Question about DVDs

[Lynchy]

Since VHS video tapes have different types, either British or American or whatever, do DVDs have the same restrictions? For example, could I play a DVD I buy from Femfeet on my Playstation2 here in the UK? Even DVD discs over here have the abreveation 'PAL' on them...

If there is a restriction like this on DVDs, are tickling media producers like Femfeet intending to make versions for us Brits to see? Or is it something limited to American costumers?

 

[Phineas]

you have two issues to deal with when purchasing DVDs. one, is the NTSC/PAL business, which you already know about.

the second is region encoding. Discs are often encoded so that, say, a disc bought in the US cannot be played on a disc player from, say, Yugoslavia. the good news is, piracy is so rampant in the far East that most disks you get there are engineered to play on anything even remotely resembling a DVd player. 😀

you need to find out how the disc is encoded, and many DVD players do NOT play both NTSC AND PAL, btw.

 

[LEB]

I'm not sure whether the NTSC/PAL thing affects DVD's as I've never seen a PAL marking on any DVD (although I can't say I've looked).

I have however bought a DVD from the US and played it on my PS2. The only thing I needed was a Region X card that fits into a memory slot.

If any DVD was going to be NTSC, I'd imagine one from the States would be it but it works fine on my PS2.

I haven't bought a Femfeet one, but I see no reason why it'd be any different to the DVD I bought.

You can pick up a Region X card from Play.com for about £18, or there's always cheap ones on Ebay too.

LEB

 

[BigJim]

I asked TIB this very same question a few weeks ago. He said that a UK bought PS2 would almost certainly NOT play a US DVD. If you have DVD capabilities on your PC however, there's a good chance that it'd work on that. If you do, then your best bet is to contact the company who supplied your PC and double check with them. Failing that, you could always buy a DVD player that plays DVD's from more than one region. If you do that, make sure you ask for one that plays DVD's from whatever region the US is in.

 

[Phineas]

back when I was attempting (pre-re-release by Columbia) to locate a copy of Jackie Chan's "Drunken Master" on DVD, I was attempting to have it imported from the UK, as they'd recently remastered it as part of the Hong Kong Legends series.

It was quite clearly stated on the web site that the DVD was in PAL format. My DVD player manual said it was only compatible with NTSC. I was unable to play it, so I never got it imported. So yes, it makes a difference. I can't say about PS2s though.

 

[BigJim]

back when I was attempting (pre-re-release by Columbia) to locate a copy of Jackie Chan's "Drunken Master" on DVD, I was attempting to have it imported from the UK, as they'd recently remastered it as part of the Hong Kong Legends series.

It was quite clearly stated on the web site that the DVD was in PAL format. My DVD player manual said it was only compatible with NTSC. I was unable to play it, so I never got it imported. So yes, it makes a difference. I can't say about PS2s though.

PS2's are not very sophisticated DVD players with little or no frills. I'd bet my pension, house, dog's life, my life etc on it not working with a TC DVD.