All-Region DVD and Blu-ray Player Advice

[D50]

Is there a multi-region player that can play Blu-ray and dvd discs?

[Drucker]

All blu-ray players can play DVDs. Not sure of your question.

[cdnchris]

I think they're asking about players that play both blu rays and dvds region free (so to speak).

I'm pretty sure that if the player allows you to switch between regions for blu ray it will also have a setting for DVD. Mine allows me to set DVD to region 0 (all).

[swo17]

Yes, but there's technically no way to make a BD player similarly region-free, only region switchable.

[charal]

Thank you Lemon Curry. I have a Panasonic DMP-BD77 player and cannot play the two region A discs I have (Criterion dual format editions). I put PERSONA in the player let the player read it and when the screen turned black, before the play mode began, I pressed STOP then TOP MENU. The Criterion logo came up and the disc worked. On subsequent tries the player stayed in a black screen 'stop' mode. If this happened I pressed TOP MENU again and the disc worked. If anyone tries this note that if pressing TOP MENU brings up the top menu functions of the player (not the disc) it will fail. It must be a black screen.

In summary:
Insert disc
When disc is loading / reading (black screen before play function starts) press STOP
Quickly press TOP MENU
if disc doesn't load and screen is black (stop mode) press TOP MENU again
It should work. If not eject disc and keep trying, it is all about timing.

[My Man Godfrey]

Thanks to everyone above (h/t StevenJ0001) for recommending the insanely cheap Seiki player. I can't believe how good it is for the money. I haven't had the problems others have mentioned with image distortion.

For 10+ years, I'd been happily using my formerly-top-end Oppo region-free player. I never expected that regular PAL DVDs would look so much better on the bargain-basement Seiki; I just bought it to play region B Blu-rays. It's insane how much better PAL DVDs look on this thing.

[StevenJ0001]

Thanks to everyone above (h/t StevenJ0001) for recommending the insanely cheap Seiki player. I can't believe how good it is for the money. I haven't had the problems others have mentioned with image distortion.

For 10+ years, I'd been happily using my formerly-top-end Oppo region-free player. I never expected that regular PAL DVDs would look so much better on the bargain-basement Seiki; I just bought it to play region B Blu-rays. It's insane how much better PAL DVDs look on this thing.

Glad you're enjoying yours--it's such a terrific little player for the money!

[Raymond Marble]

Yeah, I bought a Seiki too based on the recommendations in this thread, and am also happy with it (though I am getting the image distortion on 1.33:1 DVDs, as some mention above).

[Telstar]

Has anyone purchased a Seiki player recently? I'd decided to buy a second one as a back-up but when I searched for Seiki on Sears website (where I bought my first player) I found absolutely nothing.

[Raymond Marble]

Has anyone purchased a Seiki player recently? I'd decided to buy a second one as a back-up but when I searched for Seiki on Sears website (where I bought my first player) I found absolutely nothing.

I bought mine pretty recently. Maybe two or possibly three months ago?

[wattsup32]

It is here: http://www.sears.com/seiki-sr4kp1-up-co ... ockType=G2. Crazy expensive for some reason.

[sir_luke]

It's also at Amazon for $69.99.

[Telstar]

It is here: http://www.sears.com/seiki-sr4kp1-up-co ... ockType=G2. Crazy expensive for some reason.

Thanks. Looks like this is a marketplace seller item and Sears no longer stocks these players, which is probably why the price has more than doubled. (That and the online review posted by some well-meaning soul on sears' site specifically pointing out the player's "secret" all-region capabilities.)

[Petty Bourgeoisie]

Which region free blu-ray player has the best transport? Some of my discs have an adhesive sticker as it's label and my current players all freeze someways into the movie. But strip off the sticker and they play fine. Very frustrating.

[Noiradelic]

It is here: http://www.sears.com/seiki-sr4kp1-up-co ... ockType=G2. Crazy expensive for some reason.

