Widen Your DVD Options

Advantages: Wider choice of discs (and sooner!)
Disadvantages: None so far - who knows what Hollywood will come up with next to screw us

...Most people buying a DVD player from a High St chain store will be most likely kept in the dark over the issue of DVD Regions. This is an industry code which, in theory, prevents disks from the North American arena (Region 1) being used in Europe/Japan (Region 2). This is also designed to make you go the cinema, despite the fact that the movie has come and gone in the USA/Canada and that the DVD version is availible already there. More significantly, it allows for the ripping-off of Europeans compared to their transatlantic brethren, price-wise. It is however possible to get round this. There exists a market for "chipped" or multi-region DVD players, normally outside of the usual High St. Unlike the "chipping" of Play Stations for the illegal use of copied games, this is not a "black" market, and is on the level. It is...

BNibbles 10.05.2001 (14.05.2001) · Read review
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Review of DVD Regional Issues

Region 1 - Well worth working for it

Advantages: more films, quicker, cheaper
Disadvantages: hassle to sort out multiregion capabilities (sometimes)

...If you have got, or are thinking of buying, a DVD player, then no doubt you will have a fair picture of what I am talking about when I mention Region 1 and Region 2. Because of stupid copyright and distribution laws and policies, when a film is released on DVD, it is coded so that it will only work in one of six worldwide regions. The ones that most come into play are Region 1 (USA) and Region 2 (Europe and Asia, including the UK of course). So if you went into a shop and bought a DVD player, you could then only purchase films from Britain, else they simply wouldn't work on your player. To be honest, that isn't strictly true but I will come to that later. First of all, why does it matter? Well if you want to see the latest films quicker (and often cheaper) then you want Region 1. I'll give you two examples. Scary Movie - I...

mattmorrison 11.01.2001 · Read review
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Review of DVD Regional Issues

Multi-region fear

Advantages: Cheap, easy and the can see films at home before they are relased here in the cinema.
Disadvantages: None

...Some people reading this may find the prospect of DVD players daunting in that what is all this multi-region fuss about?, what is the point of DVD when i have got a perfectly good video player sitting underneath my television at the moment? and also i don't really want to buy one as they might not catch on.... Well, these points may all be valid, but when it comes down to the bare facts of the matter, there isn't any fuss about multi-region, the only reason for having your video recorder is to tape eastenders and they won't catch on?, we have you been for the last two years?, anyway, video recorders are soon to be much like four start petrol, only used by the few. By autumn, DVD recorders capable of recording at a far superior quality and length will be on the shelves, expensive to start with maybe, but video recorders quite...

MrHall 28.04.2001 · Read review
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Review of DVD Regional Issues

Harman Kardon DVD22 Multi Region DVD Player

Advantages: looks fantastic, beautiful picture (depending on connection),
Disadvantages: expensive, reliability problems with brand

...armed with my brand new (in 2005) DVD22 I was hoping for a long and happy life with a brand that is famed for its build quality. ### LOOKS ### The Harman Kardon DVD22 is a very attractive looking DVD player; being Silver and Black with a small but bright neon blue power light on the left hand side (which turns orange when on standby) a central DVD Drawer and the display (which shows a counter) on the right hand side. The various DVD control buttons reside along the centre of the unit, on the border between the silver and the black colour coding on the unit. The colour scheme of the unit matches the AV Amps that Harman Kardon produce (of which I have the AVR7300) ### FUNCTIONS ### Obviously being DVD player the unit will play DVDs, it is also a multi region player (after a firmware upgrade via CD by the guys in the shop at no...

sjp1966 12.10.2007 · Read review
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Review of Harman Kardon harman/kardon DVD 22

Multi-region DVD for under 100 pounds

Advantages: Multi-region, works perfectly, has many functions
Disadvantages: Looks a little chunky, unknown brand name

...for either the brand name (such as Sony, Sharp etc.) or the design, functions and ease-of-use of the player. The actual quality of picture doesn’t vary that much at all. The thing that made this particular model stand out to me was not only the price, but also the number of functions it had. I honestly couldn’t believe it when I saw that the DVD player not only played Region 2 DVDs, but Region 1 as well, meaning that not only DVDs that had been bought in this country could be played on the machine, but also any from America and Japan. Unbelievable. As well as this, it not only had the option of changing angles mid-way through scenes, instant menu access and a subtitles button, meaning you could turn subtitles on/off mid-way through the movie, but it also came with a very fetching palm-size remote, complete with batteries...

craigy_baby_2000 26.10.2001 · Read review
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Review of Proline DVD-1000

Cheapest Multi Region DVD around

Advantages: Multi Region, Cheap
Disadvantages: Remote Control is poor.

