HTPC to play Region 2 PAL DVD on NTSC HDTV

[Mike99]

Can I play a Region 2 PAL DVD on an HTPC? I’m in the U.S. with NTSC.

I thought about buying an inexpensive all region DVD player, but it seems cheaper to just buy a second optical drive for about $15 and set it for Region 2.

I have a PAL DVD with an OTA recording from the UK & therefore is not region coded. MediaInfo does state it is 704x756, 25.000 fps interlaced PAL. My HTPC does play this using Windows Media Player and my older 720p HDTV does display it. I’m presuming the HTPC’s graphics are converting this to 59 fps as per the Intel Graphics settings.

If I buy a Region 2 PAL DVD does it make sense to get a second optical drive? Or is there some way for the HTPC to read & play the disc?

[hech54]

Region Codes and PAL/NTSC have nothing to do with each other.
Making a copy of a DVD removes the region code.

Think......think.......think.

[Mike99]

Region Codes and PAL/NTSC have nothing to do with each other.
Making a copy of a DVD removes the region code.

Think......think.......think.

Who said anything about making a copy?

I am asking about playing a Region 2 PAL DVD on a North American NTSC system. I mentioned Region 2 because I am Region 1 and all my optical drives are set for Region 1. I mentioned PAL because I doubt my NTSC HDTV will accept 25 fps video.

[hech54]

You are missing the point. The answer to your problem is in YOUR own first post.

I have a PAL DVD with an OTA recording from the UK & therefore is not region coded. MediaInfo does state it is 704x756, 25.000 fps interlaced PAL. My HTPC does play this using Windows Media Player and my older 720p HDTV does display it

Americans have TWO hurdles to cross when buying overseas DVDs.
1) Region Code - easily taken care of by simply copying the DVD - but that still leaves problem 2.
2) PAL format video - which apparently according to your own statement above is not a problem...your older 720p HDTV does display it.

[Mike99]

You are missing the point. The answer to your problem is in YOUR own first post.

I have a PAL DVD with an OTA recording from the UK & therefore is not region coded. MediaInfo does state it is 704x756, 25.000 fps interlaced PAL. My HTPC does play this using Windows Media Player and my older 720p HDTV does display it

Americans have TWO hurdles to cross when buying overseas DVDs.
1) Region Code - easily taken care of by simply copying the DVD - but that still leaves problem 2.
2) PAL format video - which apparently according to your own statement above is not a problem...your older 720p HDTV does display it.

1) I never planned on copying a commercial Region 2 PAL DVD. See last paragraph.

2) As mentioned in my first post, I presume that the Intel Graphics are converting the 25 fps PAL to 59 fps. Therefore I don't see this to be a problem/hurdle.

However item 1 is/was still a hurdle because I just planned on playing a Region 2 DVD, which is why I mentioned getting another optical drive & setting it to region 2. Unless as mentioned: "Or is there some way for the HTPC to read & play the disc?"

You mention copying the Region 2 DVD, which could be the other way. I did not think this could be done because the optical drives are set for Region 1. IOW if the drive is not set for Region 2 then how can it copy it? Since I don't have a Region 2 DVD there is no way for me to try this. Which is the reason for asking the question.

[FulciLives]

Try to follow this logic please:

1.) You can rip a DVD on any computer DVD drive regardless of the region of the drive and regardless of the region of the DVD.
2.) Once you have ripped the DVD the region code has been removed. That is part of the ripping process. It is now Region Free and can be played off of the HDD or burned to a new, blank DVD which will be Region Free. Also note that there is no quality lost during the ripping process. Burning it back to a DVD disc gives you a copy that is essentially the same quality wise, except it is now Region Free.

The only "pitfall" in this process is that if the original is on a DVD9 (code name for a dual layer DVD) then you will need to burn it back to a dual layer DVD blank (for same/exact quality). Some programs do give you the option to "shrink" (read compress) a dual layer ripped DVD to single layer DVD size (you should always avoid this as it DOES lower the quality).

Blank DVD discs, even dual layer discs, are pretty darn cheap. So if you are doing this as a "one off" or don't expect to do it often ... well ... this is the way to go.

Please note that PAL is always PAL and NTSC is always NTSC. Ripping does not magically convert one to the other. However the ripping process (as I said above) will remove the region code BUT remember not all commercially made discs have a region code.

I hope this all makes sense.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[jagabo]

2) As mentioned in my first post, I presume that the Intel Graphics are converting the 25 fps PAL to 59 fps. Therefore I don't see this to be a problem/hurdle.

Yes, the computer will convert the frame rate to whatever frame rate you have the graphics card's output set to.

However item 1 is/was still a hurdle because I just planned on playing a Region 2 DVD, which is why I mentioned getting another optical drive & setting it to region 2. Unless as mentioned: "Or is there some way for the HTPC to read & play the disc?"

Just use a player that doesn't care about region codes. Like VLC or MPCHC. The region code is just a number on the disc and in the DVD drive. When a licensed DVD player plays a disc it verifies that the the two numbers match. Unlicensed players just ignore the numbers.

[usually_quiet]

The HTPC will send the TV a 60fps signal if your video card is set up to deliver a 60Hz signal to the TV. If you want to use player software that checks the region code, and plan to only buy DVDs from R1 and R2, you could buy another drive and set it to R2. The alternative is use software that bypasses region coding when the disc is played using compatible player software. DVDfab Passkey Lite is a free program that does this.

[Mike99]

Just use a player that doesn't care about region codes. Like VLC or MPCHC. The region code is just a number on the disc and in the DVD drive. When a licensed DVD player plays a disc it verifies that the the two numbers match. Unlicensed players just ignore the numbers.

This may sound like a silly question, what is the purpose of having an optical drive with a region code if PC software can read the disc anyway?

[jman98]

This may sound like a silly question, what is the purpose of having an optical drive with a region code if PC software can read the disc anyway?

Hollywood insisted on it. They ALWAYS get their way. They view the ability to play DVD/BD discs from other regions as "evil" and I'm sure that "preventing piracy" through some twisted logic is part of their reasoning too for this.

Programs that defeat region checking are outside of the reach of Hollywood's lawyers. DVDFab and AnyDVD are headquartered in small countries that are not particularly interested in bowing down to Hollywood's whims. VLC's source code is available around the world and any attempt to shut it down would fail. I do not use MPCHC so I cannot comment on that, but it's probably in a situation like VLC.

[jagabo]

This may sound like a silly question, what is the purpose of having an optical drive with a region code if PC software can read the disc anyway?

What's the purpose of having region codes and CSS encryption when computers can easily bypass all of it? Hollywood just does everything it can to make our lives difficult.

Oh, I was wrong about MPCHC. It isn't playing original PAL DVDs on my system. But I verified VLC ignores region codes and plays encrypted PAL and NTSC DVDs.

[Mike99]

Thanks jagabo & jman98,

I understand Hollywood gets their way. I had presumed the region code was stored in the optical drive's firmware & therefore the drive itself would not be able to read other region codes.

I was thinking about buying a DVD box set from the UK and what it would take to play it. I do have VLC so I guess I'm good to go. Now I just need to find a good price.

Thanks again.

[hech54]

You're Welcome.