Thanks. Looks like this is a marketplace seller item and Sears no longer stocks these players, which is probably why the price has more than doubled.

I can vouch that Sears still had the Seiki for sale online till at least 2 weeks ago. It was ~$67. Kmart, the other major retailer that carried it (not counting Amazon) had it 2 weeks ago and it looks like they no longer carry it either.

[der_Artur]

Does anyone here (especially the european users) have experience with this shop: http://www.multisystem-electronics.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ?
They sell their multi-region players via amazon and since I don't have a bluray player at all I think one of these machines is the most comfortale way to go for me.
So, is that shop to trust with?

[George Drooly]

I'm assuming the region-free Blu players at 220-Electronics are modded by them... my question is, do these players generally need the various input codes to play various discs, or once a device is physically modded is it simply "plug & play"?

[FrauBlucher]

The code usually doesn't stick once player gets turned off, so I input code before I turn on player.

[jindianajonz]

I'm assuming the region-free Blu players at 220-Electronics are modded by them... my question is, do these players generally need the various input codes to play various discs, or once a device is physically modded is it simply "plug & play"?

Dvds are plug and play, but as far as I know ALL region free Blu-ray always requires a code to be entered to change regions, due to the way Blu-ray region locking works. I have two players from 220 electronics. My Sony is by far the easier one to change; you simply power the machine off and hold down the button of the region you want to play (i.e. 2 for region B) and it boots up on its own in the right mode. The OPPO is a bit trickier, as you need to power up, eject any disc, enter a sequence of 5 buttons, and manually reboot. I often misenter the input (or possibly go to fast ) and often have to try two or three times to get it to take, which is annoying when you have to start a disc and wait for it to load before realizing you did it wrong.

[George Drooly]

I'm assuming the region-free Blu players at 220-Electronics are modded by them... my question is, do these players generally need the various input codes to play various discs, or once a device is physically modded is it simply "plug & play"?

Dvds are plug and play, but as far as I know ALL region free Blu-ray always requires a code to be entered to change regions, due to the way Blu-ray region locking works. I have two players from 220 electronics. My Sony is by far the easier one to change; you simply power the machine off and hold down the button of the region you want to play (i.e. 2 for region B) and it boots up on its own in the right mode. The OPPO is a bit trickier, as you need to power up, eject any disc, enter a sequence of 5 buttons, and manually reboot. I often misenter the input (or possibly go to fast ) and often have to try two or three times to get it to take, which is annoying when you have to start a disc and wait for it to load before realizing you did it wrong.

Thank you, I just ordered a Sony from them.

[JSC]

With the OPPO I've found the following steps ensure that the player changes region
codes without issue.

1.) When switching on the player wait for the 'no disc' message to appear at the top.
2.) Enter the code.
3.) Switch off the player. Wait a few seconds.
4.) Switch on the player.
5.) Wait for the 'no disc' message to appear again. Then open the drive and insert
a disc.

I haven't had any issues with the player since.

[wllm995]

I bought a cheap Seiki Blu-ray player from Walmart (C$49.00) a few years ago.
It is set up for Region B Blu-rays - and plays them perfectly.
My regular Samsung Blu-ray player plays all of my Region A Blu-rays perfectly.
Having never run into a Region C Blu-ray (like ever) - I have never worried about it.

C$99.00 takes care of all of my Blu-ray viewing needs.

YMMV

[jedgeco]

Seiki owners -- does this player have a "zoom out" feature? (I can't seem to find the manual online anywhere.)

My monitor has a lot of overscan, so this would be a big selling point for me.

[Zot!]

It does zoom out, but I think it's pretty dramatic and useless for fine tuning overscan. You will see everything heavily windowboxed

[My Man Godfrey]

Well, my cheapo Seiki just bit the dust after about six months of use. Little star, you burned bright during your short life! The thing was inexpensive enough that I can't be too irritated.

Currently following the herd to that Sony all-region player...