Region A vs Region B where one is better than the other + price difference.

[Hades]

If a thread already exists then I do apologise, search never works right for me

Quite a few forum members have a Region A and B player. Some have had their player modified to play all regions. Then there are many of us that just have a Region B player.

When the Oppo BDP-83 A/1 came out last month, I checked my 100 or so BD's and found that only 16 would not play on it. But a large portion of my SD collection is R2, so it was a none starter really with no MR for SD duties.

I then started to wonder just how many titles are superior between regions?

I purchased The Messengers the other day on Region B and was gutted to find it only has a standard DD 5.1 track on it. The USA version has a lossless PCM 5.1 track but is locked

There is also the same issue with Superman Returns, where if you are lucky there is the Australian version with the PCM 5.1 track on it.

Then there is The X-Files Movie which is only available on Region A and locked. By all accounts there is no intention to release it on any other region. This is one of my favourite movies too.

When the $$ was strong then buying Region A could make it cheaper in some cases against B. But now you are paying £19-£25 for lots of Region A titles from the likes of Movietyme and Axel Music.

Gran Torino is £20.99 for Region A or £16.68 for Region B. Extras do not bother me, its all down to audio really for my personal taste. So are people paying the extra money as its out a few weeks ahead of the UK? For me I would rather save that £4.31 and put it towards another title.

Another example is Knowing, where the USA version is £19.99 @ Movietyme and the UK only £14.98 @ Amazon. Both are released in July and its a saving of £5.01 if you can wait the extra 2 weeks.

Are there any other titles where one region is better than the other and why pay more for the Region A version if its considerably cheaper on Region B?

 

[eiren]

I would get a multi region player and get both. Both regions have their advantages, and some titles are only available on one or the other.

There's a few multi region players now... so I would definitely go for one of those as having the far more use than any of the other features Blu-ray players are being released with now.

 

[IAN P]

Transsiberian is cut by 8 seconds in the UK, could've had an uncut release but the studio declined.

US version is region free, albeit a bit dearer.

 

[Pecker]

For all the obvious reasons, I think it's handy to have both Region A and Region B covered.

Blu-ray Disc players are now relatively cheap - I think you can go multi-region by purchasing two players or a modded unit for less than £400.

Steve W

 

[lgans316]

Gran Torino is £20.99 for Region A or £16.68 for Region B. Extras do not bother me, its all down to audio really for my personal taste.

****************************************************

Version: AUS, Japan, UK, EU / Warner / Region Free
VC-1 BD-50 / AACS / Advanced Profile 3
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Running time: 1:56:34
Movie size: 31,51 GB
Disc size: 35,35 GB
Total bit rate: 36.04 Mbps
Average video bit rate: 26.99 Mbps

Dolby TrueHD Audio English 1344 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1344 kbps / 16-bit (AC3 Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps)
Dolby Digital Audio English 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio French 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio German 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio Italian 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio Japanese 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / Dolby Surround

Subtitles: English, English SDH, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Japanese, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish
Number of chapters: 29

****************************************************

Version: U.S.A / Warner / Region Free
Disc size: 33,45 GB
Movie size: 29,70 GB
Average video bit rate: 26.99 Mbps
Total bit rate: 33.98 Mbps

Dolby TrueHD Audio English 1344 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1344 kbps / 16-bit (AC3 Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps)
Dolby Digital Audio English 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio French 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio Portuguese 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps

Subtitles: English (SDH), English, French, Portuguese, Spanish

****************************************************

#Manning the Wheel (HD - 9m:23s)
#Gran Torino: More Than a Car (HD - 3m:57s)
#DVD Digital Copy
#The Eastwood Way (HD - 19m:17s)
#BD-Live enabled

****************************************************

Hollywood based Studios don't have the habit of featuring SD extras in PAL. Rest feature SD extras in PAL which cannot be played in pure Region A based players unless it's modded. You need to be extremely cautious in buying titles released by EIV.

BVHE BLUs released outside Region-A always featured PCM track at 4.6 Mbps but the trend has changed after the studio switched to DTS-HD MA.

 

[Hades]

For all the obvious reasons, I think it's handy to have both Region A and Region B covered.

Blu-ray Disc players are now relatively cheap - I think you can go multi-region by purchasing two players or a modded unit for less than £400.

Steve W

I suppose that depends on whether you want a budget player or not. Could become quite expensive if you were wanting more mid-range to high end players. I think it would be around £180 to get my S550 altered for all regions. Making it a cost of £324 in total. But as I know I won't be keeping this, it would be a waste of money.

 

[Moogle]

There is also the same issue with Superman Returns, where if you are lucky there is the Australian version with the PCM 5.1 track on it.

Australia is the same region for blu-ray as the UK.

 

[mikegambit]

For all the obvious reasons, I think it's handy to have both Region A and Region B covered.

Blu-ray Disc players are now relatively cheap - I think you can go multi-region by purchasing two players or a modded unit for less than £400.

Steve W

My multiregion Panny was £269 in December

Without it I would be stuck with the inferior UK set of Planet of the Apes and the extras-less Basic Instinct.
I would have had a 5 month wait for Day The Earth Stood Still
And I would be lacking the original sound on the Bond discs and Licence To Kill, Golden Gun and Never say Never altogether

 

[Hades]

Australia is the same region for blu-ray as the UK.

I know it is. Was just stating that there is a difference in the discs, but not as well as I should have done

 

[Gary Nash]

I, Robot is a good example.
The US version has 3 commentaries (just one on UK), also the menu system is better as the scene selections include captions. This was always a bug-bear with dvd, that some studios would remove captions from the european releases. This practise continues with some BRD and I don't really see the point given that all the other menu options are listed in English.

I'd prefer to get the US versions of discs in most cases, but both DVD and BRD prices have jumped significantly in recent months making it difficult to justify the prices against the Amazon UK 3for2 deals.

 

[DICKIEDUVET]

Transsiberian is cut by 8 seconds in the UK, could've had an uncut release but the studio declined.

US version is region free, albeit a bit dearer.

Didn't know that, Watched it recently and thought it was a decent film. Might have to swap my UK version for the Us now

 

[english_bob]

I will always stick with Region A.

Better editions (cut vs uncut)
Smaller disc cases (UK ones are double the size)
Come out sooner

Region B is not as bad as Region 2 was on DVD though, at least the PAL speedup is the thing of the past.

 

[LanceR]

I will always stick with Region A.

Better editions (cut vs uncut)
Smaller disc cases (UK ones are double the size)
Come out sooner

Region B is not as bad as Region 2 was on DVD though, at least the PAL speedup is the thing of the past.

Not necessarily I bought the US region 1 DVD of 'Brassed Off' and that has been horribly cut in the states, they do do some weird cuts over there too. The answer ultimately is to go region free and do plenty of research.

Although i do agree on the smaller cases I much prefer those.