# Watching region 1 DVDs in region 2 **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 27, 2003, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-region-1-dvds-in-region-2/177815 "2003-05-27T17:38:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![rik\_q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9de0a6/32.png) [@rik\_q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rik_q)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-region-1-dvds-in-region-2/177815/21 "2003-05-28T22:54:15Z")
My tv and my dads tv supports region 1 dvds and i live in the uk. It will work if your tv can handle a 60HZ signal, most new ones do in england. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-region-1-dvds-in-region-2/177815/22 "2003-05-28T23:02:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rik\_q \* > \*\*My tv and my dads tv supports region 1 dvds and i live in the uk. It will work if your tv can handle a 60HZ signal, most new ones do in england. \*\* I think you are mistaken and confusing several things. Region 1 DVDs are encoded at 30 fps and region 2 at 25 fps but a region 2 player will convert from 30 to 25 by dropping frames so the TV is getting 25 regardless of the original encoding. that is what i believe but if you have any proof to the contrary I’d like to know. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-region-1-dvds-in-region-2/177815/23 "2003-05-29T00:07:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sailor \* > **I think you are mistaken and confusing several things. Region 1 DVDs are encoded at 30 fps and region 2 at 25 fps but a region 2 player will convert from 30 to 25 by dropping frames so the TV is getting 25 regardless of the original encoding.** Some players can output both formats. My own el-cheapo player has a button to switch between NTSC, PAL, and multi (NTSC for 525/60 and PAL for 625/50) output. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-region-1-dvds-in-region-2/177815/24 "2003-05-29T01:20:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr2001 \* > \*\*Some players can output both formats. My own el-cheapo player has a button to switch between NTSC, PAL, and multi (NTSC for 525/60 and PAL for 625/50) output. \*\* Be careful here, the selector switch doesn’t mean it can _convert_ between the two formats. On many cheap players, if you insert an NTSC disc it will only output an NTSC signal and if you insert a PAL disc it will only output a PAL signal. So you still need two TVs (or a multi-format TV) to see both PAL and NTSC DVDs. High-end multi-format players can usually convert between signals (generate an NTSC signal from a PAL DVD or vice versa), so you can hook it up to a regular TV and watch both NTSC and PAL DVDs. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-region-1-dvds-in-region-2/177815/25 "2003-05-29T01:45:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by scr4 \* > **Be careful here, the selector switch doesn’t mean it can _convert_ between the two formats. On many cheap players, if you insert an NTSC disc it will only output an NTSC signal and if you insert a PAL disc it will only output a PAL signal.** I’m pretty sure my Norcent DP300 will output an NTSC signal for a PAL disc, and vice versa, and it definitely isn’t a high-end player. I’ll check tonight. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-region-1-dvds-in-region-2/177815/26 "2003-05-29T03:11:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr2001 \* > \*\*I’m pretty sure my Norcent DP300 will output an NTSC signal for a PAL disc, and vice versa, and it definitely isn’t a high-end player. I’ll check tonight. \*\* Well OK, I used the term “high-end” in a very loose sense. I just wanted to point out that there are two kinds of multi-format DVD players. I know my $150 JVC multi-region player does _not_ have a PAL/NTSC conversion circuit, but some players in the same price range do. ---
**Author:** ![stigoftdump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@stigoftdump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stigoftdump)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-region-1-dvds-in-region-2/177815/27 "2003-05-29T12:08:19Z")
Go into google, type in the name of the DVD player and then HACK, then press search. For instance Sony AB-3 Hack Someone somewhere will have the hack for it. It usually requires a weird keypress combination on the remote, and you can then play all types of DVDs. I’ve tried it myself on 2 DVD players - no problem on either. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-region-1-dvds-in-region-2/177815/28 "2003-05-29T14:30:06Z")
My Canadian JVC [XV-S502SL](http://www.jvc.ca/en/consumer/product-detail.asp?model=XV-S502SL) will apparently play and convert PAL discs on an NTSC TV… but the PAL discs have to be playable in Region 1. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-region-1-dvds-in-region-2/177815.md?page=1)