International New to Region-Free. PLEASE Recommend Some Other Region Blu-rays! (1 Viewer)

[bigshot]

Another nice thing about the Oppo is that it does PAL and is region free for DVDs out of the box. No modification needed for that. Also, internal region mods don't void the warranty. If you send your machine in for servicing with an internal mod, they simply take it out and send it back to you with the machine. It's easy to put it back in again.

 

[marcco00]

The Masters of Cinema series is fantastic--
Nosferatu steelbook
Cleopatra 1934 steelbook (there is more information in the frame on this transfer)
Cover Girl (just a stunning transfer)

Mario Bava essential titles from Arrow Video

The Lady from Shanghai BR/DVD from Indicator (best packaging & extras)

Hammer Horrors Frank, Drac, & Mummy

Two Women 1961 (beautiful print)

Darling 1965

Too Late for Tears & Woman on the Run from Arrow Academy (better packaging & extras than American version)

Geezz i could go on and on--

 

[dpippel]

Another nice thing about the Oppo is that it does PAL and is region free for DVDs out of the box. No modification needed for that. Also, internal region mods don't void the warranty. If you send your machine in for servicing with an internal mod, they simply take it out and send it back to you with the machine. It's easy to put it back in again.

Oppo players are not region-free for DVD out of the box. You either have to buy a hardware mod or apply the free "firmware" update software called Super Disc that's been around forever.

 

[Brent Avery]

Not knowing your tastes at least we can give you some insight, for myself here are a few:

The Naked Prey ( UK )
Lonely Are The Brave ( Germany )
Foreign Legion ( France )
The Last Wagon ( Germany )
The Bravados ( Germany )
Bandolero ( Germany )
The Tall Men ( Germany )
The Devil's Brigade ( Aus )
Hour Of The Gun ( Aus )
Fail Safe ( Aus )
Man From Hong Kong ( Aus )
Soldier Blue ( Germany )
Wind Walker ( Germany )
Sophie Scholl ( UK )
The Round Up ( UK )
Between Heaven and Hell ( UK )
The Man Who Never Was (UK )
Sailor Of The King ( UK )
Tobruk ( UK )
Play Dirty ( UK )
Day Of The Jackal ( Aus )
Treasure Of The Yankee Zephyr ( Germany )
Anne Of A Thousand Days ( Germany )
The Corrupt Ones ( Germany )
Legend Of The Lost ( Germany )
The Front Page ( Germany )
A Time To Love A Time To Die ( UK, France, Germany )
Break Out ( Germany )
Taza - Son Of Cochise ( Germany )
The Quiller Memorandum ( UK )
K20 ( UK )
Billy Liar ( UK )
Paranoiac ( UK )
The Lost Weekend ( UK )
Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? ( UK )
Tickle Me ( Germany )
The Core ( UK )
Valdez Is Coming ( Germany )
The Italian Job 40th Anniversary ( UK )
Ice Cold In Alex ( UK )
The Dam Busters ( UK )
The Cruel Sea ( UK )
Went The Day Well? (UK )
Swashbuckler ( Germany )
Battle Of the River Plate ( Germany )
Gunman's Walk ( Germany )
Backlash ( Germany )
A Man Called Sledge ( Germany )
The Andromeda Strain ( Germany ) Better than the U.S. release!
Man Without A Star ( Germany )
The Ipcress File ( UK )
Escape To Athena ( UK )
Forty Guns ( UK )
Day Of The Outlaw ( UK )
Prince Valiant ( UK )


Coming out soon

Night Passage ( Germany )
Bend Of The River ( Germany )



I will add more unless others cover them. As you can see I have found many Region B and C titles I like. Check out Grooves in Germany as well as JB Hi Fi for Australia and Zavvi in the UK. Postage is cheap except from JB, although not too bad if you purchase a few titles.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Not knowing your tastes at least we can give you some insight,

Everyone is doing great. I am definitely gaining a HUGE amount of insight into what's available. The amount is staggering.

You can imagine why I find it hard to describe the types of films I like. There is a pretty wide variety on your list in your own post!

