How to go Region B with 3D in the US for around $140

[mar3o]

I see more people lately asking what their options are for importing 3D region-locked discs from the UK, since some 3D titles are not getting a US release. This guide will help you out hopefully. Of course if you aren't interested in 3D, this guide will still still help you get yourself a nice region B player working on your US TV in no time.

Thanks to GrouchoDis's thread that first put the idea in my head, I realized there was an alternative to having to buy a region-modded player in order to play region B discs. As long as you don't mind having 2 players (your current region A player and your new region B player), this will provide you the means to play all your region B discs, guaranteed! No worrying about some discs not working with the mod, or worrying about breaking the mod with an update (which does happen if you read the forums).

One of the most annoying aspects of looking in the region-free shops is not only the prices, but the ages of the players. Many of the region-modded players are older models, some ranging back to 2011. It's hard to find more recent players unless you're looking at an expensive Oppo which can be modded yourself easily with a dongle.

But can you buy a region B player from the UK that will work in the US? Thanks to GrouchoDis, I discovered the answer is YES! But you need to be sure of 2 things:

1) If your TV is like many US TVs, it can't display PAL. If it can't, you need to be sure the player can convert PAL>NTSC for playing PAL DVDs and PAL blu-ray extras.

2) You need to make sure the player can support 110v US power (most UK players won't - they're 220v)

So I looked at my options, did my research, and searched for a player on Amazon.co.uk. I needed 3D. I wanted a recent model player. Ideally I wanted a front display, though most US players no longer have them. 4k upscaling was desirable. It should have a USB port for media playback. And of course the most important requirement - the player needs to support converting between PAL<>NTSC, since my TV does not display 50Hz/PAL content. Could I find all this at an affordable price?

Yup! The "Panasonic DMP-BDT380EB 3D Smart Blu-Ray Player" was the solution to my region B problems. It featured all the above requirements. It's a recent 2016 model player. It's a snazzy looking player. And it's very similar to my Panasonic region A BDT460. That player is outstanding, so this player should perform similarly.

So what did I end up needing to purchase to make this work? Only two things:

1) The player: £83 ($112) shipped
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-DMP-BDT380EB-Smart-Blu-Ray-Player/dp/B01CEE1OYA/

2) A voltage transformer/converter: $25-$30
https://www.amazon.com/Dynastar-Converter-Transformer-Lifetime-5-Year-Warranty/dp/B00KAJ8KG2/
http://www.220-electronics.com/100-w...converter.html

The voltage transformer takes your 110v AC power and adapts it to 220v for the UK player. Just plug the UK player into the transformer, set the input switch to 110v, plug it into the wall socket, and turn the transformer on. The transformer I linked to is a high-quality transformer rated for sensitive electronics. It needs to be 3 times the wattage rating of the player to be safe - the Panasonic is rated at 18 watts, so the 100-watt transformer is fine. It's silent and fairly small so you can just hide it away behind something.

So I received the player today and I hooked it up to my LG TV, which can't display PAL. I then plugged it into my transformer, and powered it up. I turned on the player, and it immediately popped up the main menu, output as NTSC by default! I made sure the video output was set to 1080p, and enabled 24p playback. I then popped in a region-B-locked disc, and it immediately played the studio logo and went to the main menu. I then played some extras I know are in PAL, and sure enough it converted the PAL to NTSC and I was watching it on my LG!

So total cost of my region B player and the converter - around $140 shipped! $140 for guaranteed region B playback, including 3D and PAL>NTSC conversion. I see no reason why anybody would need an expensive, older-model player, unless they only have space or ports for a single player. I hope this helps some of you out who are in the same boat I have been in for the past couple months. Of course other players could also work out for you as well - just be sure it converts PAL to NTSC if your TV can't display PAL, and be sure to buy the transformer.

A couple quick notes - currently Amazon UK is out of stock on the player, so they link to 3rd party sellers that don't ship to the US. If you click under "other sellers on amazon", you'll see Amazon listed there. That's where you want to order - don't try to buy from a 3rd party because they won't ship to the US. Also, the 100-watt transformer is out of stock currently, as it's not even listed on Amazon now, but you can buy the 300-watt for $30, or buy the 100-watt directly from 220-electronics.

* The Panasonic player I linked to defaults to NTSC output out of the box. Pressing OK on the remote control for more than 5 seconds switches from PAL to NTSC or vice versa. If you just want it to convert PAL to NTSC you don't need to do anything - just play your discs!