...side. There is nothing on the box or in the manual about this player being limited to Region 2 disks, I have dome a bit of research on the Internet and a number of sites say this is a multi region DVD player that can play any region disks without alteration. The same sites have said this is the cheapest multi region DVD player available, another reason to go for this player. As with all DVD players, this machine can play DVD Video and Audio CD disks, it has the normal AV Out socket plus a SCART and an S-Video connector so you have a number of options to connect it to your television or other equipment. There are also stereo connectors on the back so you can link it up to your stereo system, this is a must not just so you can play your audio CDs, but a film sounds so much better if played through a good stereo system. There is also...

pottmar 05.04.2001 (19.04.2001) · Read review
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Review of Alba DVD 103

NCIS - Season 1 DVD - Region 2 version

Advantages: Fast paced action with liberal doses of humour
Disadvantages: No extras on the region 2 version, boo...

...I first came across the TV series NCIS whilst working abroad. It was, however, being shown dubbed and, as I have yet to progress beyond lesson 2 of my "Teach Yourself German" Cd-rom, I am somewhat limited to ordering a coffee, discussing the tall blonde Helmut with Marlene (if you like that look) and moaning about my mortgage (which, incidentally, I don't have). I was, however, intrigued by the fast paced and stylish action that I saw and so jumped at the chance to buy season 1 on DVD when it was recently released for Region 2. THE SETTING: The show revolves around the activities of a group of special agents and forensics specialists in the 'Navy Criminal Investigative Service' in Washington DC, who investigate all manner of criminal goings on connected to both the Navy and the Marine Corps. THE CHARACTERS AND CAST...

tigswade 31.08.2006 (01.10.2006) · Read review
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Review of N.C.I.S. - Naval Criminal Investigative Service - Series 1 - Complete (Box Set) (DVD)

The DVD - Region 2 review

Advantages: OK extra's on the DVD
Disadvantages: Not funny (big prob for a comedy!)

...I do not like Jim Carrey. I don't think the Farrelly brothers are all that. I was never going to like this film. I didn't. So why did i buy this DVD then? Well it had good extra's and i hadn't seen the film yet (i watch everything). The thing that annoyed me about this film was not Mr Carrey, in fact i could stand him for once, it wasn't the slightly risque humour or the general silliness. It was simply the fact that i didn't laugh. Carrey is a policeman, his wife leaves him, he turns schizo, he meets Zellwegger, they go on the run... Shooting a cow in the head...not funny (at least not in this film, Three Kings...blow up cow with grenade...funny!). Endless dildo jokes...not all that funny (and predicatble). Constant use of Motherf****r...not funny (excpet in South Park maybe). Midgets...not funny (again, not in this...

Staggly 29.06.2001 · Read review
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Review of Me, Myself And Irene (DVD)

Bargain multi-region DVD player!

Advantages: Very inexpensive for quality, slimline, remote, multi-region
Disadvantages: um....none!

...Bought from ASDA for my daughter's birthday in 2004 but is now in the master bedroom as it's too good for the kids! This DVD player was just under £30 new and is probably he best bargain we have in the house. It has a remote control, not just basic funtion buttons either, and is multi-region straight from the box so no need to enter any codes. It's very slim in height so will easily slip into any display furniture/stand you already have. ** Display and features ** Fabulous display quality, scart in/out. Features skip frames, slow search, search mode, program, zoom, angle.....and many more. ** Region/other viewable media ** Plays multi-region without having to enter codes, so you can basically bring back any DVD from anywhere and it will play it. Also plays JPEG, MPEG, MP3, DVD-R/RW. Very useful if you are having...

Aeris_Cloud 22.11.2006 · Read review
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Review of Pacific DVD 1001

Josie and the Pussycats - Region 1 DVD

Advantages: Good picture and sound, excellent features.
Disadvantages: Documentary could be a bit more detailed.

...*Region 1 DVD reviewed* (see my separate review for full details of the film itself). This DVD is nicely presented, with plenty of extras, and certainly does the film justice. Let?s get the technical aspects of the disc over with first. The film is presented in 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen and looks fantastic. There are lots of gorgeous bright colours throughout and the overall transfer is one of the best I?ve seen. The audio comes in both Dolby Digital 5.1 (English and French) and DTS (English only), and once again is pretty damn good! The many songs throughout the film sound great and you?ll be rushing out to buy the soundtrack as soon as the film has finished. The dialogue can seem a tad quiet in places, but this doesn?t spoil the overall enjoyment of the film. So it?s onto the extras, and there?s quite a nice selection...

sjhawkuk 30.09.2003 · Read review
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Review of Josie And The Pussycats (DVD)