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Best Multi Region DVD Player UK
The humble DVD is still very much alive and well and for the foreseeable future at least, it’s very likely to stay that way. There are three main reasons for this.
Film studios have worked out that DVD releases, if possible featuring bonus extras and high-quality art work, are an effective way to get people to part with cash for legal copies of films and TV programmes.
There is a huge quantity of existing content which is unlikely to be released in any other format any time soon, if at all. DVD is the de facto standard for new releases of classic film and TV programmes.
DVD is great for storing and sharing home video footage, which is in no shortage now we all have smartphones with video cameras. Not everyone wants to put their private footage on the internet and even if you do, it’s generally best to have an offline back-up of anything which really matters.
All of this (and more) means that DVD players are very probably going to be around for a long time yet and if you’ve decided you need a DVD player, then it generally makes sense to get a multi-region DVD player so that you can just pop in a DVD and have it play, no questions asked. Otherwise, you’re stuck finding DVDs which will play in your player.
DVD jargon 101 – multiregion versus multiformat
When DVDs first arrived on the scene (way back in the mid 1990s), content creators were still able to exercise a large degree of control about what content was released where and when and under what conditions. The DVD industry realized that they would have to get content creators on board if their new product was to be a success, so they invented the region system to keep them happy. The regions are as follows:
You may occasionally see Region 0, which basically means region free. It tends to be used for non-entertainment DVDs, for example safety demonstrations or for content where the creator expects there to be only a niche audience and doesn’t want to make their life more complicated than they have to.
In one of life’s beautiful ironies, the arrival of broadband internet made the regioning system obsolete very shortly after it had been introduced, since it made it easy for people both to download computer software, which would allow them to play DVDs through their computers regardless of region and/or to hack regular DVD players to ignore regional coding.
DVD manufacturers then decided to go with the flow and create a selection of multi-region DVD players which allow people to watch DVDs from different regions (although not necessarily all regions) through a TV rather than a computer screen and without the risk of damaging their DVD player by getting a hack wrong, especially since hacking a region-encoded DVD player usually voided the warranty.
You can expect a multi-region DVD player to be a multi-format DVD player for the simple reason that pretty much all DVD players on the market today are multi-format DVD players. DVD formats go back to the early days of DVDs when there was something of a format war in this exciting new market.
This was not so much a battle between the forces of good and evil as a battle between manufacturers, who all wanted to be the new dominant force in DVDs in the way VHS had come to be the dominant force in the home video market which preceded DVDs.
As a result, there was a short skirmish between DVD-R,DVD+R, DVD+R DL, DVD-RW (and a few more), which ended in a no-score draw decided by the DVD manufacturers, who started creating machines which played DVDs in multiple formats.
Choosing a multiregion DVD player – features to look for
Number of regions covered – Multiregion itself just means that a DVD player can read DVDs from more than one region, it doesn’t necessarily mean it can read DVDs from all regions.
Upscaling – Basically this means that if you connect the DVD player over HDMI, it will use technical wizardry to improve picture quality on lower-resolution pictures, like old films. This can make a noticeable difference to your viewing experience.
Sound quality – How important this is to you will depend on what type of content you like to watch. Any decent DVD player should be able to produce dialogue accurately, but if you’re into films with scores which are worth listening to on their own, then you will probably want a DVD player which can do them justice.
Connections – Make sure that any DVD player you buy has the appropriate connector for the TV with which you want to use it (or be prepared to pay for an adapter). You will need a true HDMI connection if you want to use upscaling, but if you’re not too bothered about that then adapters can be an affordable workaround.
Ease of use – As always, be careful of the very cheapest DVD players as they can be real pains to set up and use. It’s generally worth paying a little extra for a DVD player with a menu system which can be understood by someone without a degree in electronic engineering.
The Top 7 Multiregion DVD Players
Here is our pick of the top four multiregion DVD players. All the players on our list are capable of playing DVDs from all regions (rather than just some regions). They are all multiformat and will play CDs and read content from USB drives as well as playing DVDs. At a more basic level, we’re also happy that they’re straightforward to set up and use.
