[ale] OT - DVD player NTSC/PAL Region Free

[philips_jim at bellsouth.net (Jim Philips)]

Jeff Lightner wrote:
> Anyone know of a place in the metro area where I can find a DVD player
> that does NTSC & PAL video and is Region Free (or at least does Zone 1 &
> 2 DVDs)?   
>
> Not looking for hi-def.  (For use with a TV not a computer.)
>
> I have a friend going back to France on Wednesday.   She'd like to get a
> U.S. DVD Player because having lived her many years she has quite a few
> zone 1 DVDs.   After some research I found that in addition to the
> regions BS done by the motion picture studios there is also a different
> video standard in U.S. than most of Europe.  NTSC or PAL.  (More
> interestingly apparently France has its own standard called Secam but I
> gather that French TVs will actually do both PAL and Secam and she has a
> TV made in England anyway.)
>
> Shockingly enough none of the big manufacturers specify any of this on
> their boxes at the stores.   I did find a couple of unknown brands, Coby
> and Telectronic(I think) at H.H. Gregg that did at least say they did
> NTSC/PAL.   For what she was originally looking for that would do it.
> (She knows about the power difference and has converters.)   I figured
> I'd go the extra step and find one that was Region Free so she can play
> both her US and European DVDs.
>   
I don't know of a specific store, but I can guarantee you that there is
an electronics shop somewhere in an ethnic neighborhood--probably on
Buford Highway--that sells what you are looking for. I speak Russian and
I know that when I lived in Los Angeles, there were dozens of stores
catering to Russian immigrants that sold players of both types and did
video conversions as well. I haven't looked at the local Russian
newspapers lately, but I think any of them would have ads for shops that
do these conversions and sell the hardware. Sorry I'm not more up to
date on who is selling these.