Playing US Blu Rays on a US player in France

drogulus · May 04, 2019, 11:30:42 AM

I'm going to vacation in France this summer and I thought I'd take a compact Blu Ray player and a few discs and a HDD with movies and stuff. Other than a power adapter for the player is there anything I need to be concerned about?

listener · May 06, 2019, 09:36:41 AM

Blu Ray discs there will be coded zone B, adapting North American players for them is difficult or impossible.

drogulus · May 06, 2019, 10:11:20 AM

Quote from: listener on May 06, 2019, 09:36:41 AM
Blu Ray discs there will be coded zone B, adapting North American players for them is difficult or impossible.

I'm taking my own discs. I want to know if a French TV would give me trouble playing my discs on a US player.

I do have zone B discs, but for them I can take the scrubbed files on the HDD.

I think region coding is between a player and a disc, not between the player and TV, but I'm not sure this is universally true.

Ghost of Baron Scarpia · May 06, 2019, 10:24:45 AM

I don't think there is any problem using an HDMI connection. I've never seen mention of region coding of a monitor. I can't say I have direct experience doing what you propose. I wonder if there are still hotels that have legacy televisions that expect a PAL signal (as opposed to NTSC). Probably moot, since your Blu Ray player probably doesn't have "video" output anyway.

The real question, why go to France to watch your movies? Flip on the TV and see what the French watch (even if you don't understand the language).

Brian · May 06, 2019, 10:37:47 AM

Quote from: Ghost of Baron Scarpia on May 06, 2019, 10:24:45 AM
The real question, why go to France to watch your movies? Flip on the TV and see what the French watch (even if you don't understand the language).

Or leave the hotel and drink wine!

But no, I don't think there should be any problem playing US discs on a US player. I used my US laptop to watch US DVDs in the UK. Granted, that's a little different (no TV to connect with).

listener · May 06, 2019, 10:47:56 AM

Take a camera instead, get some Michelin Green Guides and visit the *** (three star) sites (not the restaurants, too expensive).

Ghost of Baron Scarpia · May 06, 2019, 10:52:28 AM

Quote from: Brian on May 06, 2019, 10:37:47 AM
Or leave the hotel and drink wine!

The TV is needed when one has already had too much wine, I think.

drogulus · May 06, 2019, 11:21:06 AM

Quote from: Ghost of Baron Scarpia on May 06, 2019, 10:24:45 AM
I don't think there is any problem using an HDMI connection. I've never seen mention of region coding of a monitor. I can't say I have direct experience doing what you propose. I wonder if there are still hotels that have legacy televisions that expect a PAL signal (as opposed to NTSC). Probably moot, since your Blu Ray player probably doesn't have "video" output anyway.

The real question, why go to France to watch your movies? Flip on the TV and see what the French watch (even if you don't understand the language).

Why is that question real? Are there exclusive alternatives like "should we go to the Musee d'Orsay, or do you want to watch Killer Klowns from Outer Space again?"

On one visit we watched an English series dubbed in French then got home and watched it in English.

My favorite activity in Paris is setting on a bench smoking cigarettes and watching the scooters zip by.

71 dB · May 07, 2019, 04:46:56 AM

Region A player + region A discs + "French" (they come from South Korea most of the time

) TV with HDMI + HDMI cable = there should not be any problems.

drogulus · May 07, 2019, 07:36:06 AM

Quote from: 71 dB on May 07, 2019, 04:46:56 AM
Region A player + region A discs + "French" (they come from South Korea most of the time ) TV with HDMI + HDMI cable = there should not be any problems.

That's what I think. While I'm thinking, I might have an audio problem, not related to regions but the fact that TVs have few audio options and my discs and files that work perfectly through an AVR might not produce sound with a direct TV connection.

Mandryka · May 07, 2019, 11:13:24 AM

Quote from: drogulus on May 04, 2019, 11:30:42 AM
I'm going to vacation in France this summer and I thought I'd take a compact Blu Ray player and a few discs and a HDD with movies and stuff. Other than a power adapter for the player is there anything I need to be concerned about?

No. If you need a lead then you can buy one easily enough at FNAC or somewhere like that.

Ghost of Baron Scarpia · May 07, 2019, 11:21:40 AM

Not bringing a Mac, I take it? Some Mac video cables actually have a processor running linux buried in them, you can't rule anything out.

But this is not a make or break for a France vacation, I think.

71 dB · May 08, 2019, 02:00:08 AM

Quote from: drogulus on May 07, 2019, 07:36:06 AM
That's what I think. While I'm thinking, I might have an audio problem, not related to regions but the fact that TVs have few audio options and my discs and files that work perfectly through an AVR might not produce sound with a direct TV connection.

You will get sound from the TV, but it's crappy as hell. If you are lucky there's a headphone jack on the TV.

drogulus · May 08, 2019, 05:15:55 AM

Quote from: 71 dB on May 08, 2019, 02:00:08 AM
You will get sound from the TV, but it's crappy as hell. If you are lucky there's a headphone jack on the TV.

I'm not familiar with the ability of inexpensive players to downconvert the more advanced audio formats over HDMI. Of course it should work, and did when players had analog audio outs.