Will UK PS3 play in the US?

[sarienanj]

Hi All,

Have posted this in several forums. I get a variety of answers. Has anyone actually done this, successfully. My set up is below. I am aware of Sony's prohibitive statements about this, and am familiar with import process. Some stores apparently were canned by violating geographical restrictions.

I am in the US, and would like to be able to take advantage of Region B movies. I know 2/3's are region free, but aside from the websites that let you know which ones are, I'd like to at least explore this option of not having to worry.

Thanks for your feedback,
Sariena

[Merlins]

Yes! A UK PS3 would play Blu-rays (region free and region B-coded). It is however a PAL player and would not be able to play NTSC material (DVD:s or extra material in NTSC on Blu-ray if that exists).

It would also be locked to region 2 for DVD:s. PS3 games are region free so you would also be able to play all the PS3-games.

I have two PS3:s. One Region B from Sweden and one Region A from HongKong. Both are PAL-devices.

[sarienanj]

Hey Merlins,

Thanks!
You mention that you have 2 Pal devices however. I wonder if a PAL device will play in NTSC region, like the US, without a converter, and with a Plasma TV.

Sariena

[holsty101]

ps3's have a built in auto-switching 110/240 psu, and hdmi is a non-country specific connection. I don't think you'll have any problems.

[sarienanj]

Thanks hol-I wonder why people are mentioning a downconverter or something like that. Do you own a PS3 that is not from your region?

Sariena

[holsty101]

No I don't, and I don't even own a ps3 at the moment <sigh> stupid financial situation ... But I remember when it was only available in Japan reading many posts about the universal psu, I guess the reason people still talk about needing downconverter is that every other console before has needed one. And I suppose there's also the "better safe than sorry" aspect to it, you know ... if you're gonna spend $$$ importing a machine & a downconverting box is $30 (or whatever), is it worth taking the chance

[thisisnian]

afaik, if your console bricks, you'll have to send it back to sony EU, as sony (north American division won't touch it)

It will play fine, the plug is a general monitor/kettle plug, it has auto switching PSU and HDMI is non-country specific.

Region locks: PS2 Games (60/80), PS1 Games, Movies

[Merlins]

Originally Posted by sarienanj

Hey Merlins,

Thanks!
You mention that you have 2 Pal devices however. I wonder if a PAL device will play in NTSC region, like the US, without a converter, and with a Plasma TV.

Sariena

Most newer (last 5 years or so) TV-sets should be able to recieve a PAL signal if the PS3 sent out one. HighDef material on Blu-ray is not PAL or NTSC however so it would only concern DVD:s or some rare SD extra material on Blu-ray that still could be coded in PAL/NTSC.

[Damian]

Originally Posted by Merlins

Yes! A UK PS3 would play Blu-rays (region free and region B-coded). It is however a PAL player and would not be able to play NTSC material (DVD:s or extra material in NTSC on Blu-ray if that exists).

It would also be locked to region 2 for DVD:s. PS3 games are region free so you would also be able to play all the PS3-games.

I have two PS3:s. One Region B from Sweden and one Region A from HongKong. Both are PAL-devices.

I NEVER heard of a european DVD Player\Console that can't play region free NTSC DVDs or Video Games....

[Damian]

Originally Posted by Merlins

Most newer (last 5 years or so) TV-sets should be able to recieve a PAL signal if the PS3 sent out one. HighDef material on Blu-ray is not PAL or NTSC however so it would only concern DVD:s or some rare SD extra material on Blu-ray that still could be coded in PAL/NTSC.

NTSC TVs DO NOT accept a PAL signal.

[sarienanj]

Damian,

Thanks-I am the OP, and am still trying to figure this out. I think what the previous poster was saying that some material on a Region B disc (I am in Region A), is SD, not Hi-Def. The Blu-ray portion may be marked as Region B, but as you may know, many actually are region free. Is the SD portion marked as PAL (and hence could not be played on a Region A Blu-Ray Player?).

Thanks again for everyone's responses...am really looking for someone who's actually done this, in the US.

Sariena

[Arkadin]

regarding dvds this is what will play:

Region 2
Region 0 (PAL)

Regarding PAL:

You would NOT be able to play ANY Region 2 PAL dvds UNLESS somehow there is a hack that allows the PS3 to not only play PAL dvds BUT also convert PAL signals to NTSC standard. Region free dvd players usually do BOTH.
Thus any PAL dvds that are also marked Region 0 will NOT play unless the player also converts PAL to NTSC.
Also, it is possible that your display may support PAL, but that is a separate issue that you would have to look into.

Now my friend has told me that a converter would be needed for the unit to work in a US electrical socket, but people seem to be implying that the PS3 would do this conversion itself. Don't know the answer to that. If the PS3 doesn't you would need a single outlet converter to plug the PS3 into, and then a cord runs out of that box into the US wall socket.

NOTE: If a Region B Blu-Ray has ANY sd dvd material included that is Region coded PAL then you will not be able to play this either.
If the Region B Blu-Ray contains non-region coded PAL material then you could play this material IF you have the PAL to NTSC conversion.
Got it?

[Damian]

Originally Posted by sarienanj

Damian,

Thanks-I am the OP, and am still trying to figure this out. I think what the previous poster was saying that some material on a Region B disc (I am in Region A), is SD, not Hi-Def. The Blu-ray portion may be marked as Region B, but as you may know, many actually are region free. Is the SD portion marked as PAL (and hence could not be played on a Region A Blu-Ray Player?).

Thanks again for everyone's responses...am really looking for someone who's actually done this, in the US.

Sariena

This is interesting:

From the BD review of Sweeney Todd (UK Edition)

The Supplements:
Warner Bros. ports over almost all of the features from the two-disc DVD (absent is the Moviefone interview with Burton and Depp, and, as far as I can tell, the trailer), and aside from the HBO First Look and the Press Conference, all of them are in 1080i high defintion. And despite being an import disc, the standard definition video played just fine on my PS3.


Link http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/33475...eet-steelbook/

It SEEMS like the NTSC (US) PS3 can play PAL supplements encoded in a BD....

[Merlins]

Originally Posted by Damian

This is interesting:

From the BD review of Sweeney Todd (UK Edition)

The Supplements:
Warner Bros. ports over almost all of the features from the two-disc DVD (absent is the Moviefone interview with Burton and Depp, and, as far as I can tell, the trailer), and aside from the HBO First Look and the Press Conference, all of them are in 1080i high defintion. And despite being an import disc, the standard definition video played just fine on my PS3.


Link http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/33475...eet-steelbook/

It SEEMS like the NTSC (US) PS3 can play PAL supplements encoded in a BD....

Who is saying that the standard definition material is coded in PAL? SD material does not ned to be PAL or NTSC. Here in Europe most new TV_sets are able to decode both PAL and NTSC even if they are meant for the European market. Maybe not the same is true in US but my guess is that many newer TV-sets are able to decode PAL.

[Squozen]

I have a US PS3 and it will not play the supplements from the UK Pan's Labyrinth as they're encoded as 576P. The PS3 just refuses to have a bar of it even though it's connected via HDMI.

Most supplements are encoded as 480P though, and both UK and US players handle them.