Forget R1! I Am Going Region Free?
 

I am just curious. I know many don't like the PAL speed up and what not, but I am just curious if anyone is pretty much going the R2, R3 & R4 route and just avoiding Region 1 (as much as possible.) I had thought about trying this as many titles I like, which are available in R1, are just either cheaper (R3 for example) or just better versions (take your pick of region) in other regions.

Did that make sense? :)

I still only purchase those discs that are of better quality, ie transfer, special editions and of course exculsive region releases, other than that, primarily all region 1 releases---but I only ever buy what I REALLY want as my film viewing has steadily declined over the years as I become much much much more selective.

PAL speed up still doesn't bother me. evidently my eyes and ears are not as finely attuned as others.

Yes, and considering foreign DVDs are more expensive, there has to be good reason for me to do so. It would have to be a favorite movie that doesn't exist in R1 or a superior version, et cetera. However, a 16:9 in R2 is not enough if there is a non-anamorphic R1 available. It doesn't matter too much, since I still live in the 4:3 stone age. I am very selective in purchasing PAL disks...

i've thought about it since it would effectively stop most of my friends/family from borrowing my DVDs!:p A small amount do have region-free players, but they're just as anal about their stuff as i am about mine so it's cool.

done....Bill, I think you know my vote.

Pro-B ....:o

Svet, I would say you mainly buy outside of R1 except on those <U>VERY RARE</u> occasions...like a couple weeks ago when you ordered for DDD on those cheapy titles.

I am deifinitely gonna have to check out some of those discs you mention (when the money is right). I wish you had a profiler or something so I could check out what you got and see if something interests me.

Also, I asked this question because I found myself wanting (and have done) selling my non R1 discs when a new R1 is released. I really don't want to have to do that.

actually lately I bought a lot of American classics...I also have a small "guilty" section of my collection where I've bought quite a few films that probably only I like (The Last Dragon :o....but I grew up with some of those cheesy films...) other than that if a European/Asian film that I like comes in R1 with a better specs then I would go for it.....but many are simply not available here.....For example I bought Memento Mori twice...first time I was so upset with the subs I gave my disc to my brother, second time I bought it again just to watch it once and then I sold it, finally I ended up with the French version which is much better but does not have English subs....Lately however I've been really upset because none of the recent Italian films are coming here and I simply can not afford to import EVERYTHING i want to see (with the French and Spanish I have given up....only good thing is the Korean market which seems to include English subs almost all the time). As to German cinema- to sum it all up- A LOST CAUSE!!

Pro-B

My collection is about 95% region 1, i buy other regions for superior DTS mostly, or for movies that aren't available in R1.
Most of my superbits are other regions, since they're cheaper (R3).

I only buy other region discs when they're not available in R1

Only 1 of my 5 dvd players is region free so I'm selective. I get other region dvds that are not available R1 or clearly superior (like The Hitcher, M, Repulsion).

I am buying a balanced number from R1 and R2, R3, R4 (incldued R0)... there are many great films here as well as in other places in the world.

Cheers :beer:

DVD Smurf :)

Most of my purchases are R1 unless there is a reason to go to another region.

Common reasons for me are:

Di$ney's mistreatment of Asian films.
Hong Kong Legends :thumbsup:
The R1 rights are owned by Fox Lorber, New Yorker or some other company that can't/won't do it right.
The R1 rights holder goes on record that there will be no R1 DVD (The Girl on the Bridge).

Like others in this thread, although I have been region-free for a few years, I only buy non-R1 if there is a reason, whether its a better transfer or some kind of exclusive.

I am certainly not buying other regions to avoid R1 - most of my purchases still are R1. I didn't vote in your poll because their wasn't an option that really seemed to cover me - a fourth option for those who happily buy both seemed needed.

I buy R1's unless it's a different cut/unreleased movie, or a movie that's hitting DVD release in another part of the world as it's hitting theaters in the US (CTHD, 28 Days Later, etc.) I'd say about 10% of my collection is other regions, mainly R2 and some various asian releases. PAL speedup doesn't bother me, and I've got a player that looks great w/ PAL>NTSC conversions, so no problems there.

