DVDs from Germany

[Willbe]

will play in the U.S.?

 

[Sceadwian]

In stand alone DVD players? Nope, different region code. It may play on your computer, if it doesn't Windows will generally allow you to change your DVD region a few times in the device properties.

 

[blueroomelectronics]

Check slysoft.com anydvd

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

It's also likely to have German sound, which may be a little inconvenient?.

 

[dknguyen]

THe region code is just an arbitrary thing block to stop the DVD from playing in another country, but isn't also a different format (PAL instead of NTSC)? So even if you got around the region code you wouldn't physically be able to play it on a North American DVD player.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

THe region code is just an arbitrary thing block to stop the DVD from playing in another country, but isn't also a different format (PAL instead of NTSC)? So even if you got around the region code you wouldn't physically be able to play it on a North American DVD player.

It really depends a great deal - in Europe TV's and DVD players tend to be far more versatile, with TV's usually accepting many more standards (PAL, NTSC, SECAM, 50Hz, 60Hz etc.). Sets in North America are usually far more crippled, and often only work at 60Hz NTSC.

Likewise with DVD players, it's common that European DVD players can easily be made multi-region, and often have outputs that can be switched to NTSC or PAL - as I understand it, this isn't the case with American players?.

 

[dknguyen]

No, North American players are stuck on NTSC because there's no ouside world. THe region code is also set. Heck, even my computer DVD drives have a region code now (but I think that's everywhere now).

 

[Willbe]

Thanks, folks. . .

 

[Sceadwian]

Like I said DK, the region code for a PC DVD can be changed, some allow a limited number of changes but there are software hacks for it if you need to. AnyDVD is a nice legal (though I'm not sure how) way around all of it, cause AnyDVD also bypasses the encryption on DVD's.