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Are blu-ray discs region coded?

TheSonicRetardTheSonicRetard Registered User regular
edited February 2008 in Games and Technology
I'm not sure if this should go in here or the tech forum, so if it's in the wrong place feel free to move it.

Essentially, I'm looking to get Planet Earth on blu-ray. However, I cannot stand the US version. I cut my teeth on the BBC version and I'm of the opinion that David Attenborough has the perfect narration voice. Thus, I'm looking to get the BBC version.

My Blu-ray player is a PS3, which to my knowledge is region free. I know DVDs were region coded, but is blu-ray? Will I have any problems trying to get the BBC version of Planet Earth running on my PS3?

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Posts

  • LewiePLewieP Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    PS3 isn't actually region free. Each console has a region, just most (if not all) games released so far have been region free, it is up to the publisher to decide whether to region encode games. Same deal as the 360.

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  • taliosfalcontaliosfalcon Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    The vast majority of Blu Rays are region free, to be more specific yes, planet earth is region free

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  • SpikedFreakSpikedFreak Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Yes they are. I believe the BBC version of planet earth was released in the states, so it shouldn't be an issue.

    Wiki:
    Blu-ray discs may be encoded with a region code, intended to restrict the area of the world in which they can be played; similar to the DVD region codes. Blu-ray players sold in a certain region should only be able to play discs encoded for that region. The purpose of this system is to allow motion picture studios to control the various aspects of a release (including content, date, and, in particular, price) according to the region. Discs may also be produced without region coding, so they can be played on all devices.
    Region code Area[51]
    A North America, Central America, South America, Japan, Taiwan, North Korea, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia.
    B Europe, Greenland, French territories, Middle East, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, plus all of Oceania.
    C India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Mainland China, Pakistan, Russia, Central, and South Asia.

    This arrangement places the countries of the major Blu-ray manufacturers (Japan, Korea, Malaysia) in the same region as the U.S., thus ensuring early releases of U.S. content to those markets. As of early 2008, about two-thirds of all released discs were region-free.[52]

    And apparenlty the BBC version is region free according to amazon
    http://tinyurl.com/377vwr

    EDIT: Damn you talio :P

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  • TheSonicRetardTheSonicRetard Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Sweet, thanks for the help.

    EDIT: Holy shit, $60 on amazon.com? fucking SOLD!

    TheSonicRetard on
  • greeblegreeble Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    TheSonicRetard wrote: »
    Sweet, thanks for the help.

    EDIT: Holy shit, $60 on amazon.com? fucking SOLD!

    I'm tempted as well, however I'm kinda disapointed that the HD-DVD and Blu-ray versions have stuff cut out from it from the dvd version. It seems like they have less behind the scenes and commentary. I'm thinking I might wait and see if they come out with a revised edition or something. (Also I saw all of the show in HD already on Discovery HD. I'm sure the bluray is better quality but on my 720p television, I"m not sure I'll notice)

    greeble on
    PSN/steam/battle.net: greeble XBL: GreebleX

    Let me tell you about Demon's Souls....
    I’ll tell you what happens in Demon’s Souls when you die. You come back as a ghost with your health capped at half. And when you keep on dying, the alignment of the world turns black and the enemies get harder. That’s right, when you fail in this game, it gets harder. Why? Because fuck you is why.
  • TheSonicRetardTheSonicRetard Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Wait, they cut out stuff? Do you mean the 10 minute stuff at the end of each episode about how they made that specific episode, or something else?

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  • greeblegreeble Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    TheSonicRetard wrote: »
    Wait, they cut out stuff? Do you mean the 10 minute stuff at the end of each episode about how they made that specific episode, or something else?

    I got this from an amazon review, so its possible that it is inacurate:
    My one minor complaint has to do with the fact that on the HD transfers, there is absent the supplemental material that is present on the standard defintion release. There is no 110 minutes of behind the scenes footage of what took place on these excavations to these wonderous places or interviews with the people, Attenborough or anyone for that matter. The other special feature not found on either the Blu-Ray or HD-DVD transfer is Planet Earth: The Future, which is a 150 minute documentary(Shot entirely in high defintion mind you) which chronicles how the whole series was created, and how we can continue to preserve our earth so that we may continue to have wonderous documentaries like this for our children's children.

    greeble on
    PSN/steam/battle.net: greeble XBL: GreebleX

    Let me tell you about Demon's Souls....
    I’ll tell you what happens in Demon’s Souls when you die. You come back as a ghost with your health capped at half. And when you keep on dying, the alignment of the world turns black and the enemies get harder. That’s right, when you fail in this game, it gets harder. Why? Because fuck you is why.
  • DashuiDashui Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    I'll take the HD versions of Planet Earth over making-of features. Seriously, it's so damn gorgeous. I couldn't go back to watching it in standard definition.

    Dashui on
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  • greeblegreeble Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Dashui wrote: »
    I'll take the HD versions of Planet Earth over making-of features. Seriously, it's so damn gorgeous. I couldn't go back to watching it in standard definition.

    Oh yeah there is no way in hell I'd watch it in standard def. But I already my favorite episodes saved on my series 3 tivo (HD) so I'm not sure I'd gain much in buying the blu-ray.

    greeble on
    PSN/steam/battle.net: greeble XBL: GreebleX

    Let me tell you about Demon's Souls....
    I’ll tell you what happens in Demon’s Souls when you die. You come back as a ghost with your health capped at half. And when you keep on dying, the alignment of the world turns black and the enemies get harder. That’s right, when you fail in this game, it gets harder. Why? Because fuck you is why.
  • urahonkyurahonky Cynical Old Man Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Wasn't the HD-DVD format non-region coded? At least that's what I heard.

    e: I know not exactly OT, but I was curious if this were true.

    urahonky on
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