Page 1 of Help? What is advantage of Region1 DVDs?

Simple query - what is advantage of having a DVD player in the UK which can play Region 1 DVDs? i.e. where can you buy Region 1 DVDs cheaply? I`ve compared prices on Region1/2 DVDs and the Region 1 ones are often more expensive. Grateful for any help!

Region 1 DVD`s are generally released a lot earlier, I`ve got Blue Crush, this is not due out in the cinema until March.

Region 1`s used to contain a lot more extra`s than Region 2`s, however Region 2`s are catching up.

i buy more R1 dvds due to the fact that many films are released quicker and there a damn site cheaper than R2 from the shops. R4 is a good alternative though if you want the PAL picture

I dont know where you did your research but region 1 dvds are generally cheaper than region 2 ones. For example, when monster inc first came out, I got my 2 disc set for a tenner from dvdimport where are most uk retailers were selling it at a minimum of £17.99. Same thing for Beauty And The Beast. Just last week I got XXX and Mr Deeds for £11 each from absound. Some how I dont think they will cost that much when they come out here. Also as duder pointed out, note the when. These 2 movies are not out on dvd here yet. Also got Signs for just over £11 a few weeks ago and that wont be out here for another couple of months.
The Tuxedo is out on dvd next month in the USA whereas it is still doing rounds in the cinema here.
Also you may find some older films on dvd on region 1 that arent out on region 2. Many region 1 discs have better extras This my friend is the advantage of region 1 dvds.
And its not just region 1 either. Region 4(australia) is normally quite cheap as well. Before the SE of pulp fiction was released, The region 4 version was the best one to get. And still today The Matrix region 4 is completely uncut and therefore the best version to get.

I agree that R4 is a good alternative, but I`ll happily bypass NTSC when I can. I`m starting to get a little more friendly with it, but it will always be inferior to PAL in my mind. JMHO.

Does that mean the picture quality on REgion 1 DVDs is weaker?

Also, anyone know websites where you can buy cheap Region 1 DVDs? As I mentioned in my original posting, I`ve tried a couple of UK sites and the Region 1 DVDs are sometimes more expensive!

You can compare R1 and R2 prices at www.dvdpricecheck.co.uk

This is a brilliant site which has saved me a small fortune! It includes p&p costs, too, but don`t forget you might get hit by Customs charges if you import something that costs more tha UK£18.

"Does that mean the picture quality on REgion 1 DVDs is weaker?"

Region 1 US DVDs are NTSC, which means they have a lower picture resolution than the PAL discs we get over here: 720x480, as opposed to 720x576.

This isn`t the only factor affecting picture quality, though - you also have to take into account the quality of the transfer, the bitrate used, and so on. A good NTSC transfer will outshine a mediocre PAL one.

Mike

This item was edited on Wednesday, 22nd January 2003, 12:33

Cheers Mike. What`s a transfer?

"Cheers Mike. What`s a transfer?"

Basically that is when the picture is taken from the 35mm film source (or HDDV as with AOTC) and converted to the DVD format. So in other words, its the quality of picture on the DVD. Someone else will be along to get REALLY technical.

But, what PAL DVD`s have inferior transfers to their NTSC neighbours???