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  1. I have a few DVDs that won't play correctly on my Sony Bravia. I get a message "Unsuported signal. Check output device". I can see on my DVD player that the DVD is actually playing, as the timer is advancing. I can also hear the audio through the Sony.

    The DVD plays perfectly on my PC.

    Any idea how to fix this? Can I copy the DVD to another format or something?
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  2. I'm a MEGA Super Moderator Baldrick's Avatar
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    PAL dvds?
    Commercial dvds?
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  3. Member hech54's Avatar
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    PAL vs. NTSC?
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  4. It's a commercial DVD and I think says "Pal Region 2" on it in tiny, tiny print. Does that mean it's not intended to be played in the US? Can I make a copy in a different format?
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  5. Member hech54's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by Maldez View Post
    It's a commercial DVD and I think says "Pal Region 2" on it in tiny, tiny print. Does that mean it's not intended to be played in the US? Can I make a copy in a different format?
    American televisions normally cannot play PAL material. That situation is changing for the better but only because of HD material gaining popularity.
    What kind of video files(if any) can your TV play? and how can you play(input them to the TV) them(USB stick, etc etc)?
    A straight DVD to DVD - PAL to NTSC conversion is NOT for the faint hearted. There are quick and dirty methods that work, but you will not have any menus and quality will suffer.
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  6. Originally Posted by hech54 View Post
    American televisions normally cannot play PAL material. That situation is changing for the better but only because of HD material gaining popularity.
    What kind of video files(if any) can your TV play? and how can you play(input them to the TV) them(USB stick, etc etc)?
    A straight DVD to DVD - PAL to NTSC conversion is NOT for the faint hearted. There are quick and dirty methods that work, but you will not have any menus and quality will suffer.
    My Tv, a Sony Bravia, generally plays everything and and anything I run through my DVD player, a Pioneer DVD 610-AV. The Pioneer is connected to the Sony via HDMI cable.
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  7. Member hech54's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by Maldez View Post
    My Tv, a Sony Bravia, generally plays everything and and anything I run through my DVD player, a Pioneer DVD 610-AV. The Pioneer is connected to the Sony via HDMI cable.
    Everything except PAL DVDs you mean?
    Originally Posted by Maldez View Post
    I have a few DVDs that won't play correctly on my Sony Bravia.
    It's a commercial DVD and I think says "Pal Region 2" on it in tiny, tiny print.
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  8. Of all the North American TV brands, Sony is the most finicky at playing anything but straight-up commercial Region1 NTSC material. Sony Bravias will randomly play or refuse to play "deviant" videos for any number of reasons: connection (HDMI succeeds more often than component or composite), region code (PAL Code 0 dvds will usually display on a Sony via HDMI from a Pioneer, Region 2 will not of course), format specifics of the video, etc. Sonys are even worse at playing files via their USB ports: forget it (my Sonys won't even play NTSC via USB, while my Samsungs will play absolutely anything no matter how screwy the file).

    There is also an overall HDMI issue that afflicts all Sony Bravias: they frequently drop connection to audio or video or both, esp if you have multiple HDMI devices connected to the TV and switch between them often. Most common Sony HDMI glitch is lost audio, the only way to restore it is shut down the TV and the device, turn the device back on, then turn the TV back on. Ditto if iyour Bravia refuses to show video.

