Multi Region Pal/NTSC DVD Player (1 Viewer)

Alexander C · Aug 24, 2003

If this question has been asked a million times please forgive me. I did a search but could not find anything.
I want to view German (Region 2 DVDs) on a NTSC TV.
My current DVD Player (Sony DVP-S550D) is Region 1 and I can't find any remote control codes to enable Region 2 on it and my TV (Loewe Planus PLA530PL) doesn't seem to accept a PAL Video Source. So is there such a thing as a Multi Region DVD Player with built in PAL/NTSC Converter (and will this also read the latest DVDs which, I understand have a special coding?

Thank you for any advice.

Jeff Kleist · Aug 24, 2003

You're thinking of RCE, which was only applied to US discs by Columbia Tri-Star.

MALATA

If you don't care about X-Y scaling (correct overscan, scale non-anamorphic discs)

http://www.hkflix.com/hardware/malata_dvp-566.asp

IF you do

http://www.hkflix.com/hardware/malata_dvp-520.asp

JVC

http://www.hkflix.com/hardware/jvc_xv-n50bk.asp
http://www.hkflix.com/hardware/jvc_xv-n4x.asp
http://www.hkflix.com/hardware/jvc_xv-sa60x.asp

Stay away from Apex/Cyberhome/Sampo and all those. Unless you're looking for a throwaway deck and don't care about the output quality. All of the above brands can be remote hacked or firmware patached.

Jeff_HR · Aug 24, 2003

I second Mr Kleist's recommendations. I own personal recommendation would be to go with JVC. I own a JVC XVSA-70.

Mark_Wilson · Aug 25, 2003

You can get the JVC N40 from HTF sponsor Lasers Edge for $149. I'm not sure if its listed on their web site but you can call them if it isn't.

Jim Blackie · Aug 25, 2003

If you don't mind entering a hack code with each disc, go with the Toshiba 3900 - under a hundred, great machine - more bang for the buck. Best Buy has it (i heard) for $79.

Hack is [top menu] [1] [play] then [marker] [clear]. Just got mine and love it.

Chad A · Aug 26, 2003

I also just bought a Toshiba 3900 and was amazed at the picture quality. Some of the PAL discs i tried on it never look so good. I had been using a Daewoo 5800. The 3900 almost looks as good as my Panny XP30. It's an unbelievable bargain at $80. IMO that is.

TheBat · Aug 27, 2003

I have a cyberhome 402 dvd, and it works just fine with converion of PAL to NTSC.

JACOB

Jay Blair · Aug 27, 2003

I own the following multi-region PAL capable players:

Toshiba SD3900
JVC XV-FA900 (chipped)
Malata N996

The Toshiba has the best picture quality (the smoothest and most filmlike picture--especially with video-based DVDs), followed closely by the JVC and then the Malata not far behind. Because of so-so built quility and overheating problems, I would only recommend the Malata if you need the X-Y scaling feature, which works wonderfully and I don't understand why every player isn't designed with this feature.

The JVC I would only recommend if you need a DVD changer or DVD audio (this model has both features). But the JVC is very well built, as is the Toshiba. I only don't recommend it because of the cost.

At $79.99 right now at Best Buy, I wouldn't look any further than the Toshiba SD3900 if I needed a multi-region player. I even just bought a second one for a birthday present for a close friend so that she can borrow my other region discs and to replace her crappy Apex 600A (the only other multi-region PAL capable player I'm familiar with).

The only downside to the Toshiba is that it can be tempermental trying to play certain discs other than from region 1. So far though I have not found a disc I couldn't play on it, and it also runs cooler than any other player I've tried, and I've owned a lot of different players.

Jim Blackie · Aug 28, 2003

Jay Blair - Have you tried Deer Hunter SE from R2? I've heard from someone it won't play

in their 3900. I really want this, but am holding off until I hear that it will.

thanks

Peter Kim · Aug 28, 2003

The only downside to the Toshiba is that it can be tempermental trying to play certain discs other than from region 1.

I've learned that while most non-R1 discs play with one pass of the remote hack, a few of my discs require a couple/several tries of the hack. Plus, once the hack is performed, it might take 4-5 seconds before the restriction lifts and the dvd plays.

Jay, it's very nice to see a comparison review from someone who owns a variety of multi-region players...when buying my first multi-region Tosh, I had the usual uncertainty, especially not know whether to dish out more for a Malata/JVC or even less for an APEX/Cyberhome. But based on your observations and my own experience, I've been very happy with my 3900.

