Region conversion

[agent222]

There are some tv movies available on DVD that I might want to purchase. Unfortunately, they would be an european import, set to region 2. If I were to actually purchase these movies is there a way I could rip, and, convert them to region 1 (or, if necessary region free.)?
thanks

[Baldrick]

Yep. Most rippers removes region coding like dvdfab decrypter and anydvd.

BUT your dvd player must also support PAL DVDs.

[agent222]

I understand I can save the movie to my hard drive. But the question is can I take that saved movie and burn it as a region 1 DVD?

[jman98]

I understand I can save the movie to my hard drive. But the question is can I take that saved movie and burn it as a region 1 DVD?

It is theoretically possible to make this a region 1 DVD but...
1) Doing so is VERY difficult. I can only think of one software program for consumers that is able to deliberately burn a specific region code on a DVD.
2) Even if we told you how to do it, which is completely unnecessary as region free DVDs should always be supported, the real issue is what Baldrick says. You'll have a PAL DVD and your DVD player and TV may have problems with that. So the lack of region coding is not the deal breaker. It just depends on whether your DVD player will play PAL DVDs (some sold in the USA and Canada will not), whether or not your TV can accept a PAL video signal when the DVD played and whether or not your DVD player can be changed to output NTSC video for all video playback if your TV won't accept PAL video input from the player.

[agent222]

I think I must be confused. I asked because I wasn't sure. But if I saved the movie to my hard rive as an .avi file, couldn't I take ANY burning software, and, burn the .avi file to my default region settings for my software?

[Noahtuck]

AVI's do not have region codes.

As already stated, just ripping the DVD to your HDD will remove the region coding of the DVD.

You can burn it back to a DVDR and as long as your equipment will convert PAL to NTSC you can play/watch it on standalone equipment.

[DB83]

Yes and no.

Why would you wish to save it as an avi?. You will lose quality in that conversion which you will not get back by re-burning.

The 'default' region setting for your software and MOST software is region 0. Also reported as regions 1,2,3,4,5,6

Ulead DVD Workshop can burn a region specific dvd but there is no point.

And has been already stated, the region is the least of your concerns.

[agent222]

Baldrick, Noahtuck, DB83. I believe we have come to an understanding. If I rip the movie to my hard drive, it will then become "region free," and I then can burn that file to DVD, and, the resulting disc should play on all my devices with out problem.

[jman98]

agent222 - This is NOT recommended, but you could to one of these.

Rip the DVD to your hard drive and then either
1) Convert it to AVI and then convert that to NTSC DVD.
2) Convert the trip to NTSC DVD.

Note that PAL -> NTSC DVD conversions are possible (we have guides telling how to do it), but many don't like the results. You'll lose some quality and motion scenes can look unnatural, which many don't like. But it is possible to do this. Your least quality destructive option among those choices would be #2 but you'll still lose quality.

[hech54]

Baldrick, Noahtuck, DB83. I believe we have come to an understanding. If I rip the movie to my hard drive, it will then become "region free," and I then can burn that file to DVD, and, the resulting disc should play on all my devices with out problem.

Region Codes are easy to defeat....but you have ANOTHER problem. Your DVDs will be and always will be a different Video Format than your television is able to play.
European DVDs and VHS are PAL Video Format. Video Format has NOTHING to do with Region Codes.
In other words....you have TWO hurdles you must cross in order for you to be able to watch these DVDs....Region Codes AND Video Format. They are NOT the same.

[Gavino]

Worth pointing out, in case agent222 is unaware, that he will have no problem playing the ripped DVD on a computer, the problem only comes when he tries to play it (or a copy) on standalone NTSC equipment.