[ale] OT - DVD player NTSC/PAL Region Free

[James Sumners]

You're going to have a tough time finding anything here in the states
that will play PAL discs. Especially at so called big box stores.
Since the USA is NTSC, and most of our hardware originates in NTSC
countries (Japan, Taiwan, etc.), almost nothing supports it. For
example, my first DVD player, a Panasonic, had a region unlock code
that could be entered via the remote control. Even after entering the
code I could not play my Orbital Altogether DVD -- it is region 2, PAL
formatted. So, even if you can unlock the player, or the player is
region free, you will still need a player that is capable of PAL.
Which you have learned.

You should start looking at specialty shops online. That, or build and
HTPC. I put together one, without a television tuner, at Newegg a
couple weeks ago for about $350. I used nothing but parts $50 and
under, where possible (I started with an AMD Athlon 64 X2 and built
from there); they even have HTPC cases. I didn't put a tuner in it
because I want a pcHDTV card. If you don't care about HD, then it
would be about $400.

I doubt MythTV cares about region codes, and any old PC DVD reader
will read NTSC and PAL.

On Dec 3, 2007 9:29 AM, Jeff Lightner <jlightner at water.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> Anyone know of a place in the metro area where I can find a DVD player that
> does NTSC & PAL video and is Region Free (or at least does Zone 1 & 2 DVDs)?
>
> Not looking for hi-def.  (For use with a TV not a computer.)
>
>
>
> I have a friend going back to France on Wednesday.   She'd like to get a
> U.S. DVD Player because having lived her many years she has quite a few zone
> 1 DVDs.   After some research I found that in addition to the regions BS
> done by the motion picture studios there is also a different video standard
> in U.S. than most of Europe.  NTSC or PAL.  (More interestingly apparently
> France has its own standard called Secam but I gather that French TVs will
> actually do both PAL and Secam and she has a TV made in England anyway.)
>
> Shockingly enough none of the big manufacturers specify any of this on their
> boxes at the stores.   I did find a couple of unknown brands, Coby and
> Telectronic(I think) at H.H. Gregg that did at least say they did NTSC/PAL.
> For what she was originally looking for that would do it.  (She knows about
> the power difference and has converters.)   I figured I'd go the extra step
> and find one that was Region Free so she can play both her US and European
> DVDs.
>
>
>
> I see these on line but due to the short time I'd like to find a local one I
> can go and pick up.   Ideally it would be one of the smaller units as she'll
> need to pack it in her luggage.  The Coby 237 looks like it would fit the
> bill.   The Coby 224ss is the one I saw at H.H. Gregg but it isn't region
> free.   There is a Pioneer model for $$$ that looks like it would fit the
> bill as well though it doesn't look like it is as small as the Coby one.
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-- 
James Sumners
http://james.roomfullofmirrors.com/

"All governments suffer a recurring problem: Power attracts
pathological personalities. It is not that power corrupts but that it
is magnetic to the corruptible. Such people have a tendency to become
drunk on violence, a condition to which they are quickly addicted."

Missionaria Protectiva, Text QIV (decto)
CH:D 59