What's the point of a region free player?

[obrian93]

(also posted at dvd-wizards)

I can see it if you travel. . . But what if you're stateside all the time? After considerable effort adding the mods to my 600a, I've come up with a question (that will hopefully justify my actions).

Are there online resources (links/spam welcome) for releases not yet out here in the US? Since I'm not a big DVD collector or anything, I'm hoping that the staggered-release thing might pay off.

thanks

[Vejita-sama]

Do you like Hong Kong Action movies? What about Japanese Anime? How about anything that wasn't produced in NA? Well the vast majority of these films will never be released you your region.

For example, I'm a big anime fan. Some of the series I like just aren't going to be released in the US. Similar, lots of anime fans in Europe want to by US DVDs because there's no one releasing titles there (or the only titles they can get have been edited).

[Greg12]

if u like foriegn film is the reason.

[pinoy2201]

i Buy Anime all the time and if i hadnt turned my DVD-Rom to RCP1 theni couldnt watch them soo that the reason i have MultiRegion DVD-Drive(i would love to get a MultiRegion Standalone but cant seem to find any and i dont trust the companys on the net)

[bilbogod]

Try the fact that just about every U.S. dvd is cheaper than our U.K. ones and has more features..

[P@iNKilleR]

This is not just if U like foriegn films!! some films have been released on dvd in America long before they come to the big screens in the uk for instance the princess diaries. This film does not come out here for another few weeks & well its available to buy from lots of import sites based in UK for £16 the same with a knights tale, this was released in america about a week after it hit the pictures in the UK... so I bought it after seeing it at the Pictures... well worth my £17 I think. So multi region has its good points along with the price. Even on import a dvd can usually be cheaper than the equivalent UK release when it comes to dvd. I used to buy alot of VCD's but now I buy region 1 dvd's & rip them for my own pleasure.

Kev!

Long live dvdX (a sceptic now converted)

[flaninacupboard]

although obviously we have to put up with inferior american resolutions

[David4Real]

I'm an nyc product but I went out & coughed some cash for an all region player for just two words.

Eastern Heroes

if ya don't know...ya better ask somebody..lol..No but seriously UK dvd's rock when it comes to widescreen Kung Fu flicks from back in the days..brought to you by the co above & others like MIA...which have better quality of these films than the co's over here in the states...

David

[pinoy2201]

dont come with that...thats just a insult if you hate it soo much then why are you buying from us, its not our fault that the most sucessive Movie Companys Are in AMERICA

[P@iNKilleR]

The most succesfull companies may be in America but a 10 to 1 bet they use Pinewood studios in the UK when the films are made. The british film industry may be dead but we still have the power to produce films & most of all actors!!! just a shame some of the actors are crap

Kev!

[mijman]

I have/love my Sampo DVD player. It has hidden menus to turn off stuff like macrovision, and you can change the regions at will. I bought the Buffy box sets from regions 2 & 4 and they aren't availiable in the US yet. Some region 1 discs, like "The Patriot" will only work on a region 1 player, but not a region free player.

[Blast]

A nice player to have is a Raite 713, which is sold under various brands and models, for example Yamakawa 713 or Monyka 8200.

There are firmwares available on the net that make them region free and can still play RCE movies (the new region protection).

Of course macrovision free. And they also play MP3s including VBR just fine and handle (X)VCD, (X)SVCD and MiniDVD.

The firmware I'm describing now is the 06.A2 SR-1 for instance that I use. Works like a charm. The firmware is a Yamakawa firmware but I run it on my Monyka 8200. Hacked firmware naturally. Older firmwares had a key combination to change the region but the newer ones don't nad don't need it. There are firmwares coming out pretty often now so if anything's lacking it's updated fairly quickly.

It's not expensive either and has built in AC3 and DTS sound decoding. Pretty nice.

// Stefan