International "Region Free" DVD players

[FCWesel]

First off, thanks everyone for your input. Believe it or not I have no interest in buying knock-offs or pirated crap, I hate that stuff; I am really just interested in getting access to stuff that just isn't available here. There's some good stuuf coming our of England that will never see light of day here.

If you have a particular model you're looking at, just google in the name and model number along with "region code". Or, use the dope-ass page I linked.

Well, I just looked at that page for the one we have already. It has nothing available. I have the Toshiba SD-2800.

In answer to the original question, the $29-$39 Cyberhome DVD Player that Best Buy and Wal-Mart and lots of other places have, has a menu where you can set it to "Region 0" (Region-free) and it supports playing PAL discs on an NTSC TV.

Really?! Okay I might just go try this first.

I won't tell you how to access the menu, as that would violate the DMCA (which violates THE FIRST AMENDMENT, but I digress), but I assume you know how to Google with keywords like "Cyberhome", the model number, "menu" and "region"....

::whistles, not seein' or knowin' nutin'::



Actually, I have been looking at buying one of these.

http://www.220-electronics.com/dvd/jvc312.htm

I know DVD players are cheaper then this, but we hardly buy "big electronics" so I don't mind paying a little extra if I am assured it is going to do what I want.

What do you guys think of these?

 

[Torm]

What do you guys think of these?

I think that the Cyberhome I picked up for $29 is nicer than the Apex unit I bought for $139 a few years ago, and both are nicer than the Toshiba I paid $359 for. Paying more doesn't always mean nicer - sometimes it just means you paid more. And the big names have more of a motive to limit some features like MP3/Multiple Video File Formats because their companies are in corporate families or industry groups with companies that make or distribute movies or music. The little guys just want to compete selling you equipment.

That said, the JVC looks pretty nice. (Probably due to Victor of Japan, their parent company, not having a subsidiary that sells movies or music - I looked. ) It has Dolby Digital/DTS, which the Cyberhome doesn't, and what looks like the same features, otherwise. I just have the Cyberhome unit plugged up to a 50" TV with simulated surround right now, and that sounds pretty darned good, but if you're actually going to connect to a "home theatre sound system", it might be worth the difference.

 

[Arnwyn]

(Probably due to Victor of Japan, their parent company, not having a subsidiary that sells movies or music - I looked. )

Uh oh... looks like your Google skills could use some work... My CD collection shows me that I have a bunch of Victor CDs...

And here, of course:
http://www.jvcmusic.co.jp

 

[Torm]

Uh oh... looks like your Google skills could use some work... My CD collection shows me that I have a bunch of Victor CDs...

And here, of course:
http://www.jvcmusic.co.jp

Well, I'd be willing to bet that any albums you have with a "Victor" label on them are actually RCA Victor, and nothing to do with JVC's parent company (unless you're really into obscure Japanese imports), but you're right - I completely missed that. In my defense, it's because they don't have ANY mention of it on the actual parent company site. They're ashamed of it or something.

 

[Arnwyn]

(unless you're really into obscure Japanese imports), but you're right - I completely missed that.

Guilty as charged...