Importing a player to the USA from the UK - yes, it works!

[GrouchoDis]

Originally Posted by mar3o

My Seiki is failing so I need a new region-free blu-ray player (want one with 3D support), so this will be my first time buying a modded player. Is there any reason I would want to import a UK player over buying a region-free player from 220? My budget is around $200 or less, so Oppo is out of the question.

Well, that Sony is already out of your budget... that's $210 w/region hack.
The LG is $160.

For 3D, there aren't as many choices - looking at only Prime-shipping ones at Amazon UK, there's the Samsung J5500 for 59 or the Panasonic for 69, both out of stock.

But really - how many region-locked 3D discs are there? I imagine there are some, but I'm not aware of them. I've imported a ton of 3D UK blurays (lots of Disney, most recently picked up GOTG2 and Kong Skull Island), no region locks yet.

My home theater setup is a Sony BDPS5200 for region A/3D content and the LG BP250 for region B, living room is a PS3 or PS4 for 3D and another BP250 for region B. I also have HTPCs with bluray players if I get desperate! You can get a US 3D bluray player and the LG BP250 for the same price as one of the region free players, and no worries about a firmware update killing the region-free functionality.

My point with the whole thread is for $66 out of pocket, you get drama-free Region B playback in the USA. Hell, you could get three of them for less than your $200 limit.

[mar3o]

Originally Posted by GrouchoDis

Well, that Sony is already out of your budget... that's $210 w/region hack.
The LG is $160.

For 3D, there aren't as many choices - looking at only Prime-shipping ones at Amazon UK, there's the Samsung J5500 for 59 or the Panasonic for 69, both out of stock.

But really - how many region-locked 3D discs are there? I imagine there are some, but I'm not aware of them. I've imported a ton of 3D UK blurays (lots of Disney, most recently picked up GOTG2 and Kong Skull Island), no region locks yet.

My home theater setup is a Sony BDPS5200 for region A/3D content and the LG BP250 for region B, living room is a PS3 or PS4 for 3D and another BP250 for region B. I also have HTPCs with bluray players if I get desperate! You can get a US 3D bluray player and the LG BP250 for the same price as one of the region free players, and no worries about a firmware update killing the region-free functionality.

My point with the whole thread is for $66 out of pocket, you get drama-free Region B playback in the USA. Hell, you could get three of them for less than your $200 limit.

For price, I'm slightly flexible. I'll pay $10-$15 more if I need to.

As far as region locks, both the upcoming Valerian and Terminator 2 3D titles are expected to be region-locked and they're not getting a US 3D release, and I'm expecting this to happen more frequently sadly. I had to import Beauty and the Beast (live action) but thankfully that was region-free.

I won't buy a Samsung player after the issues I had with my last 2 Samsung players. I used to like Panasonic but my last Panasonic died in less than 2 years of moderate use.