Does an HD DVD Release guarantee the Blu-ray will be region-free (esp. non-US)? - Blu-ray Forum

McCrutchy · 02-20-2009, 01:42 PM

OK, so I know in the US, the companies who backed HD DVD release region-free Blu-rays all the time, but what about titles outside the USA which could be handled by different companies?

Has anyone seen an HD DVD to Blu-ray title shift that resulted in a region-locked Blu-ray?

steve_dave · 02-20-2009, 05:03 PM

New Line did.

Pan's Labyrinth Blu-ray Disc is region A locked. Warner has since taken over the company so now their titles are region free.

In fact, in Warner's newly increased library these are region locked:

Pan's Labyrinth
Be Kind Rewind
The Golden Compass
Rush Hour 3
Shoot 'Em Up
Hairspray
Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle
Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay
The Orphanage
Run, Fat Boy, Run
Semi Pro

Run, Fat Boy, Run was packaged by Warner but the disc was already finished by New Line. There are no plans by Warner to repress any of these discs to be region free.

And the Weinstein Company has also been region locking a few of their Blu-ray releases. Clerks II is region free but Lucky Number Sleven is Region A only.

Technically, you could also count Summit Entertainment who were about to release P2 on HD DVD but shifted to Blu-ray and are using region coding.

02-20-2009, 01:42 PM	#1
McCrutchy Contributor Top contributor Member since:Dec 2008 Location:East Coast, USA Home Theater Gallery:2 4K collection:1263 Blu-ray collection:6773 DVD collection:253 Blu-ray reviews: 5 Trading Score:17	Does an HD DVD Release guarantee the Blu-ray will be region-free (esp. non-US)? OK, so I know in the US, the companies who backed HD DVD release region-free Blu-rays all the time, but what about titles outside the USA which could be handled by different companies? Has anyone seen an HD DVD to Blu-ray title shift that resulted in a region-locked Blu-ray?

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02-20-2009, 05:03 PM	#2
steve_dave Blu-ray Duke Member since:Nov 2008 Trading Score:21	New Line did. Pan's Labyrinth Blu-ray Disc is region A locked. Warner has since taken over the company so now their titles are region free. In fact, in Warner's newly increased library these are region locked: Pan's Labyrinth Be Kind Rewind The Golden Compass Rush Hour 3 Shoot 'Em Up Hairspray Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay The Orphanage Run, Fat Boy, Run Semi Pro Run, Fat Boy, Run was packaged by Warner but the disc was already finished by New Line. There are no plans by Warner to repress any of these discs to be region free. And the Weinstein Company has also been region locking a few of their Blu-ray releases. Clerks II is region free but Lucky Number Sleven is Region A only. Technically, you could also count Summit Entertainment who were about to release P2 on HD DVD but shifted to Blu-ray and are using region coding.

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