Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

edavis · Dec 7, 2004, 10:30 AM

I made a highlights video for a local high school marching band. One of the parents wants to send the DVD to her parents in the UK. She asked me if the DVD will play there.

I have heard about 'regions' for DVDs, but I have no idea what that means. Is she sunk, or will this DVD play in UK?

Alternatively, anyone know what the region is for the UK, and is it possible to configure something in the Disk Utility to burn a DVD for a different region than the US?

TIA

Uncle Skeleton · Dec 7, 2004, 11:15 AM

I think UK is region 2, but if you don't know what regions are then any DVD you've burned will be region 0 (plays anywhere).

What you do have to worry about is that US is NTSC and UK is PAL. The differences are mostly (solely?) framerate and resolution (NTSC = 29.97002997002997 fps (or some such rediculous number. I think it's 30000/1001 or something) and 720x480, PAL = 25.0 fps and 720x576. PAL is better all around isn't it?). The good part is even something as simple as iMovie lets you choose which standard to use (though it might be dependent on your source files' standard) and better yet many (most?) DVD players in the RotW (Rest of the World) can play both standards. But you'll probably want to check with what's her name's parents to make sure they do have such a player before you send the disc.

Simon X · 11:46 AM

The UK is Region 2. If you used iDVD then I think it creates a Region 0 playable anywhere DVD, i.e. Region Free.

[edit: meant region 2 not 1]

Diggory Laycock · Dec 9, 2004, 05:32 AM

Make sure it's a PAL DVD for the UK.

bells0 · Dec 9, 2004, 08:44 AM

Most British tv's can play NTSC now, unless they are pretty old [ie 5 years+]

If they have a newish tv the copy u have should work fine.

Simon X · Dec 9, 2004, 12:16 PM

Originally posted by bells0:
Most British tv's can play NTSC now, unless they are pretty old [ie 5 years+]

If they have a newish tv the copy u have should work fine.

That's is not technically accurate. It is not the TV that is playing back NTSC merely the TV is capable of handling the 60hz signal that a NTSC capable VCR can output. You see a VCR that can playback an NTSC tape performs a phase shift and outputs a pseudo PAL signal at 60hz which most modern TVs can accommodate. (actually I had a TV that was at least 10 years old and it could handle the 60hz output from my NTSC capable VCR)

DVDs on the other hand are either PAL or NTSC as well as a region coded. Multi-region DVDs still have to perform the NTSC to PAL conversion albeit digital as well as being able to handle the different regions.

So you not only need to burn it as a PAL disk, something I forgot to mention, well remembered Diggory, but also make sure it is either region 2 or 0. Do this just in case the person receiving the DVD does not have a multi-region player. (Even though many people in the UK do one can't assume everyone is as clued-up and has multi-region player)

PacHead · Dec 9, 2004, 01:00 PM

If they're going to watch the DVD on their copmuter, then it doesn't make any difference what the DVD is.

I recently made a DVD for somebody in Europe, which I knew they were going to watch on their computer, so I just left it at NTSC and it worked fine.

Simon X · Dec 9, 2004, 01:10 PM

Originally posted by PacHead:
If they're going to watch the DVD on their copmuter, then it doesn't make any difference what the DVD is.

I recently made a DVD for somebody in Europe, which I knew they were going to watch on their computer, so I just left it at NTSC and it worked fine.

Yes it does. The original question has been answered quite thoroughly and your comment is confusing the issue. Most computer DVD players are still region aware, on my TiBook for example I can only switch regions a certain number of times before it locks to the last region. Not something you want to force on someone unless you knew for certain they had a region free player in their computer and not when it is quite easy to make it region 0 or 1 and PAL to guarantee playability.

PacHead · Dec 9, 2004, 01:22 PM

Originally posted by Simon X:
Yes it does. The original question has been answered quite thoroughly and your comment is confusing the issue. Most computer DVD players are still region aware, on my TiBook for example I can only switch regions a certain number of times before it locks to the last region. Not something you want to force on someone unless you knew for certain they had a region free player in their computer and not when it is quite easy to make it region 0 or 1 and PAL to guarantee playability.

I was thinking more about the Pal > Ntsc issue, as opposed to the regions.

I can understand commercial DVDs having regionss, but why would somebody who's making their own home movie DVD lock the region ? Doesn't make sense.

Simon X · Dec 9, 2004, 05:02 PM

Originally posted by PacHead:
I was thinking more about the Pal > Ntsc issue, as opposed to the regions.

I can understand commercial DVDs having regionss, but why would somebody who's making their own home movie DVD lock the region ? Doesn't make sense.

Indeed you are quite right, but that wasn't what I was getting at. What I'm saying is that you should still burn it as PAL disk for the UK to be safe.