All-Region DVD and Blu-ray Player Advice

[MichaelB]

Presumably it's a similar situation to the BDX-1200 player (the fact that it's named BDX-3200 is a bit of a giveaway)...

...but it might be worth investigating to see if it has the same issues with occasional picture judder. Given that I only paid £50 for mine, I can live with it, especially as only a handful of discs are affected (and if they're Region B or region-free I can simply switch to my PS3), but if it has exactly the same software aside from the 3-D element there's a passing possibility that it may have the same problems.

Many months later, the price of the BDX-3200 dropped enough for me to take the plunge and pick one up, and I'm very happy to confirm that the downloadable multiregion firmware mod works just as effectively (and uses the same keystroke combo to switch regions, which is handy), and that it does not have the picture judder issues afflicting its little brother.

So far, I haven't spotted any problems with it at all, but I've only had it for a fortnight. I can't comment on the 3-D as I don't have a 3-D monitor.

[hearthesilence]

Thanks for the warning, Gregory, I wound up passing on their wares after reading your post.

mfunk suggested something in another thread...I'll probably look into this:

If you're interested in splurging and getting a region free one (hardware hacked - works wonderfully and you can still update the firmware while retaining the region switching capability), you can get one here (where I got mine) for $190 shipped using the coupon code BARGAINOFFERS. They throw in a free HDMI cable, too.

[mfunk9786]

Hardware alteration really does seem to be the way to go. It ends up costing less, and you don't have to lord over the player to make sure you never download firmware updates or connect to the internet. Not sure how much it matters coming from a little electronics store in Chicago, but they also guarantee the player for life if there are any issues with the region free capabilities. I paid for mine with PayPal just to have a little bit of extra buyer protection, too.

[Der Spieler]

Any serious film lover that doesn't own a region-free player needs to get real.

I mean... come on.

[knives]

It is harder to get region free Blu players though. That's much more forgivable.

[Brianruns10]

It is harder to get region free Blu players though. That's much more forgivable.

There's a nice Toshiba on Amazon right now, that I'm eyeing as a Christmas gift idea for myself.

[mfunk9786]

hearthesilence, did you end up purchasing a player?

[hearthesilence]

Sorry, just saw this! Yes, I did, but I actually bought an Oppo BDP-83, then ordered a mod kit, which I *just* installed today.

Getting the lid off the Oppo was a ridiculous pain - basically, you're supposed to unscrew it and then tilt it from the back at about 45 degrees while pulling it away. I was told to put some cardboard pieces in the gap between the front bit of the chassis and the lid to protect the paint, but I had no idea how hard it was going to be to pop that thing off - it took awhile because I was afraid it was going to crack something or bend.

Anyway, I've tried it and it works so far...

One quick question to the Oppo users who are using mod kits. The (original) ribbon that you remove from the Oppo, did it only control the region capabilities? i.e. does it do anything that effects the actual picture or audio quality of playback?

[David M.]

One quick question to the Oppo users who are using mod kits. The (original) ribbon that you remove from the Oppo, did it only control the region capabilities? i.e. does it do anything that effects the actual picture or audio quality of playback?

No, that wouldn't be possible. Not in the digital world.

[Jack Phillips]

Thanks for the warning, Gregory, I wound up passing on their wares after reading your post.

mfunk suggested something in another thread...I'll probably look into this:

If you're interested in splurging and getting a region free one (hardware hacked - works wonderfully and you can still update the firmware while retaining the region switching capability), you can get one here (where I got mine) for $190 shipped using the coupon code BARGAINOFFERS. They throw in a free HDMI cable, too.

I got one of these myself. Now, can anyone tell me how to do the region-switching?

[lefeufollet]

Thanks for the warning, Gregory, I wound up passing on their wares after reading your post.

mfunk suggested something in another thread...I'll probably look into this:

If you're interested in splurging and getting a region free one (hardware hacked - works wonderfully and you can still update the firmware while retaining the region switching capability), you can get one here (where I got mine) for $190 shipped using the coupon code BARGAINOFFERS. They throw in a free HDMI cable, too.

I got one of these myself. Now, can anyone tell me how to do the region-switching?

While the unit is powered down, press the blue button followed by either 1 [Region A], 2 [Region B], or 3 [Region C]. Switch on the power and the desired region should be set.