Denver DVH-7784 Small Multi Region DVD Player
We like this little player because it’s small but mighty as well as very affordable. Its compact dimensions (22.5 x 23.2 x 4.6 cm), mean you have to sacrifice a display screen, but we really don’t see this as a major issue. The other point we need to highlight, is a quirk rather than a result of its size and that is the fact that it is set to switch to standby after 2 hours and 45 minutes.
This means that if you’re the sort of person who loves to binge-watch DVD box sets or enjoys epic films, then you’re going to need to go into the set-up menu (which has its own button on the provided remote) and turn this off. On the plus side, in spite of its tiny footprint, this DVD player incorporates both upscaling technology and a stereo Dolby Digital Surround Sound decoder and optical audio output socket.
Denver DVH-7784 Small Multi Region DVD Player with 1080p Upscaling, HDMI and...
- SMALL DVD PLAYER – Measuring only 4.5cm x 21cm x 22.5cm this is a very compact DVD player, perfect for small spaces
- UPSCALING DVD PLAYER – Using HDMI to connect the DVH-7784 to your TV gives a resolution of up to full HD 1920 x 1080, making your normal DVDs nearly as crisp and clear as BluRay without the additional cost
- SMALL DVD PLAYER – Measuring only 4.5cm x 21cm x 22.5cm this is a very compact DVD player, perfect for small spaces
- UPSCALING DVD PLAYER – Using HDMI to connect the DVH-7784 to your TV gives a resolution of up to full HD 1920 x 1080, making your normal DVDs nearly as crisp and clear as BluRay without the additional cost
- ONNECT TO YOUR HOME CINEMA SYSTEM - Built in stereo Dolby Digital Surround Sound decoder and optical audio output socket for connecting this multi region DVD player straight to your home audio cinema system
- MULTI REGION DVD PLAYER - Ready straight from the box, no codes or adjustment needed. Play DVD discs bought anywhere worldwide.
LG DP542H HDMI/MULTIREGION DVD Player
You need to be a little careful if you’re thinking about buying this DVD player in that the same player description is used for single-region players and multi-region players, you need to look at the full description to see which you are buying. Even more confusingly, some online sites automatically add a “Region 2” tag to all DVD players, even when they’re multiregion. So to simplify, if you buy this DVD player from a high street store or its online website, then you’re probably going to get a Region 2 only player. If you buy this off Amazon and make sure that the description says it is multiregion, then you’ll get a multiregional player.
As well as being multiregion, this DVD player is also multiformat, the one point you do need to know is that if you want to play footage you’ve recorded yourself, then it needs to be in DivX format. This DVD player does not play MP4 files (although it handles MP3s happily enough). There is reliable, free, converter software on the net, which is very simple to use, so this is highly unlikely to be a problem.
The last little quirk of this player is that the supplied HDMI cable is only 1.5 metres in length so you may find you need to get another one.
All that said, this multiregion DVD player is a very impressive performer at a very reasonable price. In addition to upscaling, it also has something called progressive scan, which seems to be unique to LG and the basic idea is that it works to avoid breaks between the scanning lines thereby reducing flicker and improving the quality of the picture. Another big plus is that the machine works very quietly, so you won’t have dialogue spoiled by the sounds of a grunting DVD player. Also the sound quality is very good.
LG Electronics DP542H HDMI/MULTIREGION DVD Player 1080p HD Upscaling DivX Support USB...
- Plays All Region DVD discs - WATCH DVD's FROM ANYWHERE AROUND THE WORLD!
- 1080p up-scaling via HDMI - Upscales your standard definition DVD discs to near-Full HD quality when connected to an HDTV, breathing new life into your DVD collection
- Plays All Region DVD discs - WATCH DVD's FROM ANYWHERE AROUND THE WORLD!
