DVD Region/Format question

#1 clutch

Carpal Tunnel

Group: Moderators
Posts: 3859
Joined: 29-March 00

Posted 05 June 2002 - 07:35 AM

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.

#2 sapiens74

Pooh-Bah

Group: Members
Posts: 1915
Joined: 30-March 00

Posted 05 June 2002 - 08:59 AM

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.

#3 JP-

old hand

Group: Members
Posts: 1015
Joined: 29-June 01

Posted 05 June 2002 - 11:07 AM

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.

#4 clutch

Carpal Tunnel

Group: Moderators
Posts: 3859
Joined: 29-March 00

Posted 05 June 2002 - 04:08 PM

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

#5 sapiens74

Pooh-Bah

Group: Members
Posts: 1915
Joined: 30-March 00

Posted 05 June 2002 - 05:13 PM

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

You mean DVD distibutor?

#6 JP-

old hand

Group: Members
Posts: 1015
Joined: 29-June 01

Posted 05 June 2002 - 05:18 PM

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

#7 clutch

Carpal Tunnel

Group: Moderators
Posts: 3859
Joined: 29-March 00

Posted 05 June 2002 - 05:28 PM

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.

#8 JP-

old hand

Group: Members
Posts: 1015
Joined: 29-June 01

Posted 05 June 2002 - 05:34 PM

#9 JP-

old hand

Group: Members
Posts: 1015
Joined: 29-June 01

Posted 05 June 2002 - 05:39 PM

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

Widescreen

#10 Cynan

enthusiast

Group: Members
Posts: 369
Joined: 15-November 00

Posted 05 June 2002 - 05:49 PM

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.

#11 clutch

Carpal Tunnel

Group: Moderators
Posts: 3859
Joined: 29-March 00

Posted 05 June 2002 - 06:06 PM

Rock on guys, thanks!

#12 Dirty Harry

addict

Group: Members
Posts: 437
Joined: 28-May 00

Posted 06 June 2002 - 09:43 AM

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.