VIDEOLIB Archive: Re: DVDs

I have done a fair amount of research on this subject and can summarize =
what I've learned:
-DVD's do indeed come "coded" by region- with region 1 representing the =
US, etc.
_"code-free" DVD players are not easy to come by- the Sampo is an =
excellent example- they were initially code-free, but have bowed to =
pressure from the entertainment industry and reprogrammed their players to =
play only Zone 1 DVD's. I bought 2 players for our Multimedia Center that =
were advertised as code-free, but I held my breath until they arrived. =
They work great.
-DVD's do indeed come in different formats- at least NTSC and PAL (I have =
not run accross a SECAM, but we have some French DVD's that are in PAL). =
This presents an additional problem- the signal coming out of your =
codefree DVD player has to be converted to NTSC in order to be viewed on =
an American television. The Sampo player is great because it has a =
built-in converter. The Pioneer models I looked at did not. I suppose you =
could then run the signal through a multistandard VCR to convert it to =
NTSC and output it to a regular TV, but it would make copying just too =
tempting (and easy).=20

I looked at the French DVD site and couldn't determine the DVD's format, =
but I suspect it is PAL and region 2, like the other French DVD's we have =
here, because that is the national standard. Hope this helps!
Nora

Technical Manager
Multimedia Center
University of Rochester
ndimmock@rcl.lib.rochester.edu
(716) 273-5010

>>> gilles@exploratorium.edu 01/04/02 12:56PM >>>
I've had several requests in the past year for information on where to get
regionless players from staff at local museums, libraries and one famous =
US
Studio.

I bought a regionless player, a Sampo, for less than retail two years ago
at Mikado in San Francisco.

There are some US made discs that will not play on regionless players,
however the Sampo can be reset via a menu.

I've been pleased with this machine and some of the images in my second
book were captures from Japanese DVD discs using this machine.

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_"code-free" DVD players are not easy to come by- the Sampo is an = excellent=20 example- they were initially code-free, but have bowed to pressure from = the=20 entertainment industry and reprogrammed their players to play only Zone 1 = DVD's.=20 I bought 2 players for our Multimedia Center that were advertised as = code-free,=20 but I held my breath until they arrived. They work great.

-DVD's do indeed come in different formats- at least NTSC and PAL (I = have=20 not run accross a SECAM, but we have some French DVD's that are in PAL). = This=20 presents an additional problem- the signal coming out of your codefree = DVD=20 player has to be converted to NTSC in order to be viewed on an American=20 television. The Sampo player is great because it has a built-in converter. = The=20 Pioneer models I looked at did not. I suppose you could then run the = signal=20 through a multistandard VCR to convert it to NTSC and output it to a = regular TV,=20 but it would make copying just too tempting (and easy).

I looked at the French DVD site and couldn't determine the DVD's = format,=20 but I suspect it is PAL and region 2, like the other French DVD's we have = here,=20 because that is the national standard. Hope this helps!

Technical Manager
Multimedia Center
University of Rochester
<= A=20 href=3D"mailto:ndimmock@rcl.lib.rochester.edu">ndimmock@rcl.lib.rochester.e= du
(716)=20 273-5010

>>> gilles@exploratorium.edu 01/04/02 12:56PM=20 >>>
I've had several requests in the past year for information = on=20 where to get
regionless players from staff at local museums, libraries = and=20 one famous US
Studio.

Guess I've established a reputation with = my=20 interest in Japanese videos.

I bought a regionless player, a Sampo, = for=20 less than retail two years ago
at Mikado in San Francisco.

http://www.mikadosf.com/

There= are=20 some US made discs that will not play on regionless players,
however = the=20 Sampo can be reset via a menu.

h= ttp://www.dvd.reviewer.co.uk/info/multiregion/full/sampo560.asp

= I've=20 been pleased with this machine and some of the images in my second
book = were=20 captures from Japanese DVD discs using this machine.

Gilles = Poitras =20 gilles@exploratorium.edu
Learning Studio, Exploratorium=20 Museum