Region free DVD player with US TV?

I have a region free DVD player - should this work with my US TV?

Depends on the outputs, does it have HDMI?  It's probably more hassle than it's worth to be honest.  Then you've got the power issue too.

The TV is ok for 110/240, so that's not a problem.   But the DVD player is not HDMI, though the TV is.

You'll need to check the manual (or back of the DVD player and TV)
Region free means it will read dvds of any region, but it's output signal that matters.
 What you are looking for is the output signal of the DVD player to be able to match the input of the TV. So NTSC is American signal format, and PAL is the UK format.

So NTSC-NTSC or PAL-PAL either will work. (NTSC-PAL will show a pic it'll just be in black and white)
Most likely it will be the DVD player that may have the option to switch output signals, but i have had a phillips TV that would accept both inputs
If you have a sky box you might be able to run your dvd player through this as i think you can switch the output formats on them. I just don't know if they convert the signal.
Another option is to send the TV away to get it chipped so it will accept both NTSC and PAL formats.
I had this done to a DVD player i bought in thr early 2000's and although it wasn't cheap. The player is still going strong!!

Ironically some the cheaper DVD players may already be able to this as it cuts down on production costs for the manufacturer. Ie they jusy built 1 generic unit with a conversion chip in than 2 region specific ones.

My best advise is just google...
"Will my {insert dvd player brand and model number} output NTSC?"
 that should give you a definative answer and some other options!!
Hope this helps.
 


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Thanks so much for your detailed explanation, little_geoff! 

Not a problem. Did you get it sorted?
Forgot to say their are conversion boxes available also but i did a bit of googling and found this site.

http://www.world-import.com/pioneer-dv-2010-region-free-dvd-player.htm
(not factored in postage though)
Simpliest solution for the money in my opinion.


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This looks awesome!  If I read this correctly, this DVD player doesn't need an adaptor, doesn't need a step-down transformer, and will play an NTSC DVD on a NTSC TV anywhere, including the UK. 

It doesn't mention HD, but since they suggest HDMI cable as an accessory, can I assume it will work with an HD TV?

I don't mean to beleaguer this, but I keep thinking I have my head around all the TV/DVD issues and then it turns out that I don't.   I will order this player in a heartbeat if all of the above are accurate!

they look legit,  better business bureau, physics store, phone number etc...looks like they found a gap in the market, with so many people moving around the world etc

but it's your money at the end of the day.

 It looks like they buy up suitable DVD players, then kit them out with signal converters, (and possibly voltage converters?) then sell them on with their own warranty.
So yes, they will play ANY region DVD on ANY TV, so you can play UK (PAL) DVD's on you NTSC TV, without any issues!

Shipping looks to be an extra $60 to the UK (and you'll probably have to include customs charges on top!)
If you are going to use this site double check the voltage options, as the Worldwide voltage option does increase the price on some models

So worth doing the math, but ideal if you are moving about lots (ie military) or planning to go back to the US

and No i am not employed by this site, (this is just a google result to be honest) but i know what you are facing...
 i said previously but i bought an American Panasonic DVD player during the BF sales about 10 years ago. I had no idea the TV signals and DVD regions were different either, so was a little annoyed when i got home..I eventually found a company that would chip my US player to play PAL (at the time it was usually the other way round for players and game consoles) cost me about £120 i think...
I've only ever used a $20 Radio Shack power converter and i've never had an issue, so well worth the investment!


Did you check the rest of the site...?
http://www.world-import.com/dvd-converter-1.htm
(...is the extra cost of HDMI worth it?)
If you are still unsure you could always call them...?


Lastly, did you actually check the units you already have?
I would hate for you to go and spend money on something you don't really need.

Years back I got a dual voltage DVD player, region free AND plays NTSC and PAL format. At the time it was about $30 delivered in the US.

This was way before high-def and HDMI cables, but the player still works very well for my older DVDs.

A lot of DVD players are dual voltage and also multi-format capable. It's just not heavily emphasized in the spec. See if your DVD player is listed among the ones sold here:

http://www.dvdoverseas.com/store/index.html?loadfile=catalog86_0.html

As was said earlier, you might just already have what you want/need.

little_geoff, the region-free DVD player I have is a low end model and doesn't have an option to change from PAL to NTSC output.

Vadio, thanks for the link.   I have an NTSC DVD player and and NTSC TV, so in theory I'm all set.   But the DVD player is 110, so I need to run it on a step down transformer.   My problem is that I need to be able to run it for many hours in a row, and I hate running the transformer that long.   I do have an excellent transformer and it is working, but I was looking for a solution that would avoid that.

Which is why I picked up a low end region-free DVD player here in the UK.   That solved the 110/240 problem, but I was unaware of the PAL to NTSC output problem (I understood it in the context of TV signals, but didn't think it would affect a DVD player).   

So it sounds as if one solution might be to shop for a region free DVD player here in the UK that will play NTSC and has the option to output either to PAL or NTSC.   Do I have that right?

So it sounds as if one solution might be to shop for a region free DVD player here in the UK that will play NTSC and has the option to output either to PAL or NTSC.   Do I have that right?

That's about right. Again, years before DVD's, I bought a VHS recorder here in the UK that would play my NTSC tapes, because I had a ton of movies recorded. You just want the same technology but in the 'modern world' of DVD players. Quite possibly easier to find than you might think.

I run lots of stuff on transformers, but I agree that using one for hours on end is not a good thing.

Oh - and a quick Google came up with this:

That amazon DVD player doesn't seem to specify what output signal it is (not my phone at least) so may only output PAL?
But yes finding a UK player that has the option to switch output is the simpliest solution...
  Do you have a Richer Sounds store nearby they are pretty knowledgable and might let you bring your TV in so you can test the players on it.




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the spec for that DVD player says this:

Region 0 - PAL & NTSC Multi Region Dvd Player for regions 1 2 3 4 5 6

but then there's a contradiction re: the region with this disclaimer:

Region Two Playback Only

Blu-ray players and DVD players sold by Amazon.co.uk play UK (Region Two) Blu-ray discs and DVDs only. Discs from other regions will not play on these products.

It's cheap enough to take a risk, I think....but says "only 1 left" now :-)

the spec for that DVD player says this:

Region 0 - PAL & NTSC Multi Region Dvd Player for regions 1 2 3 4 5 6

but then there's a contradiction re: the region with this disclaimer:

Region Two Playback Only

Blu-ray players and DVD players sold by Amazon.co.uk play UK (Region Two) Blu-ray discs and DVDs only. Discs from other regions will not play on these products.

It's cheap enough to take a risk, I think....but says "only 1 left" now :-)

Not sure this player would work...the OP already has one of these. (multi-region player)
As far as i understand it, his TV will only accept the NTSC signal, so he needs a DVD player that will output an NTSC signal. these multi-region players will READ all the regions then convert the signal into a PAL format (usually PAL50 or PAL60) so that a UK tv will be able to display the image. Does that make sense?

I want to thank everyone for their responses on this question.   It's been quite a learning experience.   I was never able to get a confirmation from any manufacturers or suppliers of UK DVD players that they would play back to an NTSC TV.   So in the end I opted to purchase one from the US website recommended by little_geoff that modifies players to work with any DVD in any country on any TV.   The shipping cost is ridiculous (though far less than a new TV) and this way if we get transferred again we should be all set.