Blu-Ray and old region 1 DVDs

[planetgaffnet]

Within a couple of months I'll be upgrading my system - plasma/amp/DVD, the works. With the Blu-Ray/HD battle pretty much over, I shall be going for Blu-Ray but need to know something that I can find scant data about on the web.

Presently my DVDs are split 50/50 region 1 and region 2. I'm undecided as to the Blu-Ray machine I'll be getting yet, but generally, will it be able to play my old region 1 DVDs or will I have to do a handset hack/chip upgrade?

Thanks for any info.

P

 

[Clare Newsome]

At the moment, we haven't seen a single Blu-ray player that's hackable to multiregion playback (of Blu-ray or DVD discs).

Of course, it's still very early days for the format, and as more manufacturers enter the market and Blu-ray becomes more mainstream we may see hacks emerging.

However, with region coding a key part of the format spec, it can't be guaranteed.

We will, of course, keep you all updated - i'm desparate to know myself, as I have a huge collection of Region 1 (and 3) DVDs, and at the moment am having to keep my old multiregion player to hand when my PS3 spits out a non-R2 disc...

 

[FoxJA]

[quote user="Clare Newsome"]
at the moment am having to keep my old multiregion player to hand when my PS3 spits out a non-R2 disc...
[/quote]

Are you using your PS3 for all your region 2 discs?, is it a good upscaler?
I have the same problem, I'm using my HD-EP35 for region 2, but have to use my old Samsung DVD recorder to play the Region 1 discs. Having to keep that set up means I now have 4 possible DVD players plugged in to my Onkyo 875, PS3 EP35, XBox 360 and the Samsung.

 

[Clare Newsome]

Yes, I use PS3 for R2 DVDs - but it's set to native output as I have better upscalers further down the food chain! (But then I do project onto an 80in screen, so SD upscaling is somewhat more key to me than most!)

In general the PS3 doesn't do a bad upscaling job - certainly a big step up from some cheap DVD upscalers, if not a match for something pricier like the Marantz DV7001.

 

[FoxJA]

[quote user="Clare Newsome"]
Yes, I use PS3 for R2 DVDs - but it's set to native output as I have better upscalers further down the food chain!
[/quote]

I use the EP35, but have it running through an Onkyo 875, will this improve it further or is all the upscaling done in one device?

 

[Clare Newsome]

With that combo (or the PS3) i'd let the Onkyo do the upscaling - set the player to output at native resolution and let the receiver handle the rest.

 

[planetgaffnet]

Hi Clare
Thanks for the reply...it was just the answer I was looking for. I want to declutter more than anything else - I'm running an Arcam DV78 for everything right now...I might just take it with me when I purchase the screen (probably a 42" Kuro) to see how it checks out and maybe hold off on the BR for a few months.

Cheers again

P

 

[FoxJA]

[quote user="Clare Newsome"]
With that combo (or the PS3) i'd let the Onkyo do the upscaling - set the player to output at native resolution and let the receiver handle the rest.

[/quote]

Thanks for that Clare, just one more thing.

I can't seem to find an output option on the EP35 set up, there is a resolution setting but I am assuming this also applies to the HD DVD's as it does not say otherwise, there is no native option and I don't want to run HDDVDs at less than 1080. Any idea's? also do I need to check/change any settings on the 875?

Cheers

John

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="Clare Newsome"]
With that combo (or the PS3) i'd let the Onkyo do the upscaling - set the player to output at native resolution and let the receiver handle the rest.

[/quote]

I have a ps3 and an onkyo 605 would you let the onkyo do the upscaling and if so what settings would you have to put the units on

 

[nads]

[quote user="rapsey"]
[quote user="Clare Newsome"]
With that combo (or the PS3) i'd let the Onkyo do the upscaling - set the player to output at native resolution and let the receiver handle the rest.

[/quote]

I have a ps3 and an onkyo 605 would you let the onkyo do the upscaling and if so what settings would you have to put the units on
[/quote]

the 605 does not Upscale, so it is not an option.

 

[Clare Newsome]

[quote user="FoxJA"]

I can't seem to find an output option on the EP35 set up, there is a resolution setting but I am assuming this also applies to the HD DVD's as it does not say otherwise, there is no native option and I don't want to run HDDVDs at less than 1080. Any idea's? also do I need to check/change any settings on the 875?

Cheers

John
[/quote] I'm not an EP35 menu expert, i'm afraid - and the guys who'd be more familiar with it are still working hard down at Bristol. Keep the Onkyo set to output at 1080p - it'll upscale anything lower-resolution and bypass anything already at 1080p.

 

[Clare Newsome]

[quote user="nads"][quote user="rapsey"]
[quote user="Clare Newsome"]

With that combo (or the PS3) i'd let the Onkyo do the upscaling - set the player to output at native resolution and let the receiver handle the rest.


[/quote]

I have a ps3 and an onkyo 605 would you let the onkyo do the upscaling and if so what settings would you have to put the units on

[/quote]

the 605 does not Upscale, so it is not an option.[/quote]

nads is right - the 605 does video switching (ie several sources in, single HDMI out) but not video upscaling.

 

[Anonymous]

i have just downloaded a disc onto my pioneer 70a that has made it multi regional dvd player. Works just fine on all region dvds ive tried. All thanks to my v friendly local hifi dealer who gave it to me for free. Get that service when buying online?

 

[Clare Newsome]

Very interesting. Pioneer were one of the first to make their DVD players multiregion via dealer support - looks like they're following suit with Blu-ray.

I'll be onto Pioneer on Monday to sort out our reference '70A!

 

[Clare Newsome]

OK, here's an update - the multiregion floodgates, it seems, are opening.

A range of retailers are now happily selling Blu-ray players from several manufacturers advertised as being multiregion for DVD.

I've also heard more reports of retailers AND manufacturers offering post-purchase firmware upgrades that'll make their players cope with multiregion DVDs - though none that'll go on the record with the details for us to print. Yet.

Watch this space!

 

[D.J.KRIME]

There is also custom firmware on the way for the PS3 that will enable Multi-region playback of both DVD and Blu-Ray according to certain PS3/PSP networks, I suppose this makes sense as they managed to completly hack the PSP so why not the PS3?

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="FoxJA"][quote user="Clare Newsome"]
With that combo (or the PS3) i'd let the Onkyo do the upscaling - set the player to output at native resolution and let the receiver handle the rest.

[/quote] Thanks for that Clare, just one more thing.

I can't seem to find an output option on the EP35 set up, there is a resolution setting but I am assuming this also applies to the HD DVD's as it does not say otherwise, there is no native option and I don't want to run HDDVDs at less than 1080. Any idea's? also do I need to check/change any settings on the 875? Cheers John

[/quote]if you update the firmware in the Ep35 to version 2.0

http://toshibahddvd.eu/firmware/download_latest_firmware.html

this will install an automatic resolution selector into the picture setup.

 

[FoxJA]

[quote user="GoonerDan"]
if you update the firmware in the Ep35 to version 2.0

http://toshibahddvd.eu/firmware/download_latest_firmware.html

this will install an automatic resolution selector into the picture setup.
[/quote]

Thanks, I didn't realise there was another update already!

 

[Anonymous]

Further to Claire's comments: Current blu ray players can be chipped for regions A or B (blu-ray), and regions 1 or 2 (standard dvd). bluray-upgrades.com are able to chip certain players using a chip and reprog method that will not restrict future firmware updates. Hope this of interest to some of you. Thanks Claire, hope you don't mind the plug.