Multi Region Blu Ray Players

[admin_exported]

Hi I keep hearing conflicting stories about whether or not Blu Ray players can be unlocked or not. So they can play different "zone" Blu Ray discs. Also, if a Blu Ray player can be unlocked to play different "zone" discs. Does that mean that it will play muti region DVDs? Gerard

 

[professorhat]

AFAIK, there are no multi-region Blu-Ray players at the moment. There was a post a while back (here) saying someone had done it, but haven't heard anything since. My guess would be making the DVD side and the Blu-Ray side multi-region within the same player are separate issues.

 

[Clare Newsome]

[quote user="professorhat"]My guess would be making the DVD side and the Blu-Ray side multi-region within the same player are separate issues.[/quote]

Yep, which is why most (if not all) of the leading Blu-ray players are available to buy multi-region for DVD from many retailers. Check before you buy...

 

[Anonymous]

Hi

Thanx for your reply Professorhat. Yesterday I came across this company:

www.dvdlibrary.co.uk.

Which "claim" they can unlock the Pioneer BDPLX70A to play Zone A Blu Ray discs & Region 1 DVD's in addition to playing Zone B Blu Ray discs & Region 2 DVD's..

In the near future will Multi Zone blu Ray players become available to buy?

Gerard

 

[D.J.KRIME]

Making a Blu-Ray player multi-zonal is a far more complicated process than that of making a DVD player multi-region due to the way that the Code is stored onto the 2 very differnt types of disc, and thus to make a BD Player multi-zonal would take a lot of time and effort from someone costing money for this R+D factor that due to the still rather limited user base for BD would most probily not result in a good profit margin for the extra cost sadi developer would be able to charge for Un-zoneing the BD player. There is then also the added factor that the BD player may need Firmware updates to resolve playback issues which would overwrite any Custom Firmware installed on the unit.

As far as I can see the BD player that offers the best chance of being made Multi-Zonal for BD is the PS3 as for one it has the highest user base for any BD device and secondly due to the fact it is a games machine you tend to find these will get more Un-official developement into Custom Firmware amongst its user comunity online possibly resultinng in a simular situation as there is now say with the PSP and the custom firmware that is widely avalible on the net for free.

I for one am waiting to see what happens with this as I dont fancy having to have 3 BD players in my rack just so that I can buy which ever BD I wish to buy from around the world as I have been doing with DVD for years.

 

[professorhat]

Mmm, the other issue is, I don't think Sony are likely to provide an update to make the PS3 multi-region which means a 3rd party would have to do it. You would need to apply firmware updates on a regular basis to ensure the latest BD discs will play and get the new profile updates and if you're using it for gaming, you would have to apply these updates anyway to access the PSN store. Any hack therefore to allow multi-region could well be "fixed" by Sony on their next firmware update.

However, it is worth noting, a lot of BD discs in the US are coming out region free. Have a look at MovieTyme which will let you know if a Region 1 BD disc will play on Region 2 player before you buy.

 

[Anonymous]

Mmm, you both have raised interesting points, thank you. Which brings me to my next question. Even though it might sound a silly question @ this moment in time. Do you think in the foreseeable future that recordable Blu Ray players will become available?

Gerard

 

[professorhat]

Absolutely! The technology is already available for PCs (drives come in around the £200 mark and media about £15-£20). I think the main hold up is, there isn't really anything to take advantage of it yet i.e. the only HD channels at the moment are on Sky or Virgin and they have their own proprietary boxes). I think you'll only see this come into the home entertainment world when HD channels are more numerous on Freeview / Freesat and a good proportion of the public have access to these to make it worth their while.

 

[Anonymous]

I am building up my home cinema @ the moment.. I have started with buying a good DVD player. In the past I have always bought low end or generic brand DVD players. Until last week when I bought a Pioneer DV-400V-K (That's the black one.) for £99.99 & the nice people @ the shop made it multi regional for free. The next player I will buy will more than likely be a Blu Ray player. It is either going to be the Samsung BDP-1400 or the more pricey Pioneer BDPLX70A. Which brings me to the point of deciding, should I buy everything of the same brand e.g. Pioneer LCD TV & Pioneer Blu Ray Player etc... Or should I mix & match?

Gerard

 

[professorhat]

There's absolutely no reason really to stay with the same manufacturer for these kinds of devices. You might benefit in that one remote control could control all the devices (though this isn't guaranteed) but that's about it. There are good universal remote controls available that can do this for you though so my advice would be to buy the device that you like the look of most in your budget, no matter who manufactures it.

 

[Joe Cox]

For what it may or may not be worth, I spoke to a dealer who was advertising the new Panasonic DMP-BD30 player as 'multiregion', and while he admitted he hadn't yet received stock of any units that were indeed multiregion, he seemed to think it would be sooner rather than later... As I say, for whatever that may be worth.

 

[Anonymous]

Interesting, I saw something very simular on amazon.co.uk last night. It was the Samsung BD-P1000.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-BD-P1000-Blu-1080P-Player/dp/B000ICKB2C

But like in Joe Cox's case it isn't in stock.

Gerard