DVD Region/Format question

[clutch 1]

I have been looking for "Lost Highway" for a while now, and while checking out an Australian site, I found it. However, while it supports regions 1-6, it is PAL enconded and the US uses NTSC. My question is this; is this difference something that can be handled in software on the PC? Can it play back both standards, or are you stuck with whatever version you initially bought for your area of the world (unless you have a dual version unit). I know that this is how it works in mainstream video equipment like TVs, VCRs, and the like, but I wanted to know if anyone has successfully used both on a PC.

[sapiens74 0]

You can use both.

 

When I lived in Korea I was able to play DVD'S with PAL

 

I Used a Hollywood magic Decoder card to do so, with the software that comes with it.

[JP- 0]

Depends on your DVD drive though, the drive itself is encoded to a region and unless its actually been unlocked it will be locked to region 1. It gives you 5 region changes though, including the first 1 to region 1.

 

You might wanna check that, if you go to device manager, look at the dvd drive properties and you can see the region settings in 1 of the tabs.

 

[clutch 1]

Cool, so anybody have a fav worldwide (or even Aussie for now) distributor?

[sapiens74 0]

Software can unlock the region so can firmware, expecially some OEM drives come region free.

 

You mean DVD distibutor?

[JP- 0]

www.amazon.com has it, both region 1 (authough not released) and import (ships in 24 hours). Surely that would be easier than going from an overseas site?

 

Import

 

Region 1

[clutch 1]

I did mean distributor (actually, "retailer" would be more accurate) in my last post, and it would seem that the "import" that Amazon is showing is only the Canadian version which is Pan & Scan (which should be a crime). I am going to check out a few other vendors and see what they can do for me as well locally, but I am open to suggestions.

[JP- 0]

[JP- 0]

Here is the UK version, region 2 encoded, but not out till 17th June Widescreen

[Cynan 0]

I get all mine from Play (www.play.com), and they do stock Lost Highway on region 2.

 

I can also confirm that the decoding is done in software and so you can play both NTSL and PAL DVDs on any drive (providing its unlocked).

 

--Cynan.

[clutch 1]

Rock on guys, thanks!

[Dirty Harry 0]

Quote:

I can also confirm that the decoding is done in software and so you can play both NTSL and PAL DVDs on any drive (providing its unlocked).

Uummm... maybe a little bit misleading...

As long as you watch the movie on your PC monitor there is no PAL or NTSC standard around to worry about.

If you want to connect your PC with DVD-player to a TV set to watch a movie, well then it is the TV-out signal from your videocard that determines which country standard the signal is. For example: a videocard bought in the US will work fine in Europe, but there is no way to get it to work with a European TV set.

H.

[JP- 0]

Constructive comment of the day.....PAL rules!

[Alien 1]

Or as my step-dad [who works in the film industry] says "NTSC = Never Twice the Same Colour"