So that's why I asked for people to post the non-Region-A titles which they are glad to have and I figure more-than-likely it'll highlight some that are already on my radar (like Lost Weekend and Hamlet) and remind me about others which I hadn't thought about in a long time. And, obviously, there are films listed here which I'm not familiar with and will have to research.

About the only genre I typically stay away from is horror. And slasher flicks. But there are many suspense films I really like and sometimes think those areas mean different things to different people. But drama, comedy, musicals, westerns, science-fiction, and really old films and very recent are all among the films I purchase.

 

[Brent Avery]

I enjoy the same genres myself so all of the titles I listed are older films - except for The Core, K20, The Round Up and Sophie Scholl - all interesting in their own way. The Core is one of those Sci Fi guilty pleasures ( we all have them! ) that is nonsensical but what can I say? K20 is a Japanese take on a character that changes appearance - set in a "futuristic Japan" with a 40's look. to it. Different but entertaining. enough. The last two are WW2 dramas, not focusing on actual battles, more human interest.

I hope you find some gems - might take awhile for you to buy them though!

 

[Ed Lachmann]

Just to add a few classic BDs, which are my favorites:

(Germany) For Whom the Bell Tolls, A Matter of Life and Death, Cobra Woman, The Jungle Book (Sabu), The Conqueror, The Cardinal, Anne of the Indies.

(France) Joan of Arc, The River (Renoir), Le Plaisir, Casque D'Or.

(UK) Isadora, Great Expectations (Lean), Thief of Bagdad (Sabu), La Ronde, Privilege, The Sun Also Rises (July), La Strada (June).

 

[Mike Frezon]

Oooh. Joan of Arc.

Forgot about that one. I found this HTF thread about it (in which I inquired whether it was Region-B-locked. I need worry no more!).

 

[David Weicker]

Is this the release of Colossus you are referring to: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Colossus-F...0&sr=8-1&keywords=colossus+the+forbin+project

Yes, that was the release I was referring to.

Also forgot to list Sweet Charity

 

[dpippel]

I watched that Colossus release over the weekend, and while it has a few issues it looks very good. The film holds up surpisingly well too.

 

[Johnny Angell]

I watched that Colossus release over the weekend, and while it has a few issues it looks very good. The film holds up surpisingly well too.

What are the issues?

 

[dpippel]

The transfer has a bit of a digital look and there's some edge enhancement present here and there. It was probably sourced from an old master. Still, it's acceptable and is probably the best we'll get for this title.

 

[Johnny Angell]

I bought my player directly from Oppo and use the external mod which was purchased separately. Not only is that cheaper, but it also has the benefit of not voiding the warranty. Oppo has incredibly good customer service and they basically give a lifetime guarantee on the player. If you bought it pre-modded from a reseller, no warranty. Buy it from Oppo and if anything ever goes wrong, just unplug the chip and send the player to Oppo and they'll never know.

One side effect of having an Oppo: it does the best job upscaling DVDs of any player I've ever owned. You might be surprised how many of your old DVDs are now "good enough" to keep around.

Another nice thing about the Oppo is that it does PAL and is region free for DVDs out of the box. No modification needed for that. Also, internal region mods don't void the warranty. If you send your machine in for servicing with an internal mod, they simply take it out and send it back to you with the machine. It's easy to put it back in again.

Oppo players are not region-free for DVD out of the box. You either have to buy a hardware mod or apply the free "firmware" update software called Super Disc that's been around forever.

I've suffered whiplash reading these two posts. I must say I would be very surprised if the Oppo was region free for DVDs out of the box and that an internal mod wouldn't void the warranty. So, what's the real low-down?

 

[Robin9]

So that's why I asked for people to post the non-Region-A titles which they are glad to have and I figure more-than-likely it'll highlight some that are already on my radar (like Lost Weekend and Hamlet) and remind me about others which I hadn't thought about in a long time. And, obviously, there are films listed here which I'm not familiar with and will have to research.

Victim is a title I'm glad to have on an excellent Zone B disc. It's not a very well known film, but it's a really good drama that's reputed to have influenced the U.K. laws about homosexuality.

