's are very expensive, especially in Japan. I was in Osaka this summer and saw Prison Break Season 2 being sold for around $200 with all the same material on the Region 1 release. I did see The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen 2-disc special edition which is not available here selling for around $40, which is not worth it for a crappy movie.

If you enjoy watching foreign films and may occassionally find an American movie overseas with special features not available here, then by all means get a Region free player.

I highly recommend the Philips DVP642. Cheap, it'll play anything thrown at it (including PAL) and the all-region hack is simply pushing a sequence of buttons on the remote. Best electronic purchase I've ever made.

I'm planning on buying one. I want one to watch Britcoms from England in R2. I'm trying to find one in the $100 or less range that will play these and not have any of the "stretching" that comes with PAL to NTSC transfers. I've seen some that are hacked on websites and ther'e ones you can by at the store that you can hack yourself. I know most people by them for the asian imports, so it's hard to find information on R2 PAL hacks.

Any reccomendations? Is it best to buy one already hacked where I shouldn't have any of the "stretching" problems, or can I find one that's easy to do at home?

I have two: A Malata and an Oppo.


Will it upconvert over component video?

I have a Momitsu I'm about ready to put into the trade forum soon if anyone is interested.

10. I like to know exactly what I'm paying for a DVD without needing a conversion chart.

9. Patience can sometimes win out in the end (like holding out for the complete Twin Peaks set I can finally forget about my VHS tapes of the show).

8. I've got a long enough "to watch" pile as it is when I buy only region one releases.

7. I spend too much just buying region one releases as it is.

6. I barely have enough time to keep track of all the releases in the US I want, without needing to know what's coming out in every other country in the world.

5. I really only care about the movie- not collectible tins, posters, trinkets or an extra disc or two of extras I may or may not watch (and may or may not be in English if it's from another region).

4. In the unlikely event I were to run across a DVD from a different region that I must have, I can get it and watch it on my computer.

3. All my trusted on-line sites and B&M stores only sell region one, and I don't care to look for international places that may or may not be trustworthy.

2. Don't know enough to ward against bootlegs and such.

1. I don't want the DVD police to arrest me.

Huh?

Not likely. Sony owns a movie studio, so they have a vested interest in enforcing region coding. Their players have always been nearly impossible to hack without installing mod chips.

The Oppo players do a nice job on all those counts.

....because my current DVD player has not given me one ounce of trouble.

kidding

I've been looking for a VCR/DVD Recorder combo that is hackable. Anyone have any suggestions?