Recommendations for a Region B & A (or Region Free) Blu-ray player (UK)

[Nyle]

I currently have a 320GB PS3 Slim but I'd like to be able to play Region A Blu-rays. So I'm looking for a player that can play Region B as well as A, or a Region Free player. It needs to be cheap (as cheap as possible but deliver the same or better video quality as the PS3) and be available in the UK. Can anyone help me out? Thanks.

[aequalszero]

How about the Toshiba BDX1200? £50 at Richer Sounds and can be made multi-region for blu-rays by flashing the Australian firmware.

Just Google "Toshiba BDX1200 multiregion" and hit up the AVForums thread for all the instructions / details.

[blu_sharpy]

Originally Posted by aequalszero

How about the Toshiba BDX1200? £50 at Richer Sounds and can be made multi-region for blu-rays by flashing the Australian firmware.

Just Google "Toshiba BDX1200 multiregion" and hit up the AVForums thread for all the instructions / details.

Be careful with that player. It's a great price for a multiregion player but a lot of people have reported skipping/stuttering issues with quite a few discs.

[Nyle]

Originally Posted by aequalszero

How about the Toshiba BDX1200? £50 at Richer Sounds and can be made multi-region for blu-rays by flashing the Australian firmware.

Just Google "Toshiba BDX1200 multiregion" and hit up the AVForums thread for all the instructions / details.

Thanks, that would be ideal. However I don't want to pay for something if the discs skip. Any other suggestions anyone?

[Nyle]

Bump

[stratford]

in the belief that you want some thing fit for purpose, and not a supermarket bargain, try multiregion magic or bluraymods
They use proper hardware solutions
If you want to wind up the wick, try oppo players, their mod kits are easy to install by the user with no soldering required.

[Nyle]

Thanks, I had a look at those and they're too expensive. If I bought a cheap one, like the Toshiba BDX1200 which was suggested I could keep my PS3.

[stratford]

By all means your money, The Toshiba in the experience of others here has picture playback problems. The Panasonic 75 is modestly priced and at least reliable and fit for purpose. In part you have to pay the person doing the mod to take over the warranty on the whole player.

[Prim]

I just ordered the Toshiba BDX3100KE (was planning on the BDX1200, but heard about jerky playback, so I'm taking a chance on the BDX3100 instead). If you want, I can report back here when I have tested it. It's a cheap player that can be made region free just like the 1200.

[stratford]

I'd give it a read certainly. Could be worth posting in a relevant review section after all the firmware updates are installed.
How is the blu-ray region mod achieved?

[Prim]

By installing the Australian firmware on the player. You can set the DVD region to 0 for automatic (or set it to any specific region), and change the BD region to A, B, or C. The BD region has to set manually in the settings menu of the player each time you want to watch a locked disc.
Haven't recieved the player yet, so I am not 100% on anything, but this is what I've read.

[Nyle]

Yeah I'd like to read about the player. One thing I don't get is, why would anyone manually select the DVD region if you could have it set to 0 all the time?

[stratford]

Why couldn't Toshiba kill it off with a firmware update

[Prim]

Originally Posted by Nyle

Yeah I'd like to read about the player. One thing I don't get is, why would anyone manually select the DVD region if you could have it set to 0 all the time?

Have no idea. I'll be setting mine to 0.

Originally Posted by stratford

Why couldn't Toshiba kill it off with a firmware update

I believe there are some rules in place for the Australian market regarding this. I'm not sure about the details, but supposedly, the only region free FW
is the Aussie one. I am going to upgrade mine with this FW, and never connect it to the internet.

[Mavrick]

Pretty sure region locking goes against Australias Fair Trade Law, so CFW is included on discs to ensure it can be region free since BD players aren't usually aloud to be sold Region Free out of the box.

From what I've been able to find out most players need a hardware mod. Some actually shipped Region Free and you could unlock it by using a code on the remote to open up the service menu (The Technika I have does this. But it was quickly removed from sale from what I remember) Then you have ones where you can flash with CFW like these Toshibas.

The only trouble I've had with my Technika is that it wont play certain discs. So far it wont play T2 Skynet Edition (UK Steelbook from Optimum) or Lionsgate/Miramax titles. The UK Pulp Fiction won't load or the US release of The Crow.

My latest purchase Anchor Bays Battle Royale Complete Collection works flawlesly.

But I am intrested in getting the Toshiba to see if it will play the Lionsgate/Miramax BDs I have. It's a bit frustrating having The Crow sat here for months and not being able to watch it.

[Prim]

Originally Posted by Mavrick

But I am intrested in getting the Toshiba to see if it will play the Lionsgate/Miramax BDs I have. It's a bit frustrating having The Crow sat here for months and not being able to watch it.

If you want, I can try Evil Dead II and Rambo (2008) when I get the player. Those are both Lionsgate titles, right? Have a look in my collection to see if I have some of the discs you are having problems with, and I can try those as well.

[Nyle]

Originally Posted by Mavrick

Pretty sure region locking goes against Australias Fair Trade Law, so CFW is included on discs to ensure it can be region free since BD players aren't usually aloud to be sold Region Free out of the box.

From what I've been able to find out most players need a hardware mod. Some actually shipped Region Free and you could unlock it by using a code on the remote to open up the service menu (The Technika I have does this. But it was quickly removed from sale from what I remember) Then you have ones where you can flash with CFW like these Toshibas.

The only trouble I've had with my Technika is that it wont play certain discs. So far it wont play T2 Skynet Edition (UK Steelbook from Optimum) or Lionsgate/Miramax titles. The UK Pulp Fiction won't load or the US release of The Crow.

My latest purchase Anchor Bays Battle Royale Complete Collection works flawlesly.

But I am intrested in getting the Toshiba to see if it will play the Lionsgate/Miramax BDs I have. It's a bit frustrating having The Crow sat here for months and not being able to watch it.

There's a refurbished player, the same model as yours on eBay at the moment for £39.99. Again, that would be ideal as it's very cheap but you have a lot of issues with yours not playing discs.

[Mavrick]

Originally Posted by Prim

If you want, I can try Evil Dead II and Rambo (2008) when I get the player. Those are both Lionsgate titles, right? Have a look in my collection to see if I have some of the discs you are having problems with, and I can try those as well.

Yeah that would be great.

Originally Posted by Nyle

There's a refurbished player, the same model as yours on eBay at the moment for £39.99. Again, that would be ideal as it's very cheap but you have a lot of issues with yours not playing discs.

To be fair, out of the almost 200 BDs I own those couple that don't play. T2 is a pain to load on my PS3 too for some reasson.

I just don't quite understand why it won't play Pulp Fiction or The Crow(US) and it just so happens they are both from Lionsgate/Miramax. Must be the way they author the discs.

Trouble is with any player if it runs into an issue with a disc there will sometimes be a firmware update, but being Region Free you risk losing it by upgrading the firmware. So it can be a bit tricky trying to get a player to read 100% of the new discs that come out. But it usualy is only a small percentage.

[RazorwireRyan]

Desperate to get a region free player myself but I just don't know what to trust.

[Mavrick]

If I had the budget then I'd just go with a big name like Oppo or just get a hardware mod on some other deccent player. Seems to be the easiest way to make sure you won't have any playback issues.

The cheaper brands like my player work fine on everything I own other than the few I mentioned. But there will never be a firmware update to adress the issue. Where as say if you had a Sony player the you know updates would keep coming.

I have read about the issue with the Toshiba, and it seems to be certain discs. So may not affect everyone. But I wouldn't want to upgrade the firmware and risk losing the Region Free playback.