Update on DVD compatibility issues

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- Bill Grumbine
  
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posted
17 years ago

Wed, Jun 14, 2006 1:18 AM

Greetings all

In a recent thread, the question arose as to the compatibility issues of my current and my new DVDs. I have been laboring under the impression that they had been coded for Region 1, which is the US and Canada. With a little bit of research on the part of my contact at the video company, I have learned that this is not the case. Both DVDs have in fact been region free (or universal) since the beginning of production.

This is not to say that there are no compatibility issues. The early copies were burned, but even with our switch to stamping, there is going to be the occasional machine that just won't play them. But for all you who are not in North America, if you want to inflict my person onto your TV screen, it should work.

- N
- nailshooter41
  
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posted
17 years ago

Thu, Jun 15, 2006 4:49 AM

It would not necessarily be the fault of the DVD from Bill that wouldn't play correctly. Some of the older machines (I have two) simply won't play some DVDs. I mean really common ones. And they refuse to play a DVD that was burned on a computer or another recorder/burner.

Fast forward to the DVD player I just bought at Circuit City, and it will play everything, including DivX. It was a whopping $49, and it ended my frustration with some of my DVDs.

Just a thought, here....

Robert

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- Prometheus
  
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posted
17 years ago

Thu, Jun 15, 2006 7:13 PM

There's still a framerate difference between PAL and NTSC. It's not that huge, and a computer will compensate, but it might make some players refuse to use them.

Yep. APEX is a great brand for playing everything you could ever want- and it's about the cheapest thing on the shelf. I never had a disc not play for me on the thing, no matter what format it was in- including some that I think were region coded from Asia.

We got one of those for $19 and a relatively expensive Emmerson at the same time three or four years ago, and the cheapo is the one that's still working fine. The Emmerson went in the trash over a year ago- not only wouldn't play much to begin with, but it died completely with relatively light use in a couple of years. DVD players are one of the of the few cases where paying more doesn't do you any good at all.