International "Region Free" DVD players

[FCWesel]

Does anyone have one of these "region free" DVD players. If so, where did you get your from, what are your thoughts on it?

Anyone got any other info on them they are willing to share?

Thanks.

 

[Tewligan]

I think I got mine from Best Buy - it's an Apex. It's cheap, but it's a workhorse. I think I could put a slice of ham in it and get pictures of a pig on my TV. A lot of players (like mine, anyway) can be set to region-free if you can get the codes that you have to enter with your remote. Do a little googling for DVD region codes and you should come up with a list of players that are easy to switch over.

Here's a site that should help you out:
http://www.videohelp.com/dvdhacks

 

[jonesy]

I believe it's illegal to sell any players here that can't be used to view region encoded material. So every DVD player sold here is region free.

The rule goes something like "the government can only regulate recordings, not the viewers".

 

[Tewligan]

I believe it's illegal to sell any players here that can't be used to view region encoded material. So every DVD player sold here is region free.

The rule goes something like "the government can only regulate recordings, not the viewers".

Not true. Well, not out of the box, anyway. Most if not all can have their regions changed with the proper software, but that doesn't come with the player - it's set up before distribution, and isn't distributed to the buyer. Your best bet is finding a player that either lets you access a region menu via the remote, or for which you can get the software online.

Oh, and I don't think it's the government doing that - it's the entertainment industry.

 

[jonesy]

Umm...take a look at my location and then re-read what I said.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Umm...take a look at my location and then re-read what I said.

Quick! Change your location to something crazy before he looks at it!

 

[jonesy]

Quick! Change your location to something crazy before he looks at it!

I thought of that, but then I wouldn't have made any sense. I can't pass up an opportunity to make sense.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

I thought of that, but then I wouldn't have made any sense. I can't pass up an opportunity to make sense.

Oh, fine. It could have been fun, though. You know, put something fitting, like "Ground Zero".

 

[Tewligan]

Umm...take a look at my location and then re-read what I said.

Damn!

 

[AGGEMAM]

Umm...take a look at my location and then re-read what I said.

Well, FYI, even in Finland it's perfectly legal to sell region free DVD players. However, it's the american film industry that insisted on there being regions in the first place, since it would be very bad for their business if you could buy a film on DVD before it premiered in the cinemas over here.

The film industry made the region requirement, and all manufacturers of DVD players have signed an agreement where they will adhere to this requirement. Off course the film industry understands it would be too expensive to make different DVD players for each region therefore all (and I mean ALL) DVD player can be switched between regions.

There is no legal requirement that hinders a retailer from making the DVD players they sell region free themselves and selling them as such. They only risk that the manufacturers stop selling DVD player to them.