Buying exclusively outside of R1 is a great idea if you don't want your mooching friends/family borrowing your DVD's though.

I still buy mostly R1 DVDs, but after less than a year of being "region-free", I can't ever imagine turning back.

What would I be missing? Well, all those great R2 Hong Kong Legends releases, the 2-disc editions of <i>Deer Hunter</i> and <i>The Hitcher</i>, great commentary tracks on such favorites as <i>Starman</i> and <i>They Live</i>, finally being able to enjoy such early Powell-Pressburger films as <i>Gone To Earth</i> and <i>A Canterbury Tale</i>, comedy classics such as the St Trinians trilogy, widescreen box set of all 3 <i>Karate Kid</i> movies, etc. etc.

And the R3 Celestial releases of the Shaw Brothers movies is reason enough to go region-free!

Films, films and films! I'm only interested in what's on the disc. Where it comes from is irrelevant.

In the last 2 months I've bought from:

Holland
Germany
Italy
France
Japan
Denmark
Australia
Hong Kong
Mainland China
Korea
USA
Canada
UK

What do these countries have in common (apart from being invaded by the UK, USA or Germany :D)? Yes, they all have separate DVD markets. I'm sure people in the US wouldn't restrict themselves to buying from only California or Mississippi, there are 50 states to choose from. You have to look further than your back yard.


The USA and Canda have been VERY slow to go multiregion. Almost EVERY shop in the UK sells multiregion DVD players (at US$60 or less). Even Amazon.co.uk (partly owned by Time-Warner) openly (scream it in fact) sell many multiregion players and have done so for years.

I don't get this PAL complaint. Every UK (and European) DVD player plays all PAL and NTSC discs perfectly (and automatically). If people have a problem with PAL it's because of their home cinema set-up.

If I was in the US I'd import a UK [multi] Region 2 player and a power convertor. We've been doing PAL/NTSC and NTSC/PAL for over 20 years (VHS) and we do it perfectly.


We want the finest DVDs available to humanity, we want them here, and we want them now! :D

Are you mainly buying R2, R3 & R4 instead of R1?


No! I still buy more Region 1 discs because you have a larger specific copyright market (ie more people in one distributor-owned territory).

Like many others, the great majority of DVDs I buy are still region 1. I only import a disc if it's unavailable in region 1, the region 1 version is fullscreen or the overseas version has significantly more special features. The biggest reason for this is that my region-free player is of, shall we say, the inexpensive kind. It'll play anamorphic PAL perfectly, but the remote is awkward and my dedicated region 1 player uses the sole s-video outlet. I'm also a frequent user of closed captioning (I find it easier to read than subtitles), and most overseas CC formats are incompatible with American TVs.

Buy mostly Region 1 for the price, much cheaper then Region 2.
I buy a lot of Region 3 dvds when the price is good for the movie.
I'll break down and buy from any region if its a noticeably better transfer and if i enjoyed the movie. (Anamorphic, DTS, DD5.1 instead of DD2.0).
I never run into PAL/NTSC conversion issues as I use a Home Theater PC and a X1 Projector and DVD Idle Pro to make the movie region free and to remove all DVD restrictions on the disk. (Forced Trailers, FBI Warnings, etc...).

I'm in the UK and I mainly buy R1. Works out much cheaper :thumbsup:

I go with other regions only when they work out cheaper or are a better release.

I'm in the majority here. I only buy a non-R1 if it's warranted.
Mostly for DTS tracks that are lacking in R1.

Most of my movies are R1. Things like added DTS tracks or a handful of special features don't really concern me, I generally only buy non-R1 if it's a movie that I want that's not available in R1 or if the R1 version is cut.

im from the UK and have a region-free player, so i buy R1's coz they are cheaper lol :), my collection is about half and half :D