    If you're only having this problem with one or two DVDs that are labeled PAL Region 2, it is a combination of your player and the TV not liking the region. I use clone software to make a backup DVD stripped of region (PAL Region 0). This can be done with DVDFab, DVDshrink or CloneDVD/AnyDVD. Most disc players with HDMI will send a usable signal to most "NTSC" HDTVs from a PAL disc as long as the disc is Region 0.
    Last edited by orsetto; 5th Apr 2014 at 13:20.
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  9. Member hech54's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by orsetto View Post
    If you're only having this problem with one or two DVDs that are labeled PAL Region 2, it is a combination of your player and the TV not liking the region.
    Sorry but televisions have ZERO to do with region codes. Televisions only care about NTSC/PAL. Televisions never see the region code. The region code stops at the player.
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  10. I'm a Super Moderator johns0's Avatar
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    My sony bravia will play pal dvd from my sony blu-ray player as long as it is in mkv or mp4 so what you can do is use makemkv to make mkv which aren't re-encoded or use handbrake to encode to mkv.
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    Originally Posted by orsetto View Post
    . . .
    There is also an overall HDMI issue that afflicts all Sony Bravias: they frequently drop connection to audio or video or both, esp if you have multiple HDMI devices connected to the TV and switch between them often. Most common Sony HDMI glitch is lost audio, the only way to restore it is shut down the TV and the device, turn the device back on, then turn the TV back on. Ditto if iyour Bravia refuses to show video.
    . . .
    I dunno about what Hech54 had to say, but I can confirm some HDMI cabling connection error messages -- and resulting in (temporary) non-usability of the system -- with a relative's setup built around a Bravia 42" LCD tv. The tv is only about 2 years old. Forget about PAL vs. NTSC: sources being fed into the tv include Tivo, with Netflix or just regular cable channels, or DVDs played on an Oppo 980, most of those being NTSC. There is definitely something intermittently flakey going on. We had some suspicion regarding the HDMI cables, which I think was probably a red herring. (That means a false, non-clue, for those of you under 40 or so.) Switching to different cables may have helped, briefly, but then the suspect cables functioned just fine elsewhere. I mean, either that stuff works, or it doesn't. So your explanation I would take as a confirmation of what has occurred at that location.
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  12. Originally Posted by orsetto View Post
    Of all the North American TV brands, Sony is the most finicky at playing anything but straight-up commercial Region1 NTSC material. Sony Bravias will randomly play or refuse to play "deviant" videos for any number of reasons: connection (HDMI succeeds more often than component or composite), region code (PAL Code 0 dvds will usually display on a Sony via HDMI from a Pioneer, Region 2 will not of course), format specifics of the video, etc. Sonys are even worse at playing files via their USB ports: forget it (my Sonys won't even play NTSC via USB, while my Samsungs will play absolutely anything no matter how screwy the file).

    There is also an overall HDMI issue that afflicts all Sony Bravias: they frequently drop connection to audio or video or both, esp if you have multiple HDMI devices connected to the TV and switch between them often. Most common Sony HDMI glitch is lost audio, the only way to restore it is shut down the TV and the device, turn the device back on, then turn the TV back on. Ditto if iyour Bravia refuses to show video.

    If you're only having this problem with one or two DVDs that are labeled PAL Region 2, it is a combination of your player and the TV not liking the region. I use clone software to make a backup DVD stripped of region (PAL Region 0). This can be done with DVDFab, DVDshrink or CloneDVD/AnyDVD. Most disc players with HDMI will send a usable signal to most "NTSC" HDTVs from a PAL disc as long as the disc is Region 0.
    Thx, Orsetto, for your very thorough and knowledgeable reply. If I'm not mistaken, you helped me out on an issue I was having with a Pioneer Elite DVR-7000 a couple years ago. It's guys like you that make these technical forums so great.

    As for this particular problem, as it's only happening with a very few DVDs, and they're either Pal discs (just 1), or pirated discs bought on vacation in the Philippines for practically nothing, I'm going to wave the white flag and not go to war. Just not worth it.

    Thanks again for your help!
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  13. Originally Posted by hech54 View Post
    Originally Posted by orsetto View Post
    If you're only having this problem with one or two DVDs that are labeled PAL Region 2, it is a combination of your player and the TV not liking the region.
    Sorry but televisions have ZERO to do with region codes. Televisions only care about NTSC/PAL. Televisions never see the region code. The region code stops at the player.

    I've put in a call to Matt Groening and requested Bart Simpson's next blackboard scrawl be

    TVs do not read region codes
    TVs do not read region codes
    TVs do not read region codes
    Last edited by orsetto; 8th Apr 2014 at 18:22.
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  14. I'm a Super Moderator johns0's Avatar
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    My bravia has none of the issues orsetto pointed out,i doubt he has ever tried a sony bravia.
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  15. Heck54 is correct, your TV doesn't care about region codes but your player does.