- 1080p up-scaling via HDMI - Upscales your standard definition DVD discs to near-Full HD quality when connected to an HDTV, breathing new life into your DVD collection
- Progressive scan - LG's progressive scan technology projects all the colours onto the screen instantly, without any break between the scanning lines, resulting in flicker-free and high-density images
- LG system will play back everything from CD to DivX movies from the internet with Multi format Playback including DivX (DVDR/RW, CD, MP3, WMA, JPEG.)
- USB Contents Playback - Just plug a USB memory stick loaded with movies, music or photos into your LG device and enjoy your content in stunning video and audio clarity.
MAJORITY Towers Compact DVD Player, MULTI-REGION
We’re not sure if the name is a deliberate reference to a very old TV series, but we are sure that this DVD player is excellent value for money. It’s also worth noting that while Majority may not be a major name in electronics, they have been around the industry for about 20 years, having started life as a radio manufacturer before deciding to branch out. They are also headquartered in Cambridge, which has become something of a tech hub, presumably due to the nearby university.
Upscaling is present and correct and sound reproduction is good, however, this DVD player is certainly not the loudest we’ve ever heard. There is, of course, a very simple way to deal with this, which is just to turn up the volume on the TV – and remember to turn it down again before you switch back to the actual TV itself. The other little quirk of this unit is that it displays a red light when plugged in, which turns to green when you actually switch it on. If this annoys you, you can just turn the machine off at the mains when out of use. Having said all that, this DVD player is priced so affordably, these quirks are very forgivable.
MAJORITY Towers Compact DVD Player, Multi-Regions 1/2/3/4/5/6, USB port, Remote Control, RCA...
- HIGH QUALITY PICTURE: Experience a high-detail spectrum of picture quality with HDMI upscaling and impressive sound from your chosen DVD
- MULTI-REGION DVDS: Play multi-region DVDs so your choice is not limited. Will play almost any disk or format including DVD, AVI, CD, CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, VC1, MPEG1, MPEG-2
- HIGH QUALITY PICTURE: Experience a high-detail spectrum of picture quality with HDMI upscaling and impressive sound from your chosen DVD
- MULTI-REGION DVDS: Play multi-region DVDs so your choice is not limited. Will play almost any disk or format including DVD, AVI, CD, CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, VC1, MPEG1, MPEG-2
- USB PORT, RCA, SCART, HDMI, COAXIAL CONNECTIONS: Enjoy your own pictures and video from your USB stick. Connect the DVD player to your TV via the supplied RCA cable, SCART adaptor or HDMI cable (not included).
- REMOTE CONTROL: Control the DVD player and its settings with the supplied remote.
- WARRANTY: Majority offer full technical support for every item, as well as including a comprehensive 36 month warranty (registration required).
Panasonic DVD-S500 Multiregion
The Panasonic DVD-S500 is the only one of our top four picks which does not have upscaling and that’s because it’s the only one which only has a scart connector. If you have an HDMI TV then you could use an adaptor, but the basic idea behind this machine is that it’s a simple little DVD player which can be plugged in to older TVs and essentially used by people who just want to enjoy commercial DVDs from any region without any hassle.
Even without upscaling, the picture quality is very good and there is support for Dolby Digital sound. Some users have reported issues with questionable factory settings leading to poor picture quality out of the box, but if this happens to you, it can be easily fixed by adjusting the relevant settings. Most of the time, this unit is literally plug and play and not only is it simple to work, it is almost silent in operation.
NB: Panasonic also sell a unit called the S500EB-K which is single region. If you want a multiregion DVD player then you need to make sure you are buying the Panasonic DVD-S500 Multiregion.
Panasonic DVD-S500 Multiregion DVD Player with Scart Cable
- Enjoy smooth, detailed video from virtually any DVD
- Create dazzling photo slideshows to share on big screen TV
- Hear superior audio from DVDs/CDs with Dolby Digital sound
- View content from USB memory devices
- Enjoy smooth, detailed video from virtually any DVD
- Create dazzling photo slideshows to share on big screen TV
- Hear superior audio from DVDs/CDs with Dolby Digital sound
- View content from USB memory devices
- Power Resume - Resume DVD Even After a Power Failure:- You can resume DVD from where it’s stopped even after a power failure.
