Recommendations for a Region Free DVD Player?

[Animusubi]

Since I'm just starting to buy a few Japanese DVDs, I am needing a good player. Is there any good ones, preferably on the cheap end, I could get?

[greg]

I bought a Philips DVP642 when my old faithful Toshiba bit the dust about four years or so ago. This DVP642 has a region-free ability that is unlocked via an easter egg code by entering a number combination. I was able to set it to region 0. I bought it for only about $20 from a coworker at the time, so that was dirt cheap. However, I am not sure if I can wholly recommend this. For several region 1 anime DVDs, if I am watching something in Japanese with English subtitles, it will revert to the English dub when the next episode begins. It is very bothersome.

[llj]

I believe the cheapest region free DVD players currently on the market are the ones made by Akai, or most of them can easily be hacked with your remote. There are sites out there with codes by googling them.

[Animusubi]

I believe the cheapest region free DVD players currently on the market are the ones made by Akai, or most of them can easily be hacked with your remote. There are sites out there with codes by googling them.

Oh wow, I actually see some Akai DVD players when I go to Goodwill, so that is an awesome tip! Thanks llj!

I bought a Philips DVP642 when my old faithful Toshiba bit the dust about four years or so ago. This DVP642 has a region-free ability that is unlocked via an easter egg code by entering a number combination. I was able to set it to region 0. I bought it for only about $20 from a coworker at the time, so that was dirt cheap. However, I am not sure if I can wholly recommend this. For several region 1 anime DVDs, if I am watching something in Japanese with English subtitles, it will revert to the English dub when the next episode begins. It is very bothersome.

I plan on having a PS3 in the next year so I'd only use the region free player separately, since I only have two R2 dvds right now, so it's just for whenever I feel like watching them.

[ParaParaJMo]

you can change on your pc as well. or you can get a ripping program like xvid which can real all regions

[usamimi]

you can change on your pc as well. or you can get a ripping program like xvid which can real all regions

I've also heard that VLC Player can play some non-American DVDs, but I haven't gotten around to trying it yet myself.

[greg]

I am actually currently looking for a BR player that is also a region-free DVD player. There is a Toshiba one that has lots of mixed reviews on Amazon. Some people say it is not region-free, but perhaps that is because this capability is most likely unlocked via an Easter egg code. More alarming is that too many reviewers said that the things stop working and one person was already on their third player. On top of that, Toshiba's product support has been rather shoddy, they said. Ugh. I see some sellers on YAJ touting a Sony BR/DVD player that is region-free. It gets good reviews, but some say that it isn't truly region-free. I'll have to look into that. I do see some Chinese BR/DVD players on YAJ and those are most likely region-free, but... ugh. China. It's the DILLIGAF capital of the world.

Amazon USA isn't even selling the extended version of Desolation of Smaug on regular DVD, but instead BR only. Amazon Japan has the DVD version for pre-order, but it is over 6000 yen. Forget that! This is prompting me to get a BR player, but I don't want to hassle with switching between that AND my regular DVD player, especially since I sometimes have to do the Fonzie trick on it to get it to play DVDs. I doubt it will last much longer. The laser may be getting lazy inside there or something.

Oh yes and I have also been told that VLC player is a multi-regional player, too. I need to test that sometime.

[_D_]

This is what you need:

http://www.amazon.com/Seiki-SR4KP1-Up-C ... B00MB54M9W

They were about $60 USD it KMart in the USA or $100 CAD at Canadian Tire in Canada. Use 8520 on the remote to change the region for both DVD and Blu Rays...