[mfunk9786]

Turn the player off with your remote. Once it's off, hit the blue button on the remote, followed by 1 for Region A, 2 for Region B, or 3 for Region C. Then turn the player back on with your remote. If it doesn't work - lather, rinse, repeat. DVDs from all regions (both NTSC and PAL) should work without having to do any switching whatsoever.

[criterion10]

I've had a Panasonic DMP-BD80 Blu-Ray player for quite sometime. Over the past year or so, I realized how many films I wanted that were only available in foreign regions. Therefore, I decided to go Region Free around this time last year, but instead of getting a Region Free Blu-Ray player, I ended up getting a Region Free DVD Player (long story that I won't bother to explain for time purposes.) Anyway, I read about the supposed hack that exists for Panasonic players on this form not too long ago, and I decided to test out the BFI Blu-Ray of The Innocents that a friend had given me. I was very happy to see that it worked perfectly. So, my question is, should this hack work with all foreign Blu-Rays? I'm obviously going to keep my Region Free DVD Player, as I'm not sure whether or not my TV can handle the PAL to NTSC conversion for DVDs.

[manicsounds]

Apparently, not all discs work with the Panasonic hack. Check this DVDTalk thread

[David M.]

Pressing number buttons on the remote to skip "Infinite Loop" region lockout screens isn't a hack, it's just exploiting the fact that disc authors didn't prohibit jumping titles on the BD.

There is a real Panasonic hacked firmware that lets you change regions, and it does work.

[hearthesilence]

Anyone with an OPPO 83 (or maybe even the 93) try installing the mod kit that's just a ribbon? Specifically this one?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/OPPO-BDP-83-SE- ... 255af21154" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It worked when I first installed it, but it's been a month since I've needed to set my player to Region B, and now it doesn't seem to work anymore. It'll still beep a number of times when you hit the blue button, and it'll beep twice when you push the 2 button, but it won't play any Region B discs anymore.

What could be the problem? Overheating? Something come loose?

[hearthesilence]

All right, this seems to be a straightforward case of this thing NOT doing what it's supposed to do a mere two months after installation (probably far less since I haven't tried using it in over a month), so I'm going to see if I can exchange it for a new one since their refund warranty is only for 30 measly days. If that doesn't work, I'm contacting PayPal and getting my money back. Hopefully this is just a case of a defective unit. Otherwise, I fucking hate mod kits...

[Drucker]

I'll mention that I have an OPPO-93 with the mod kit from AVS digital. I've never had a problem, but I didn't do internal install. Does the 83 have the option to operate via USB like the 93?

[hearthesilence]

Unfortunately, no. It's just this damn ribbon that you actually have to fold with a circuit board in the middle as well as a dangling power cable to plug in. It worked for at least a short while when I tried it on my Arrow Blu-Rays of Rififi and later Bicycle Thieves, but after that, I left it on Region A until this past week, and now it won't change the regions anymore. Until I took another look at it to see if it was loose, I hadn't opened the player much less touched or done anything with the "kit" since installation. No one bats 1.000, and a few faulty units isn't a terrible record, but it's still a faulty unit that ought to be replaced or granted a refund.

[Drucker]

If you're buying from AVS, I had good customer service with them, so good luck. Sounds like it's the same piece of equipment the 93 uses, except that has the ability to plug into the USB in the back as I said.

[barryconvex]

i'm not sure where to post this but this seems as good a spot as anyi am located in nyc and my philips dvp5982 is on its last legs. i need a blu ray player that plays all region dvds as i have alot of bfi,moc movies. thats my only criteria-im not loyal to any brand,expense is not really a factor..any help anybody can give me would be very much appreciated...thank yous in advance...

[artfilmfan]

If expense is not really a factor, I think you should take a look at the (modified) Oppo BDP-103 that plays DVDs and Blu-ray discs from all regions. Search online for a company called 220-electronics. If you search for this unit elsewhere, beware that it may not have been modified to play discs from all regions.

[perkizitore]

Get a Toshiba BDX3200 if you can still find one.

[Koukol]

Yes, if price doesn't matter buy an OPPO.
They're highly regarded and worth every penny

I have the OPPO 95 and love it.

[Drucker]

I have the OPPO 93, and besides their amazing quality, they can be made region free with very little effort and just installing a mod kit through a USB port...so no reason to worry about any real damages.