Hi,

My problem is that I want to buy a DVD produced at a dance festival in Latvia,
but the Latvian music store in Toronto only has it in PAL format, but I need NTSC.
Could someone tell me a store in Riga and phone number that might be able to
help me.

Paldies,
Peter

I know that VHS tapes had the PAL-NTSC problem, but are you sure that the problem with the DVD isn’t just the European Region 2 setting? I know European DVD’s have PAL stamped on them, but once I got a player or computer that allowed different DVD regions, the PAL-NTSC distinction didn’t cause any trouble.

This issue comes up on a foreign-language-teacher listserv I subscribe to, and often the solution is this:  get the brand name and model number of your DVD player, then type that plus"hack code” into a Google search, and you should get the series of buttons to push on your player’s remote control to render it region-free.  A few makers, like Sony, don’t have the region setting codes available, but most do, like a Philips I bought for $35 this fall, and which works fine with both Region 1 and 2 DVD’s.

Good luck!

Hi Peter K:

I may have just learned something highly useful from your “hack code” posting. Makes sense what you shared. I too have run all over the place trying at times to find DVD’s in the “right format”, perhaps unnecessarily. But let me see if I understand you correctly about Sony DVD players (my primary one is a high-end Sony model). Are you saying that they have those suckers programmed so tightly that there are no hack codes to unlock them? Usually the hackers out there pride themselves on being able to hack into everything. Even iPhones were quickly unlocked soon after they came out despite all of Apple’s efforts to stymie the hackers.

Regards,

Al

Sveiks, Albert!

If you have enough foreign-region DVD’s (and I’ve collected dozens over the years), it might be worth the money to just buy a low-end player that you know has a hack code available. You can read the comments that users post about all the different makes and models at this website:  http://www.videohelp.com/dvdhacks . If a hack code functions, usually someone posts to confirm that it works;  but the Sony models seem to frustrate everyone. 

The region codes themselves are just added onto the discs and players to control the marketing of new releases on the various continents.  It’s nothing like NTSC and PAL, which are the result of television technology developing differently in Europe and America.

Hope this helps!

P.K.

Alberts is beginning to form the final brush strokes to his self-portrait—- a self portrait not forced upon others by some FBI profilier (and I use FBI instead the KGB, as they often did differ in principles [oh, they both do take pride in identifying “drunks”, psychopaths, or many other social misfits by their basal principles]), but a “painting” where the brush is compelled to simply and freely move with Al’s phrases. Granted, his initial pen outline was extremely shakely/unsteady, but as colors were applied, haven’t those once “divergent” pen lines become more averaged, allowing a truer picture to form?
So is there now doubt as to what Al really meant when he stated: “I take that back”?
As for Anita, was not her self-portrait “finalized” during her “cabel” days?—-So then Anita, still fess-up!

Mikus E.

P.S. But is PB’s portrait finalized? And Ambersun’s as well?
I will only say this that these two individuals are still worthy to be heard during any dinner conversation.
But to Al’s and Kalnin’s forced “presence”, I would actually worry more about PCB’s somehow being in the “food”.
P.P.S. Something that should be far more important than talk of “hacks” for DVD players…
(for local Latvians had seemed to be already very keenly aware on this—- at least in Riga, as this seemed to be a known problem years ago / and then of course, with following solutions. But hey, I even noticed a even higher level of knowdege in her other cities ... like Liepaaja for starters. Indeed, I was very impressed by this one store’s visible all female staff [but was it for that one day only???]—- for surely I was not simply just being distracted by the store’s intelligent choice of “electronic” stock nor not by the clerks’ obvious attractfullness! [...hmmm, or was it just by their reasonable prices?] But this was experienced by me again in “their” local clock shop as well?.—- for they knew their “stuff”!)

is the actual contamination of underground water done now thru shale fracturing?—-Would Al or Kalnin then tell us “more”?

P.P.P.S. Yes, the ones not having to deal with EU “media” specs, will often remain “unknown” of EU specs.—-So at the very least, always ask then for the modern “hdmi” output standard. As for “Region”, have not most wireless phones been unlocked in Latvia for years?

Nu, Buttul, Mikus’ post may well be a more practical and useful guide to playing Latvian DVD’s in North America.

I’ve also had DVD’s from Latvia, other countries that I couldn’t get to play—was sorely disappointed.  My husband used the ‘rip’ method, digitalizing the DVD, itself and burning it into NTC format, having to make another whole DVD.  What you described, Peter, sounds so much easier and I thank you for the info!

Irena

Irena laments about her “past”:

I’ve also had DVD’s from Latvia, other countries that I couldn’t get to play—was sorely disappointed.  My husband used the ‘rip’ method, digitalizing the DVD, itself and burning it into NTC format, having to make another whole DVD.  What you described, Peter, sounds so much easier and I thank you for the info!

But things have changed. Not only for North America but for Europe as well.
I personally had little trouble in playing Latvian DVDs.—-But was it merely a favored chance in buying the right player? Hmmm, in the old days, was it often wiser to not buy a player “sold” in North America? (And the funny thing is that some North American players are still resistant to Peter Kalnin’s referenced “hacks”. )

As for PAL to NTSC hardware-based converters—- not really ever a problem. Heck, back then they even had computer video cards that would input/output either in PAL or NTSC! But with the advent of HD and hdmi—- what, me still worry? If though still a worry for some, then what about those internet-based movie streaming sites? (And are not more and more Latvian DVDs being re-released in more standardized formats?)
Hey, I recently read where netflix has finally been allowed to “transmit” in England. Is Latvia next? ...Please, I do not like having to use a proxy as a work around.

Mikus E.

