DVD Region question

stu_69

I'm sure this question has been asked before but I wanted an updated answer.

Which is the best DVD region to get ie: Region 1/2/3/4? I know region 1 dvds usually are the best but apparently T2 special ed region 2 is better than region 1. But I got Shrek when I was in the states and it seems to have a lot more features than any other region.

So whats is everyones opinion?

Mountjoy Mugger

IMO, there's no best overall DVD region. The best thing you can do is get a mullti-region DVD to play all regions. That way, you can get the best of all worlds.

For example, the R1 version of The Deerhunter was very disappointing - poor quality all round. However, the R2 version is allegdly going to be a helluva lot better.

If you want to stick with 1 region only - and be prepared to accept the odd poor DVD, I'd plump for R1.

gandalf

To be honest there is no best DVD Region. It depends on the film. Your example of Shrek is a good one, the T2 Ultimate Edition is actually better on Region1 than 2. They use seamless branching for 3 versions of the film. One thing I have noticed is that alot of films in Region1 have DTS soundtracks but when they are released here its missing (I'll try and remember a few examples).

Take Pulp Fiction & Jackie Brown, the Austrialian versions (R4) are considered the best (there are rumours of a special edition Pulp Fiction coming out in Region1 later this year).

A good place to check is www.dvdtimes.co.uk and the associated thedvdforums.com.

Gandalf.

Dts is reputed to be a better sound system as it is less compressed than Dolby digital.
As it is less compressed it uses up more room on the Disk.

Therefore generally as DTS is more common on the region one disks,there are less added extras with them.
Or alternatively the extras are on a second disk.
If you are lazy (or tired):D like me in the evening, having to get up off the chair and change disks is a pain.

Imagine my discomfort then when I got the region one Pearl harbour at Christmas.....:eek:
There is an intermission card comes up at the end of disk one that says"intermission"-insert disk two for the rest of the film:eek:

Stu, you will probably know that Region one releases are far ahead of the region two Europe and us offerings-so a mulkti-region player is best.
mm

Winters

Its not that DTS is less compressed its just BETTER quality. Dolby Digital runs about 400Kb/s so it is just better then CD quality sound while DTS runs at about 800kb/s. Twice the quality of CD.

DTS is a better quality sound then Dolby and is better for a surround system, but for all you without a surround sound system...it just doesnt matter!

The Region idea is to allow DVD is be released at differant times across the world and not to allow people buying them in America and bringing them back over here. Multi-Region plays distroyed this idea. All the DVDs are the same (Just About) though!

_CreeD_

DD and DTS are both Lossy compression methods so a clean cut comparison against CD quality isn't really fair. Besides the actual data rates used in each (DTS full runs closer to 1600kbs btw, the half rate has been used lately to allow both DTS and DD on the same disk) DTS has 2 advantages, it allows for 20/24bit samples and simply that since it is the accepted 'Special edition' sound format there is often more effort put into the DTS mix than the DD version.
Also for most folks their NTSC region 1 disks will be converted to Pal60 by their player, if so you lose some quality. A proper PAL mastered disk will look better than the converted format.

hudson806

Originally posted by _CreeD_
Also for most folks their NTSC region 1 disks will be converted to Pal60 by their player, if so you lose some quality. A proper PAL mastered disk will look better than the converted format.

Just to add a little to that, its probably better to switch your player to 'PAL60' for NTSC discs, as it has a slightly higher colour bandwidth than NTSC, and should look better than NTSC. It also means that you won't have to worry about adjusting the tint setting on your TV (handy, since so few european TVs offer that option for NTSC input).

Your milage may vary, however, depending on your TV, DVD player etc.

And if you use RGB or Component to hook up your DVD player it doesn't matter either way, of course.

I agree that a properly mastered PAL disc looks better than NTSC any day though...

gandalf

Originally posted by Winters
.......The Region idea is to allow DVD is be released at differant times across the world and not to allow people buying them in America and bringing them back over here. Multi-Region plays distroyed this idea. All the DVDs are the same (Just About) though!

Sorry Winters but you are so wrong there. Alot of DVD's released in the UK for example are cut whereas in the US they aren't. In some regions DVD's are amamorphic in others they are not. As said some have DTS soundtracks which for someone like me who has invested in the right equipment it does make a difference.

You also have more extras in some regions, although most of those are just normally fluff.

Basically the reason I buy DVD's from different regions is to get the best uncut version of the films I want at the best price with the best soundtrack.

So just to recap different regions can have vastly different versions and quality of films depending on the distributors releasing them. It pays to shop around.

Gandalf.