 

[dpippel]

I've suffered whiplash reading these two posts. I must say I would be very surprised if the Oppo was region free for DVDs out of the box and that an internal mod wouldn't void the warranty. So, what's the real low-down?

Here's the real low-down Johnny:

1) Oppo players are NOT region free out of the box, for either DVD or Blu-ray.
2) The internal and external region free mods available for Oppo players do NOT void the warranty. That's straight from Oppo.

 

[CraigF]

I have a spare (oops!...) unopened "B" copy of Paris, Texas you could have if you want.

Edit: as an afterthought, and since I also have a spare copy of it (you could have, but usually very cheap to buy anyway), if you want to see just how well your Oppo can upscale DVDs, I can recommend the R2/UK Red Dwarf X TV show. Besides being IMO surprising good after the hiatus, it was "filmed" in 2K and 4K, and it looks it, even from DVD. The Oppo makes the DVD look so good I didn't even spring for the BD afterwards. The included documentary (separate disc) is possibly even better than the show, informative about modern TV technical aspects, the massive costs of digitally correcting small mistakes, and the small budgets UK TV shows typically get, etc.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Here's the real low-down Johnny:

1) Oppo players are NOT region free out of the box, for either DVD or Blu-ray.
2) The internal and external region free mods available for Oppo players do NOT void the warranty. That's straight from Oppo.

Addendum: They can be made region-free for DVDs with an easy one-time entering of a code through the remote. No additional hardware or software necessary. To make them region-free for Blu-rays, that requires a hardware mod.

Second addendum: there are two kinds of internal mods for the Oppo, one that's like the external mode but installed on the inside, and one that requires soldering a modification to the chipset inside. The former, which can be removed, does not void the warranty, but the one that physically modifies the player in a permanent way does. I'm not sure if that mod is even available anymore; everyone I know who has one uses the chip (either external or internal) which can be removed.

 

[Patrick McCart]

I've stalled somewhat on imports due to being busy, but here's what I've picked up so far...

Metropolis (MoC) - Adds a commentary and booklet over Kino edition, plus original German titles.
The Man with a Movie Camera (MoC) - Far superior encoding than the Flicker Alley/Lobster edition, which crams 4 1/2 hours of films on one disc. Also adds a great interview and video essay, as well as a thick 100-page book.
Buster Keaton Complete Short Films (MoC) - Adds a 200 page book over bare-bones Kino
Chaplin Mutual Shorts (BFI) - Better encodes than Flicker Alley, plus entire extra set of scores and commentaries.
Napoleon (BFI) - Until the eventual US edition arrives, essential purchase.

 

[dpippel]

Addendum: They can be made region-free for DVDs with an easy one-time entering of a code through the remote. No additional hardware or software necessary. To make them region-free for Blu-rays, that requires a hardware mod.

Second addendum: there are two kinds of internal mods for the Oppo, one that's like the external mode but installed on the inside, and one that requires soldering a modification to the chipset inside. The former, which can be removed, does not void the warranty, but the one that physically modifies the player in a permanent way does. I'm not sure if that mod is even available anymore; everyone I know who has one uses the chip (either external or internal) which can be removed.

Addendum to the first addendum : Yes, but still not region free from the factory. You can also use a widely known CD-ROM-based DVD region free software mod called Super Disc, as I mentioned a few posts up:

https://www.oppodigital.com.au/pages/superdisc-unlock-your-oppo-bluray-player-for-all-dvd-regions

Addendum to second addendum: I don't think the soldering mod was ever used by anyone other than internet sellers of the entire modded player, and it was quite a while ago. You would purchase your Oppo directly from them with the region-free mod already done, or send your player to them and have them install it for you. I believe that most, if not all, of the region-free Oppo player vendors today use a plug-in internal mod.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Addendum to the first addendum : Yes, but still not region free from the factory. You can also use a widely known CD-ROM-based DVD region free software mod called Super Disc, as I mentioned a few posts up

For sure. But I thought it was important to distinguish which discs could be played without having to buy something extra, and which discs required an extra purchase I didn't realize you now needed Super Disc -- I thought you just went into the setup menu and type in "9-0-2-1-0" which always made me smile