One last thing...I asked this awhile ago, but on a couple of discs (24 Hour Party People, L'appartemente), the black bar has a single jag, interrupting the smooth division line between black bar and picture around the middle.

It's not too distracting, but I'm curious if anyone else finds the same? I'm connected to a non-progressive scan tv (Sony Wega).

Click to expand...

EmmanuelM · Aug 29, 2003

The progressive Philips DVD727 ($90 from Amazon shipped) will do PAL to NTSC OOB and can be made region-free by a remote hack. So far it has played every R2, R3 and R1 disc I throw at it. Picture quality is excellent through component out.

Jay Blair · Aug 30, 2003

Jim, I have the R4 Deer Hunter and it plays fine on the Toshiba. I wish I had the R2 because I'd like to see if I could find a way to make it play. So far no one seems able to and I'd like to take on the challenge. Most discs are easy to figure out, but I have a couple (R2 UK Man Who Fell to Earth for example, see below) that took some effort to get them to play, or to get part of them to play, such as the documentary on the R2 UK Don't Look Now.

Peter, good points on what is needed to get a few discs to play. One other trick I've found is that some discs will only play if the auto-run feature is turned on (or off as the case may be) in setup. Generally I keep auto-run set to off.

What the heck, I just placed an order for the Sp. Ed. Deer Hunter with Amazon.uk. I'm going out of town before I'm likely to get the discs, but will report back the week of Sept. 22 after I get back. At least if they won't play on the Toshiba, I can use them on one of my other players.

Daniel Lawhon · Aug 31, 2003

The player I used to own was a cheap Daewoo that did Pal NTSC conversion poorly so avoid that brand. The one I currently own is a Malata 520 which does it properly and cleans up digital artifacts like what it says from the hkflix.com website from where I ordered it from.

Jim Blackie · Sep 1, 2003

Jim, I have the R4 Deer Hunter and it plays fine on the Toshiba. I wish I had the R2 because I'd like to see if I could find a way to make it play. So far no one seems able to and I'd like to take on the challenge. Most discs are easy to figure out, but I have a couple (R2 UK Man Who Fell to Earth for example, see below) that took some effort to get them to play, or to get part of them to play, such as the documentary on the R2 UK Don't Look Now.

Jay- Not sure what to think. I have heard from a member on DVDTALK that it will not play, and another, just now that it will, but that Preditor SE will not. (thread is here - http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthr...hreadid=312421 )

I guess I can try. Not sure unless we get more data.

Click to expand...

Jay Blair · Sep 1, 2003

Jim, I already received a shipping notice from Amazon.uk on Deer Hunter, so maybe I will be able to report on how it plays on the Toshiba before I go out of town. I'll report as soon as I can.

I've also been following the DVDTalk thread you link to, which is part II of the Toshiba thread at the site. Part I is where I originally learned about the Toshiba.

I don't have the sp. ed. R2 of Predator, and even though I like this film, don't like it enough to also order the R2 version of something I already have.

Jim Blackie · Sep 2, 2003

Jay, I'll be waiting with bated breath! If it works, I'll order it and Welles' Macbeth. (can't afford the shipping charges for single purchases)

ChrisBEA · Sep 4, 2003

This may not be the right place to ask this but:
I am got hitachihack and dvdgenie to change the region coding, my question is regarding pal to ntsc conversion, I have read that it is dependent on the video card, is this true? I know the diefference is in resolution that a PC should not have a problem with, and I don't have any disks to try it with yet. So if anyone knows anything or could point me in the right direction, Thanks!

Jeff Kleist · Sep 4, 2003

If you have a DVD hardware decoder card (independant of video card) yes it would depend on the card. However what the video card does is convert whatever's on your monitor to a television compatible signal, so PAL/NTSC is not an issue. If you want to try it, I believe that http://www.vcdhelp.com has a PAL disc image you could run in your DVD software

ChrisBEA · Sep 4, 2003

I think I may have worded it wrong, I'm not outputting to TV, which I think your info references, I plan on watching these disks on my PC monitor.
Or does it make a difference?
I currently watch most of my disks on PC now without a problem....
Thanks again.

Jeff Kleist · Sep 4, 2003

No difference. Your monitor doesn't care about the video format

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