Will PAL Blu-ray work on US players?

[atomik kinder]

I have seen where you can get some Blu-ray discs from the UK that aren't available here. My question is, that if it isn't region coded, can we still play them on our players? Aren't they in the PAL format whereas US is in NTSC? I do have an all region DVD player that will play PAL discs just fine on my TV. Sorry if this is a stupid question, but it would seem like they wouldn't play.

[HDTV1080P]

Currently all BLU-RAY discs are in HDTV format and if they are not region encoded you can play them anywhere in the world. Now in the future if they start releasing old TV series that were not shot on film and were produced on a PAL videotape format then yes you would need a BLU-RAY player that can output PAL. Now the bonus extra features might not play on some U.S. BLU-RAY players if the player does not output pal. The region code is a big issue that will prevent playback if the disc is region coded. No one makes a region free BLU-RAY player yet.

[WickyWoo]

Very likely all BR players will transcode PAL to NTSC

But all HDTVs are ATSC so it no longer matters

[rock-ranger]

Originally Posted by atomik kinder

I have seen where you can get some Blu-ray discs from the UK that aren't available here. My question is, that if it isn't region coded, can we still play them on our players? Aren't they in the PAL format whereas US is in NTSC? I do have an all region DVD player that will play PAL discs just fine on my TV. Sorry if this is a stupid question, but it would seem like they wouldn't play.

With Blu Ray Movies which are 1080p/24 you don't have to worry about PAL or NTSC anymore, it doesn't matter. You only have to check the region code.
And then you might not be able to play the extras if they are in 576i or 576p, but this depends on your hardware.
By the way, even on many Europe Blu Rays the extras are in 480i or 480p as most of them are just produced in that way and it's usual that our TV sets can display these formats as well.

I recently ordered a US copy of Hellboy, which is I think the same disc as the German version (!), but only with a US Cover (which is absolutely fine for me) And, it was a lot cheaper even including the shipping charges than it would have cost me here in Germany!

[allantky]

In Hong Kong , we have just release the first Pal Blu ray of Jacky Cheung's concert. It cannot be played on the Denon 2500 (USA version) and 3800 (Japan version). It can be played on the PS3 only. I have looked up all the Blu ray player's specification of the Hong Kong Blu ray player like the Pioneer and the Sony, no one has indicated that they can play the Pal Blu ray ! I am trying to play this disc on other Blu ray player to check if any one can this disc ! I will have a Pioneer BDP09 coming to HK soon and I will also check if this can play the Pal blu ray.

[gekke henkie]

Originally Posted by HDTV1080P

No one makes a region free BLU-RAY player yet.

Except for the one in Australia that is <There is no region free Blu-ray player in Australia - Blue>

By the way, that HongKong Blu-ray disc (see above) is indeed mastered in a 1080/50i (PAL) format, in stead of the usual 1080/24p (VC-1, AVCHD, or MPEG4); why would they have done that? Cheaper?

[gekke henkie]

Originally Posted by allantky

I will have a Pioneer BDP09 coming to HK soon and I will also check if this can play the Pal blu ray.

I guess you should have ordered the PAL-version in that case, the Pioneer LX91, but who nows...