P.S. Since the matter of DVDs seems to had been settled for years, I again ask a far more important question: Is the actual contamination of underground water done now thru shale fracturing?— Would Al or Kalnin then tell us “more”?
—-Ignoring Kalnin’s non sequitur: “Nu, Buttul, Mikus’ post may well be a more practical and useful guide to playing Latvian DVD’s in North America.”

speaking about HD…

Would not it had been nicer if North America adopted the Japanese analog HD transmission standard? Would most then not have to put up with blank TV screens and/or pixilated/slow-image-steps?
Okay, is this not the expected for “distant” digital watchers? But what happens when it snows or rains? (Even high winds will affect “local” digital signals!—-But don’t get me wrong, as I would still expect “digital” formats for DVDs.

Mikus E.

P.S. What is still clear though… Anita’s “past” prevelant mean-spiritness.

Mikus E_ - 08 December 2011 09:23 PM

P.S. What is still clear though… Anita’s “past” prevelant mean-spiritness.
—-
As for Anita, was not her self-portrait “finalized” during her “cabel” days?—-So then Anita, still fess-up!
—-
Irena laments about her “past”...

Miku, don’t use the idea of a woman having a “past” to try to shame her.  Tas diezgan nesmuks paņēmiens.

Kalnin’s darts around (via his very intended misrepresentations of some of my remarks)...

P.S. What is still clear though… Anita’s “past” prevelant mean-spiritness.
—-
As for Anita, was not her self-portrait “finalized” during her “cabal” days?—-So then Anita, still fess-up!
—-
Irena laments about her “past”...

so then again with Kalnin’ commonest, expectant ill-logic…

 

... don’t use the idea of a woman having a “past” to try to shame her.  Tas diezgan nesmuks ...

—-Then so Irena has lamented (and what now is the problem), but not yet Anita? And just why are you, Kalnin, trying to re-write a poster’s cabal “history”? Cannot Anita’s mean-spiritness still be too often noticed? Wouldn’t a fess-up merely then help?

But getting back to HD

I had the opportunity to purchase what I now consider was the last great analog (crt) TV set. (And a very good bargain at that! For you see, this brand had a bad “past”—- stemming mostly from low quality, prone-to-fail electronic parts.—-So this “new design” was the result of their big attempt to get past their “past”. And quite well they succeeded. But unfortunately for this manufactoring company, this was when projection/LCDs were starting to gain momentum. ...But fortunately for me, they were “low” pricing these new tvs so as to “move”. )
So “great” these tv sets were, that many constantly expressed their surprise with the viewed clarity whenever a DVD was played. (Even today, it looks much better than 720p.) But this “clarity” was not just limited to DVD movie formats, for a few broadcast tv channels looked equally as well (You would be correct now in asking: “How can this be?” as digital tv was still in developemental stage.), as there was at least one local station that had upgraded their transmission to the next analog level.

Have I since replaced my past, great buy yet? (Even though I still have to run a separate, heavily government-subsidized digital tuner.) No, as this screen is still large enough and sharp enough to cause my walk-by, past the now many, many “attractive” 1080p tvs in showrooms.—-AND I will never have to lament when I do replace! (Hmmm, but that digital flat-panel tv with the fourth color (yellow) sounds sooo intriguing, as I can easily tell the difference with CMYK printers (heck, my eye even picks up that “too often” distracting 60 cycle refresh of crt computer monitors); but I just still wonder if this should really make that much of a difference with projected “three” colors.)

Mikus E.

P.S. I again ask a far more important question: Is the actual contamination of underground water done now thru shale fracturing?— Would Al or Kalnin then tell us “more”?

P.P.S. Here’s possibly an easy out for the two of them…
Why should I have to turn on my AM radio during a severe storm simply because the digital broadcast (air) tv stations are “blank” or their audio is very much broken up? (And don’t you dare to response with “use cable/internet ‘tv’”—- as in spite of expected lightening-induced static, AM broadcasts are still very understandable! Hey wait a minute then, why don’t I instead constantly call some “weather” phone number on my cell-phone?)

Mikus’ rambling about dead technology such as PAL and NTSC, sprinkled with bizarre sidetracks referencing his desperate Anita obsession - has to be the funniest thing I’ve read in months.

Confess Anita ! Those Beta tapes you still own will be your undoing ! Confess !!!

Oh wannabe… (again, only in the bad sense)

With no defense, then merely your tired silliness!

Mikus E.

Wandering off the real subject (hydraulic fracturing), here are the steps I found and used that let my Philips DVP3560 (about $40) play DVD’s from Europe:

1. No DVD in the tray. The tray closed. The unit and TV on.
2. Press “Setup” on the remote.
3. Press the “down” arrow repeatedly until the top heading shows “Preferences.”
4a. Then press “OK” and Audio will be highlighted.
b. Press the “down” arrow and the next category “Subtitles” will be highlighted.
c. THEN enter this 6-digit code: “138931”
Immediately the screen will show “Region Code 1”.
d. Press the “up” arrow and “Code 1” becomes “Code 0”. All Region or Region Free.
e. Press “Setup” to exit.
5. Turn off and then back on to remove green bar along the top of the screen

This should work in whatever reality you choose to inhabit.

Oh Mikus, you’re simply defined by your tired obsessive droning on about Anita.

Confess cabal woman ! She, Anita, the Satanic vixen who denies us true HD ready 1080P !!!

Cause she’s clearly responsible for denying you your God given right to enjoy the Japanese analog HD transmission standard !

Have a warm mug of tea Mikus.. Find yourself a hobby.

I haven’t had a working DVD player in about 2 years.  How/why Mikus found it necessary to invoke me in this thread isn’t quite clear.  At least not to me.  Now excuse me while I go fracture some shale so that the cell phones get better reception during storms, the shaky pen drawings can be finished, and we can all watch Netflix in England.  Or something.