US DVD player that palys PAL discs on NTSC TV

[snagx]

Hi,

I am looking for a DVD player that plays the following:

1-PAL disks (Home made - no region codes) on a NTSC (only) TV in USA.

2-MP3s

3-SVCDs

Also, does it matter to have Dolby Digital 5.1 decoder built in the DVD player? I have an audio reciever that has Dolby Digital 5.1 decoder; will it deliver true 5.1 channel output from a DVD player that has no decoder?

Will appreciate any reply.

Thanks in advance

[FranckV]

For #2 & #3, you should not have to much trouble finding what you are looking for. CHeck the DVD player compatibility list on this web site.

For #1 ?

I think the best is for you to take 1 of each disk with you and try before you buy in the store.

[snagx]

Right Frank, but it is the combination of 2 and 3 with 1 that I am looking for with #1 being the most important since I have my son's videos in PAL and have recycled some of the original DV tapes.

[FranckV]

You could use your computer to convert the mpg file to NTSC and re-burn new CDs. Other than the fact that it is time consuming, it will probably be much cheaper than buying a PAL compatible DVD equiped with a PAL to NTSC converter.

I have a DVD player that I bought in Europe that can play both PAL & NTSC. This is very common in Europe because most DVD movies come out in the US first. Unfortunately, my NTSC TV does not understand the signal.

I have seen some adds about multisatndard VHS players in the plane in Skymall magazine (www.skymall.com). May be they carry also multistandard DVD players.

[winman42]

OK, every APEX model does PAL on an NTSC tv, and also mp3 playback from cdr's. I'm not sure that all of them do SVCD however. My Apex
model 600A has a tough time with them, but it is the 1st Aped model.

You can also try the Malata unit, which does of that stuff.
http://www.avdeals.com/malata_dvd.htm

Try taking an SVCD into your local store, and giving the various
APEX models a spin.

WInston

[hard worker]

Hey man go to Wall Mart and pick up the GE1101P for $119.00 it playes pal on NTSC TV plays vcd, svcd,xvcd @5000b\r, xsvcds @7000b\rand plays MP3's .read the report in DVDplayers. Its a cool little player.

[Tearren]

Winman42, I don't mean to dispute what you are saying, but I don't want Snagx to be mislead either.

I have an NTSC only TV and an APEX 5131 (3-disc changer) and it will not play PAL formated disks on my NTSC only TV. I have tried it. It will either play the disk and the picture is really tiny in the upper left coner of the screen with no sound and a bunch of wavey lines, or it doesn't play them at all. I have to use the conversion method on this website to get them to play. Perhaps other APEX DVD players have a converter, but the APEX 5131 doesn't. The APEX would however fullfill requirements #2 & #3. I do beleive it will play PAL disks on a TV that supports PAL, however.

Winman42,
If there is a way to make my APEX 5131 play PAL disks on my NTSC TV I would apprecaite the info (Such as through a firmware upgrade).

Good luck Snagx,

Tearren

[winman42]

Hi Tearen, no worries, maybe we can figure this out. According to
the APEX website, the model 5131 DOES do PAL and NTSC output.
http://www.apexdigitalinc.com/html/AD-5131.html

I've also seen many other users say they have this working with no
problem. See the Nerd-Out Forums. http://www.nerd-out.com/forum/

Also, are you sure you have the TV output settings correct on
your APEX? I had mine incorrectly set to MULTISTANDARD tv,
and my unit would not play PAL discs. When correctly set to
NTSC tv, PAL discs WILL play.

All the APEX models have a built in PAL to NTSC convertor, so they
will play PAL dvd's on an NTSC television. If yours is not working
correctly, i'd check into it. Are you playing a NON REGION CODED
pal dvd? I'm sure the 5131 is not an ALL region unit.

Also, Circuit City has the Apex AD1500 for $69.99
http://dealnews.com/articles/32224.html

Winston

[avl1]

Tigerwolf's reply to me in the thread "Can someone suggest a quality DVD plyr that plays everything" states that Pioneer-440 will play PAL (at least a VCD) on an NTSC TV. I just figured out that a VCD that I have from a friend is in PAL and we watched it on an NTSC TV (see the "PAL/NTSC confusion" thread). Also I hear all the time that there is no problem in the US with PAL VCDs (again, not DVDs). Well, I guess the confusion is continuing.

[snagx]

AVI1,

Official replies from

Pioneer - "No" their players sold in the US will not play PAL discs on NTSC TV!
Sampo - "All SAMPO dvd players support Pal disks. You just need to
set up TV mode to NTSC or multi instead of PAL in getting
color picture."
Panasonic - "Thank you for your inquiry. However, to receive information regarding multi-system, or 220 voltage products, please contact:

The Algert Company, Inc.
1-800-220-WORL (9675)
sales@algert.com

Panasonic actually manufactures this type of product for one specified company"


Haven't heard from Apex yet.

I have another question for you guys:
I have a Harman Kardon AVR120 receiver-home theater with Dolby digital 5.1 encoder. Do I need a DVD player with a built-in DD encoder or the one without will do to get DD5.1 output.

This thread is getting very interesting; lets keep it that way.

Thanks in advance

[Chris Smithe]

Correction, no Pioneer will play PAL DVD discs on NTSC (that I'm aware of or have found in researching). They will play PAL VCD and some even SVCD just fine. This comes from numerous user reports.

Now my question--if they will play PAL VCD's, wouldn't it be likely that the unit could be made easily to play PAL DVD's as well? Or is there a whole other standard involved here?

Chris

[avl1]

Some more explanation from another forum.

"VCD MPEG1 is not playback standards dependant. The vcd player playes back NTSC or PAL acording to where the player is sold.

DVD is different MPEG2 will output as pal or ntsc unless you have a
converting output on the player.

The only real problem is the rolling if the tv cannot sync to 50hz. rgb or
componant will work for the colour but svideo will not work if your tv is
not pal compatable."

Still not quite clear for me why MPEG1 is converted to the right format and MPEG2 is not.

[gringo]

Marantz DV4200 plays PAL (-G, european PAL) DVD's on NTCS TV's. I live in Brazil, and this was the only one I found down here able to do this job. Audio CD/mp3 as well, no prob.

It won't take VCD/SVCD though, I thought I saw something on this issue somewhere, that you should be able to workaround this problem. Anyone seen this / have any input ?

Per

[winman42]

Again, you can just go to the APEX website to see that all of their
models does PAL and NTSC...

www.apexdigitalinc.com

Winston