    As for a solution, I would use AnyDVD + Handbrake to convert to MP4*. You can then stream the video or load it on a USB drive, I use WMP12 to stream my movies to my Sony devices. If your Pioneer doesn't have a USB port or is not Wi-Fi enabled then you have to convert the DVD to NTSC which is a PITA. Final solution is to connect your PC to your TV.

    * I recommend MP4 because all devices support it, some don't support MKV.
    Last edited by MOVIEGEEK; 8th Apr 2014 at 21:39.
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  16. Member godai's Avatar
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    i have sony bravia too, i only try streaming of my computer to bravia tv, and until now all is fine, .ts, mp4 works perfectly.
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  17. Originally Posted by johns0 View Post
    My bravia has none of the issues orsetto pointed out,i doubt he has ever tried a sony bravia.
    The dick quotient on this forum shows no signs of abating.

    FYI, wiseass, I own a KDL-32EX500 and KDL-40BX420. I've got friends and relatives with various Sonys made over the past six years. All exhibit issues with HDMI. They aren't dealbreaker issues, it isn't a constant problem, but it happens often enough to notice. Other makes have similar issues to a greater or lesser degree. The Sonys nonetheless have a known rep for losing HDMI connections when switching inputs or sometimes just speed-searching a DVD or BD you lose the audio until you reboot both devices. When it started happening, I looked online and many owners reported it, also confirmed by anyone I know who has one. It is alarming until you discover other owners experience it and its just a design hiccup: otherwise you might think the set is dying. It can be reassuring to know others have the same issue: it helps you decide whether you can relax, or whether yours needs repair.

    Every brand or model series has quirks. My Samsung plays any conceivable video file from a thumb drive, my Sonys refuse to recognize many video files: they list the files but declare them to be unsupported (AVI, MP4, MKV, PAL, NTSC, whatever). JPEGs and MP3s no problem, just won't play most videos from a USB stick. But the Sonys have more subtle realistic color, so I work around their file pickyness by using a media player. It is what it is. My Panasonic is the same way: connect a dedicated media player or don't bother with video files. Nothing new there: the number one complaint about TVs is "it won't play all my random videos from a USB thumb drive."

    The rest of you blowing smoke up my ass about region codes, chill FFS: I was referring to Maldez' combination of disc player, particular PAL disc, its possible region code, and the TV not communicating together- not claiming his TV on its own did not like the region, but his player blanking the signal because of the region. Some Pioneer players behave confusingly: instead of throwing up a region restriction alert, they go thru the motions of playing the region-restricted disc, and you get sound but no picture on the TV. This can mislead non-geeks to think their TV is the problem.
    Last edited by orsetto; 9th Apr 2014 at 14:36.
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  18. I'm a Super Moderator johns0's Avatar
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    Just chill out,nobody is badmouthing you,i do service calls and never have issues with sony bravia tvs,some people i know have issues with samsung so it goes both ways.
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  19. Member hech54's Avatar
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    I've been in "PAL Territory" for over 10 years now after growing up in NTSC-Land(I'm almost 50 now).....I sure don't miss all of this PAL/NTSC nonsense. Me, my region free Toshiba DVD player, and my LG and Philips LCD televisions that have yet to be stumped by any "normal" video file I've slapped onto a USB stick are happy campers.
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  20. According to the manual you can set some values for the HDMI output such as resolution. Check if the HDMI resolution/timing/color etc. is on Auto. If it is, try setting it to the optimal settings for your region, 1080 60Hz. If it's set, try the DVD again. Hopefully the DVD player will convert/scale the output creating a compatible signal. I guess now it's selecting an PAL-ish resolution/Hz and your TV doesn't seem to like that.
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  21. Thx....the "HDMI Out" options on the Pioneer are:

    LPCM(2CH)
    LPCM(5.1CH)
    AUTO (which it is currently set to)
    AUTO(DSD)
    Off

    Any idea which one I should try?
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  22. That looks like audio. Is there a video section with HDMI options? I would expect 480/576/720/1080 options.
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    There's an awful lot of blather going on here with some useful information, some not so useful, yet nobody seems to have cut to the heart of the matter.

