HD and bluray

[PAH]

Unfortunately until China start shipping cheap blu-ray players (assuming they ever will, they'll probably have to still pay the Sony licence fee) the only way of getting blu-ray multiregion is via a hardware modification, adding around £100 to the price of the player.

But as you say, some studios are releasing without the region lock. Hopefully with the players available for well under £100 and also DVD compatible that there will be loads more people getting them for Christmas then the sales will go up and the studios will release more classic movies on Blu-ray.

Still waiting for Mad Max to be officially released in the UK though I think it's available in Australia (same blu-ray region) but without the american language dub, which I actually prefer over the original aussie one (the voices are less high pitched so more 'realistic' and fitting with the characters ), and only recently has Pulp Fiction been released in the UK, and Scarface anywhere.

So don't get a blu-ray player expecting all your favourite movies to be available yet.

[VectraMan]

Not sure if this one has been hacked, but it's for sale on Amazon - multi-region DVD and blue ray region ABC.

My Sony blu-ray player has been DVD region hacked, but not Blu-ray region hacked. I thought they'd done a better job on Blu-ray to enforce it properly. But it turns out quite a lot of Blu-rays are being released region free anyway. I recently bought Aliens and Terminator from the US, and both are region free so play fine in any player. There's a website somewhere listing them; several of the major studios are ignoring regions for all their releases.

[Durbs]

I just bought the cheapest Sony Blu-Ray in Argos for the missus.

Its great, its fully networked so we've now got iPlayer, 4OD, LoveFilm, YouTube, Podcasts, media streaming etc etc on our upstairs telly when I thought i was just buying something to play discs.

So if buying one, check it comes with all that network tulip. The sony one is nice, exactly the same interface as the PS3 without the games bit (obviously).

[PAH]

For most people it's quicker to pop down to ASDA for the latest blu-ray movie than try downloading 30gb+.

[Support Monkey]

Alternatively, get a network enabled telly and simply stream HD programes across the network. I can't recall the lst time I put a DVD/Blueray in the player.

WHS disks there so 2006, live in the now get the network Tv or just buy a media streamer, I have a Popcorn hour media tank plays everything you can throw at it, thanks Pirate Bay

[v8gaz]

Alternatively, get a network enabled telly and simply stream HD programes across the network. I can't recall the lst time I put a DVD/Blueray in the player.

[TheFaQQer]

Not sure if this one has been hacked, but it's for sale on Amazon - multi-region DVD and blue ray region ABC.

[PAH]

Some blu-ray players (e.g. my Philips costing under £90 ) also allow you to unlock the DVD region to play other regions (via a simple code on the remote control), though none (afaik) allow you to unlock the blu-ray region without a hardware modification.

Probably not an issue to most folk, but some movies are still only available outside Europe.

If wanting blu-ray and DVD many new titles come in dual or triple packs so you can give the DVD to the kids to scratch while you keep hold of the blu-ray.

[TheFaQQer]

1) Can regular DVD's play on a blu-ray player or do I need both blu-ray and conventional?

Regular plays on a Blu Ray player

2) I assume blu-ray CD's only play on a blu-ray player.

What's a blu ray CD? If you mean blu ray disc (BD) then yes, you need a blu ray player for them.

[Mustang]

Hi Folks!

Looking at getting a new HD TV (see other post!) but then Mrs Mustang and Mustang junior both have DVD's that are recorded or pre-recorded. These play on our current DVD player.

Questions are:

1) Can regular DVD's play on a blu-ray player or do I need both blu-ray and conventional?

2) I assume blu-ray CD's only play on a blu-ray player.

TIA.