It's a curly subject.

Basically DVD's are region-coded supposedly to stop people buying DVD's from outside their "region", to protect the distributors in that region from cheap imports. In reality, most modern DVD players are either region-free (i.e. can play DVD's from anywhere) or can be made so by entering a sequence of buttons on the remote.


PAL/NTSC is different, it refers to how video is displayed on a screen. I'm no expert, but it includes the number of scan lines and frames per second. America and Japan use NTSC, Europe/UK/Australia use PAL. Most experts agree PAL gives a better picture (get ready for debate!) and as above, most modern DVD players will play both without you even knowing.

Anime Dad wrote:

It's a curly subject. Basically DVD's are region-coded supposedly to stop people buying DVD's from outside their "region", to protect the distributors in that region from cheap imports. In reality, most modern DVD players are either region-free (i.e. can play DVD's from anywhere) or can be made so by entering a sequence of buttons on the remote. PAL/NTSC is different, it refers to how video is displayed on a screen. I'm no expert, but it includes the number of scan lines and frames per second. America and Japan use NTSC, Europe/UK/Australia use PAL. Most experts agree PAL gives a better picture (get ready for debate!) and as above, most modern DVD players will play both without you even knowing.

*scratches head*

I see...kind of. So...if I have a modern dvd player, it should play ntsc discs? I really didn't know this was possible...
If I buy American dvds (say), I can play them?

Thanks for the help.

Keps wrote:

*scratches head* I see...kind of. So...if I have a modern dvd player, it should play ntsc discs? I really didn't know this was possible... If I buy American dvds (say), I can play them? Thanks for the help.

Yeah, you should be OK. If you're worried about it, Google the player's model number and "NTSC compatability"

Anime Dad wrote:

In reality, most modern DVD players are either region-free (i.e. can play DVD's from anywhere) or can be made so by entering a sequence of buttons on the remote.

That's only partly true: the big manufacturers' (Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic, etc.) DVD players cannot be remote-hacked to play other regions for fear of legal issues and whatnot... It's the "second-tier" manufacturers (Philips, LiteOn, etc.) who make remote-hackable players (but they don't tell you for the same legal reasons)...

Quote:

PAL/NTSC is different, it refers to how video is displayed on a screen. I'm no expert, but it includes the number of scan lines and frames per second. America and Japan use NTSC, Europe/UK/Australia use PAL. Most experts agree PAL gives a better picture (get ready for debate!) and as above, most modern DVD players will play both without you even knowing.

Again, only partly true: the big boys have players dedicated to PAL and NTSC and don't auto-compensate to the TV they're attached to... While the "other guys" have players that do auto-compensate...

As far as PAL being better, I dunno, but with all of the U.S. switching over to HD next year, I don't think the backers of PAL can make theat claim anymore...

Hmm. There's a lot of Sony models listed at http://www.alldvdcodes.com/
Didn't search for others. And you're right, HD does away with comparisons between PAL & NTSC

Anime Dad wrote:

Hmm. There's a lot of Sony models listed at http://www.alldvdcodes.com/

Oh yeah. That site... Wonder if the codes actually work or not... Especially at $5-$10 a pop.

If they really worked, you'd think they'd find their way into someplace like videohelp.com which posts all the codes... For FREE.

I tried one of those hack codes on my old Sony... No go.

I've read the their Region Codes are on hardware (EPROMs) and therefore not remote-hackable... Maybe that's changed, I dunno.

The Region-Free Sonys, Toshibas, etc. that I see for sale have been hardware-hacked by a techician and resold...

Thanks so much for the input, guys.
I grasped at least some of the techincal stuff, so I'm happy!

Gonna Google my machine tomorrw, because I don't know that is is NTSC compatible for sure, as I have never tried to play that type of discs before.

Keps wrote:

Thanks so much for the input, guys. I grasped at least some of the techincal stuff, so I'm happy! Gonna Google my machine tomorrw, because I don't know that is is NTSC compatible for sure, as I have never tried to play that type of discs before.

What brand/manufacturer is it?

Keps wrote:

Thanks so much for the input, guys. I grasped at least some of the techincal stuff, so I'm happy! Gonna Google my machine tomorrw, because I don't know that is is NTSC compatible for sure, as I have never tried to play that type of discs before.

There's a possibility you've been playing NTSC discs all along, you know. If you were sent some from the USA, they could have been encoded NTSC. I think I have ConvertX set up to convert to PAL, but i'm not sure now and it could just convert automatically to whatever the original file is.

Anime Dad wrote:

If you were sent some from the USA, they could have been encoded NTSC.

They'd have to be NTSC if they're from the US... Unless whomever authored/encoded the discs as PAL by accident.

Quote:

I think I have ConvertX set up to convert to PAL, but i'm not sure now and it could just convert automatically to whatever the original file is.

I would think those programs default to whatever place of origin that the programmer is from....

bmwracer wrote:

I would think those programs default to whatever place of origin that the programmer is from....

Well, I checked ConvertX.... you have the option of PAL, NTSC or Auto

Anime Dad wrote:

Well, I checked ConvertX.... you have the option of PAL, NTSC or Auto

Auto?

Wonder how that works...

bmwracer wrote:

Auto? Wonder how that works...

I guess it recognises the format the original file was encoded in...

bmwracer wrote:

What brand/manufacturer is it?

It's a Goodmans player, but I can't remember the exact model.
But checking today, AD was right - it will play NTSC discs.

Keps wrote:

It's a Goodmans player, but I can't remember the exact model. But checking today, AD was right - it will play NTSC discs.

Goodmans?

Sounds like a throwback to the 1960's.

bmwracer wrote:

Goodmans? Sounds like a throwback to the 1960's.

Yeah, DVD players were huge in the '60's

Anime Dad wrote:

Yeah, DVD players were huge in the '60's

Not as big as Blu-Ray.

Anime Dad wrote:

OK I have assembled a list of current sites that offer JDrama by direct download - mostly by sites such as Rapidshare, although some are FTP sites: http://www.jidolsource.net/index.php?download Feel free to let me know of any others, and i'll add to the list.

Just wondering if you still have this list. That link doesn't seem to work anymore. I download most of my dramas through MegaUpload and other file sharing sites, and was interested to see what sites have been compiled and what I might be able to add.

eternalblue81 wrote:

Just wondering if you still have this list. That link doesn't seem to work anymore. I download most of my dramas through MegaUpload and other file sharing sites, and was interested to see what sites have been compiled and what I might be able to add.

Yeah, site is down ATM for various reasons. But I hope to have it back next week

Anime Dad wrote:

Yeah, site is down ATM for various reasons. But I hope to have it back next week

OK it's back up: http://www.jidolsource.net/index.php?download

I'll be going through the links later to make sure they are still alive.