[sbaillar]

What is the best region free DVD player that can convert PAL to NTSC? DVI would be nice and reliability is a must. Price would be somewhere around $300. I did a quick search and noticed that JVC's do this but very few others do.


Thanks,

Sonny

 

[Brajesh]

I've owned several regionfree players & none did a better PAL-to-NTSC conversion than the Malata N996 (now replaced by other models). Smooth! I recently got the DVI-capable Momitsu V880. The Malata still beats its PAL-to-NTSC conversion IMO, but R1 DVDs look awesome on the Momitsu.

 

[sbaillar]

Does the Momitsu v880 play PAL to NTSC?


EDIT: Nevermind..found it on the website.

 

[Omikron]

Eventhough I only have one Region 3 PAL DVD "Orange Road the movie" (Anime), I found the the PAL->NTSC conversion on LiteOn LVD-2001 is quite good, free of stuttering, when playing The previous owned region free PAL->NTSC conversion DVD player, Electrohome 8168, was so terrible with stuttering and skipping lines that I returned it within one week. If you cannot find a LiteOn LVD-2001, its LVD-2002 model (cheaper but with no upscaling) should be a worthwhile consideration.


P.S. My LVD-2001 has problem reading CD-R audio CDs, especially on the outer tracks. Sometimes would just hang there.

 

[Spiky]

Isn't your projector capable of playing PAL? This would be a better option than a DVDp that converts.

 

[Kris Deering]

Spiky is right, why get a player that converts when your PJ supports native PAL?

 

[sbaillar]

Sorry, this is not for me....the end user device will be an NTSC direct display.

 

[absolutic]

A lot of cheap players do it, APEX, MAGNOVOX, etc.... some you have to enter a secret menu from the remote and switch to region-free....just go to

www.dvdrhelp.com


and go to dvdplayers.


they have a listing of virtually every dvd-player on the planet (over 1300) with all the info you need including PAL/NTSC....or you can just type it in the search window and every player with this feature will pop-up...great site for research.

 

[zoro]

good ones, cheaper, pioneer 563sa(no multi region), philips 963sa, and its cheaper brotheren

 

[Omikron]

Quote:

Originally posted by absolutic www.dvdrhelp.com and go to dvdplayers. they have a listing of virtually every dvd-player on the planet (over 1300)

Their list is nowhere near comprehensive. I just added two older DVD player models to their list, one of which I did the region-free hardware modificatioin. I also added a region free hack based on our forum's user input.

 

[absolutic]

Quote:

Originally posted by Omikron Their list is nowhere near comprehensive. I just added two older DVD player models to their list, one of which I did the region-free hardware modificatioin. I also added a region free hack based on our forum's user input.

Wow.... is there a place that has more dvd players listed than www.dvdrhelp.com? I mean, over 1300 players is an impressive number. I don't know of any site that comes even close. It is like www.imdb.com for movies, which I think has 99% of all movies ever made. But it is great that you updated it with 2 new players.


I was able to make my $69 magnavox region-free with a hack found there.

 

[Omikron]

absolutic:


True, www.dvdrhelp.com has a large list. I suppose it is missing those odd region DVD players, including my Sharp DV-800 (region 6) - the 1st or 2nd generation double disk Karaoke DVD player. I bought that player few years ago when I went to China; the salesman actually lied to me saying it's a region-free. Good thing five years later I finally found a hardware hack referring to DV-880 (a region 2 or 3 sister model) on a Chinese website. I go what the heck! Let's do it. Can you imagine for five years, I was using this $700 DVD players mostly for audio CDs (it cannot play CD-R either) and some region-free music video DVDs. The list is also missing Sharp DV-550.

 

[absolutic]

LOL OMIKRON

a salesman in China lied to you about a product? Well, same thing can sure happen in the U.S. I went to the local Good Guys store a week ago and asked about a digital camera and when I asked the salesperson if they match internet prices, he immediately told me that "Everyone on the internet sells second hand or broken items." So he lied immediately, with no hesitation, and carefree.


Then again, when was the last time that the member of this forum went to a local av store and found a sales person who actually knew more than that avs forum member? I've stopped talking to sales people long time ago, the only thing I talk about is the price.

 

[Josh Z]

Quote:

Originally posted by Omikron Eventhough I only have one Region 3 PAL DVD "Orange Road the movie" (Anime), I found the the PAL->NTSC conversion on LiteOn LVD-2001 is quite good, free of stuttering, when playing

Region 3 (Hong Kong, Korea, other parts of SE and East Asia) is NTSC. If the disc you've got is Region 3, you haven't tested out the PAL/NTSC conversion yet.

 

[Omikron]

Josh Z:


Actually Hong Kong is using PAL system - they were using British colonial system even till now. I have looked at that DVD specs using PowerDVD on a computer and was sure it was a PAL disc. The resolution horizontal lines matches the PAL system. Originally I bought 2 different Orange Road Anime movie DVDs. One of them played fine on my region 6 modified region-free Sharp player. Funny that this DVD player bought in mainland China is using NTSC because they are using PAL system as well. I suppose when DVDs first came out, they were using NTSC format. The second DVD would just make the TV screen go haywire. On the computer it played fine but the screen looks longer, so I know it is a PAL disc.

 

[adyc]

Most of the region 3 DVDs are NTSC. Only a few region 3 DVDs are PAL. I would say the ratio is 90%:10%.

 

[absolutic]

Found a site that is solely dedicated to region-free hacks:

http://www.regionfreedvd.net/players.html

 

[Omikron]

absolutic:


Great find! I am surprised they don't have Bravo or Momitsu listed. They got whole tons of weird brand names. I suppose this site is not geared toward North Americans.

 

[Josh Z]

Quote:

Originally posted by Omikron Actually Hong Kong is using PAL system - they were using British colonial system even till now. I have looked at that DVD specs using PowerDVD on a computer and was sure it was a PAL disc. The resolution horizontal lines matches the PAL system. Originally I bought 2 different Orange Road Anime movie DVDs. One of them played fine on my region 6 modified region-free Sharp player. Funny that this DVD player bought in mainland China is using NTSC because they are using PAL system as well. I suppose when DVDs first came out, they were using NTSC format. The second DVD would just make the TV screen go haywire. On the computer it played fine but the screen looks longer, so I know it is a PAL disc.

Hong Kong uses PAL for broadcast television but NTSC for home video. Every Hong Kong DVD I've ever purchased has been NTSC. Though, as adyc says, perhaps there are a small percentage of PAL discs as well.


Mainland China, on the other hand, is all PAL.

 

[Omikron]

Quote:

Originally posted by Josh Z Mainland China, on the other hand, is all PAL.

From personal experience, I have to disagree with you on this, because:


1. Like I said before the Sharp DVD player I bought in mainland China 6 years ago is Region 6 NTSC only. After modification to region free, it still can't play this region 3 PAL anime DVD.


2. The VCDs 'Romancing the Three Kingdom' TV series I bought in mainland China is also NTSC. They played fine on my NTSC region 1 Panasonic DVD A310 player.


3. The mainland China DVDs I saw at the local Chinese video stores here in Vancouver Canada are all NO REGION NTSC.


P.S. I don't know if this situation has changed during the past 6 years.