Recommendations on Multi-Region Player (one where I can specify the region)

[mionis75]

I'm wondering if there's a Multi-Region Blu-ray player out there that would allow me to specify a region.
So if I have a Region B disc, I can change the player to only playback Region B discs.
Or do all Multi-Region Players allow this feature.

I remember my old Apex offered this feature for DVD region playback, curious if this still applies to other players.

Thanks

[hech54]

I'm wondering if there's a Multi-Region Blu-ray player out there that would allow me to specify a region.
So if I have a Region B disc, I can change the player to only playback Region B discs.
Or do all Multi-Region Players allow this feature.

I remember my old Apex offered this feature for DVD region playback, curious if this still applies to other players.

Thanks

DVDs have regions.
Blu Rays have Zones.
Zone Free Blu Ray players are virtually non-existent.

[em-t-wallitt]

You can try the Insignia NS-WBRDVD2. Available as a refurbished model here if you're in the U.S. If you can find one with the August 2010 firmware already installed, you can switch between A, B, and C using the remote hack:

https://www.videohelp.com/dvdhacks?dvdplayer=Insignia+NS-WBRDVD2&hits=50&Search=Search

The model specified is for the Canadian model (CA), but it will work for the U.S. model as well.

If you don't have the August 2010 firmware in the player, you'll need to downgrade the firmware, but you'll have a difficult time locating the file. It's no longer available on Insignia's support website. You need to perform a web search for the August 2010 firmware.

Keep in mind this player is a budget model. May not last long like most electronics these days.

You can look at the Insignia NS-BRDVD4 and the older NS-BRDVD3. You'll also need to locate older firmware for these ones too. All Insignia models mentioned here are discontinued, so you'll have to love used or refurbished players. Don't know any of new ones from other manufacturers though.

EDIT: Another one, the Seiki BD660 available in Canada.

More info here:

http://www.highdefforum.com/blu-ray-players/125724-insignia-ns-wbrdvd2-bd-region-free-player.html

http://forums.highdefdigest.com/blu-ray-bargains/111753-best-buys-89-insignia-player-m...on-bd-dvd.html

http://forums.redflagdeals.com/seiki-bd-live-blu-ray-player-bd660-info-support-thread-986755/

[fritzi93]

Many Blu-Rays are not region-locked. See here:

http://bluray.liesinc.net/

For those that *are* region locked, one could always make a region-free backup.

Good luck and welcome to the forum.

[jman98]

Oppo still makes (expensive) BluRay players that can be made region free by adding hardware. Some resellers will do this for you for a fee. Some will expect you to buy the part needed and install it yourself if you want this feature. Oppo does NOT ship anything in region free mode so someone (you or the reseller) will need to do the hardware hack with their models. You will also need to find an Oppo forum so you can be sure you've got up to date information on this.

The old Insignia players were rumored to also be region free for DVDs with those hacks, but as this was not a very popular brand we have little information about this. Some players can be made region free but they don't convert so PAL DVD is sent out to your TV as PAL and some TVs can't handle that. So depending on what TV you have and the capabilities of the player this can be completely worthless to you. Similarly some BD discs may contain extra features at NTSC or PAL standard definition resolutions and frame rates. Depending on whether the player can convert or not and whether your TV can handle the video it gets you may or may not have problems seeing those extra features.

Finally, while fritzi93 is correct, it really depends on what stuff you want. For example Disney and Sony are both really big on region/zone locking their DVDs and BDs. Some old classic movies are licensed completely different in North America and Europe and the licensing agreements demand that the studio putting out the BD zone lock it to their specific zone. Criterion is almost always forced to operate this way. BFI in the UK has the same limitations on a lot of their releases.