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After some false starts and problems I won't go in to here I finally obtained the Series 6 DVDs from an eBay seller.
These are the latest of the Memphis Bell released, are in the original episode format and are of similar quality to the previous five series that have been released from the same source.
By default they have subtitles in the Dutch language, these can be turned off, the soundtrack is the original English one.
These would again appear to been made from broadcast tapes, possibly second generation copies intended for overseas TV companies, in this case probably the ones the BBC sent to the Netherlands.
Having said that there is nothing really wrong with them, and short of re-mastering from original BBC tapes – unlikely because it would be expensive – they are the best we are likely to get.
The discs are Region 2 PAL, so those of you in other regions will need to make sure you can play them on your equipment. This is a special problem for north American viewers I'm told. Most North American DVD players do not understand PAL system and region 2 or 0 (so called universal region). They understand only NTSC system and region 1.
A solution is to buy a suitable player. Google for multi-region code free pal/NTSC DVD players, I easily found one seller, (there are many to choose from), example:
http://www.220-electronics.com/dvd/dvdorig.htmSo overall I'm pleased with the series 6 DVDs now if they'll just do the two remaining series…
Bill.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
— On Tue, 2/3/10, Bill <william.whittaker1@ntlworld.com> wrote:
From: Bill <william.whittaker1@ntlworld.com>
Subject: [shiponedingroup] Review of series 6 DVDs
To: shiponedingroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, 2 March, 2010, 11:16After some false starts and problems I won't go in to here I finally obtained the Series 6 DVDs from an eBay seller.
These are the latest of the Memphis Bell released, are in the original episode format and are of similar quality to the previous five series that have been released from the same source.
By default they have subtitles in the Dutch language, these can be turned off, the soundtrack is the original English one.
These would again appear to been made from broadcast tapes, possibly second generation copies intended for overseas TV companies, in this case probably the ones the BBC sent to the Netherlands.
Having said that there is nothing really wrong with them, and short of re-mastering from original BBC tapes – unlikely because it would be expensive – they are the best we are likely to get.
The discs are Region 2 PAL, so those of you in other regions will need to make sure you can play them on your equipment. This is a special problem for north American viewers I'm told. Most North American DVD players do not understand PAL system and region 2 or 0 (so called universal region). They understand only NTSC system and region 1.
A solution is to buy a suitable player. Google for multi-region code free pal/NTSC DVD players, I easily found one seller, (there are many to choose from), example:
http://www.220- electronics. com/dvd/dvdorig. htm
So overall I'm pleased with the series 6 DVDs now if they'll just do the two remaining series…
Bill.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Bill,Will the DVDs work in Ireland without having to buy a player.
Willie[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
This is good news, sort of. (North America region calling here.) The problem is not only in the DVD player, but it's also in the TV. A "region free" DVD player will play any region DVD, but if it was recorded in PAL format the N. American TVs will not recognize the signals, and you will still get a blank screen.Some TVs have an auto-detect function that will adjust to either PAL or NTSC format, but good luck trying to find one in any store. I've located a few on line, but the places selling them haven't been given the greatest reviews.
So my question – for anyone who knows more about this than me – if you have a "region free" DVD player, and it plays a Region 2 in PAL format, can you still get it to play on an NTSC TV if you use the straight audio and video outputs? (In other words, don't go through the tuner, but rather the red, white, and yellow "RCA" jacks that use the audio and composite video before it goes through the tuner to get to your TV's cable input?)
Dino.
On Jul 13, 2010, at 4:54:59 PM, "Willie Wade" <williewade75@yahoo.com> wrote:
From: "Willie Wade" <williewade75@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [shiponedingroup] Review of series 6 DVDs
Date: July 13, 2010 4:54:59 PM EDT
To: shiponedingroup@yahoogroups.com— On Tue, 2/3/10, Bill <william.whittaker1@ntlworld.com> wrote:
From: Bill <william.whittaker1@ntlworld.com>
Subject: [shiponedingroup] Review of series 6 DVDs
To:�shiponedingroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, 2 March, 2010, 11:16�
After some false starts and problems I won't go in to here I finally obtained the Series 6 DVDs from an eBay seller.
These are the latest of the Memphis Bell released, are in the original episode format and are of similar quality to the previous five series that have been released from the same source.
By default they have subtitles in the Dutch language, these can be turned off, the soundtrack is the original English one.
These would again appear to been made from broadcast tapes, possibly second generation copies intended for overseas TV companies, in this case probably the ones the BBC sent to the Netherlands.�
Having said that there is nothing really wrong with them, and short of re-mastering from original BBC tapes – unlikely because it would be expensive – they are the best we are likely to get.
The discs are Region 2 PAL, so those of you in other regions will need to make sure you can play them on your equipment. This is a special problem for north American viewers I'm told. Most North American DVD players do not understand PAL system and region 2 or 0 (so called universal region). They understand only NTSC system and region 1.
A solution is to buy a suitable player. Google for multi-region code free pal/NTSC DVD players, I easily found one seller, (there are many to choose from), example:
http://www.220-�electronics. com/dvd/dvdorig. htm�
So overall I'm pleased with the series 6 DVDs now if they'll just do the two remaining series…
Bill.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Bill,Will the DVDs work in Ireland without having to buy a player.
Willie[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
On Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:40:00 -0400, lambulambu wrote:> So my question – for anyone who knows more about this than me – if
> you have a "region free" DVD player, and it plays a Region 2 in PAL
> format, can you still get it to play on an NTSC TV if you use the
> straight audio and video outputs?
OK not quite your question … but my region-free (made it that way
myself, very easy) LG DVD player, plays both NTSC and PAL without any
hesitation. The TVs since the Sony portable CRT at least 15 years ago,
will play both PAL and NTSC without any problems. Many years earlier an
American correspondent sent an NTSC videotape which at that time, the
TV did not recognise. Once I got that Sony, and with the same videotape
player, the NTSC videotape was playable (and quite good reproduction,
too).Until I got this current digital-tuner TV and PVR, I used the 3-colour
RCA cables without any bother. Currently I use HDMI (because I can) but
the videotape machine only has RCA so that's what I use and it all
works a treat.It's amazing that we in Australia – a minority market – are able to
play both NTSC and PAL without any trouble where in America you are not
able to find a TV capable of PAL. I was advised at least 15 years ago
that the manufacturers world-wide, were putting in the NTSC and PAL
chips/circuits-whatever-they-are into everything they made since it was
simpler and therefore cheaper that way.Do you have access to a PAL DVD to try it out? Any of your cheap shops
sell $2 DVDs in PAL? We sometimes find NTSC disks and tapes, it might
be worth a wander to see what's available. Or anyone you know in a PAL
country can get an el cheepo disk and post it to you to try out?Happy disking 😉
Elaine in Brisbane, Australia
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