    The OP needs to get a converting DVD player that can change regions. Set it to region 2 and NTSC output for the region 2 PAL DVDs and he's fixed. The Philippines DVDs are another story. The Philippines is an NTSC country but on the black market the DVDs themselves could be anything. Setting the region to 0 and forcing NTSC output should solve that problem too.

    PCs don't have PAL vs. NTSC issues and depending on the playback software you use, they may not check region codes, which is why your DVDs work on a PC.
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  24. Many websites state that the player is region free. The manual says that if it's still an incompatible region the player will display "Incompatible disc region number Can’t play disc". IMHO enforcing an output resolution should cause the player to scale/convert the video to a compatible signal.

    For the topic starter, if you download the manual, check page 39, "Video Output Settings".
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  25. What about using this free DVD Converter software ......could that take a PAL disc and convert it to NTSC?....http://www.dvdvideosoft.com/products/dvd/Free-Video-to-DVD-Converter.htm#.U0c5ZFeAmtI
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    Originally Posted by Rawit View Post
    Many websites state that the player is region free. The manual says that if it's still an incompatible region the player will display "Incompatible disc region number Can’t play disc". IMHO enforcing an output resolution should cause the player to scale/convert the video to a compatible signal.

    For the topic starter, if you download the manual, check page 39, "Video Output Settings".
    It's either not really region free or it's not converting to NTSC. Only the OP can check those things out. Pioneer players typically can convert between NTSC and PAL, but it's possible that it's on some kind of default video output setting like "ANY" or "MULTI" instead of "NTSC" and that would certainly cause the problem reported.

    Maldez - Yes it is possible to convert from PAL DVD to NTSC DVD, but my general rule is that if you have to do this more than 2 times, you are idiot. The ONLY sane solution is to get a converting region free DVD player rather than having to do this kind of conversion from PAL to NTSC a bunch of times. You will lose quality AND menus when you do this kind of conversion. Your player may be region free and the issue may be that the video output by default is set to ANY or MULTI and it needs to be NTSC. You really need to look into that as if I am right, it should solve your problem to set the video output to NTSC.
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  27. Thx. Can you recommend a "converting region free DVD player" ? Here's a Pioneer I saw on Amazon that looks interesting.....http://www.amazon.com/New-Pioneer-DV-420K-Upconverting/dp/B002CO6GUK/ref=sr_1_12?s=ele...mi+region+free
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  28. Originally Posted by Maldez View Post
    Thx. Can you recommend a "converting region free DVD player" ? Here's a Pioneer I saw on Amazon that looks interesting.....http://www.amazon.com/New-Pioneer-DV-420K-Upconverting/dp/B002CO6GUK/ref=sr_1_12?s=ele...mi+region+free

    Looks like a winner according to the reviews, it's also fulfilled by Amazon in case it doesn't work.
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  29. I'd ready to grab this Pioneer All Region DVD player (http://www.amazon.com/New-Pioneer-DV-420K-Upconverting/dp/B002CO6GUK/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top) but there's one negative review that has me a little worried.

    This review is from: New Pioneer DV 420K - All Region Free Multi System / Multi Region 1080p DVD Player with HDMI Upconverting & USB (Electronics)

    The description on this item is "Multi Region Code Zone Free" which states it will play any DVD with any region code; however, what it doesn't explain is that you have to pick the "ONE" region code you want this to be able to play. It WILL NOT play "ALL" regions. This information is misleading and when I received the product, it was for Region #4 ONLY. I contacted the company and was informed that this only plays 1 region and you have to specify when ordering which region you want. When I placed the order, there wasn't any type of option or information stating that you had to pick the region you wanted.

    But I think the guy is probably a moron, because what he's saying sounds absurd and no other reviewer had the same problem.
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  30. Member classfour's Avatar
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    Get a $20 chinese cheapo - most play any region.
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