Grouptronics GTDVD-181
This Grouptronics multi-region DVD player is one of the most affordable options available, but still supports all the main disc formats and plays from USB too. One point to note is that we found the USB port a bit on the tight side, but this could have been just us or a one-off. Connection to a TV is by means of a component cable, Scart and HDMI and in the latter case the definition is upscaled.
One slight quirk of this DVD player is that it also has a microphone socket, so it can be used for karaoke. We leave it entirely up to you to decide whether or not this is an important selling point. On a more serious note, this DVD player has one of the best manuals we’ve seen, which is rather ironic since installation and use are both so intuitive you probably won’t need it.
Grouptronics GTDVD-181 Compact Multi Region DVD Player & Karaoke Player with USB,...
- MULTI REGION DVD PLAYER WITH HDMI - Plays region 1 DVD discs as well as region 2,3,4,5 & 6. Connect this region free DVD player to your TV using HDMI for upscaled definition and watch all your current DVD discs in near BluRay quality
- MULTI REGION DVD PLAYER WITH HDMI - Plays region 1 DVD discs as well as region 2,3,4,5 & 6. Connect this region free DVD player to your TV using HDMI for upscaled definition and watch all your current DVD discs in near BluRay quality
- SUITS ANY TV - Connect the Grouptronics GTDVD-181 to your TV using HDMI, Scart or composite cable , which means there should be almost no TV this player cannot be used with (HDMI & Scart cable not included). USB port for playback of your movies, music and photos from USB flash drive (USB drive not included)
- INCREDIBLE LIST OF FILE TYPES SUPPORTED - The GTDVD-181 supports DVD discs, audio CDs & VCD discs. It also supports home-made CD-R/RW & DVD±R/RW containing MP3 & WMA music or JPEG photos. Play MP3 & WMA music, JPEG photos, VCD files, AVI Xvid movies & MPG movies from USB flash drive too
- KARAOKE CD PLAYER - The GTDVD-181 has a microphone connection on the side and can be used as a karaoke CD or karaoke DVD player. Turn your GTDVD-181 in to a Karaoke machine with screen by simply inserting a karaoke disc and watching it on your TV. Supports CD-G, Karaoke CD-G & Karaoke DVD
- WHATS INCLUDED - DVD player with UK plug, remote control, phono RCA audio / video cable & user manual. Full UK help, support & warranty from our dedicated UK technical centre
ieGeek 11.5” Portable DVD Player
This is a portable DVD player, meaning that’s it’s one with an integrated screen for use on the move rather than one to use with your main TV, although, in principle, there’s nothing to stop you from doing so. One point to note is that although the overall size of the DVD player is 11.5”, the screen itself is “just” 9.5”, although we’d say that was still very decent.
In addition to covering all the main disc formats, this multi-region DVD player can also be used for playing “retro” games, basically, the ones which used to be played on “classic” consoles from back in the 1980s. You need to buy a separate games controller, but these are very affordable and if you need to keep children entertained on long journeys (which is basically why this DVD player was created), then you can reasonably look on it as an investment.
Picture and sound quality are both very decent, in fact, we’d recommend parents investing in a decent pair of earphones so their children can listen to their content without their parents having to follow along. There is a built-in lithium-ion battery with a five-hour play-time and this can be charged from the cigarette lighter or the mains.
In short, if you want to keep your children (or yourself) amused without access to the internet, then this multi-region DVD player could be an affordable and effective way of doing it.
ieGeek 11.5" Portable DVD Player with SD Card/USB Port, 5 Hour Rechargeable...
- Portable and Magical ---- Compact design makes it easy to carry out with you, take this on your road trip, be companioned with your child, brings tons of fun for your journey. ieGeek DVD player can be easily swiveled and attached to the car headrest
- Portable and Magical ---- Compact design makes it easy to carry out with you, take this on your road trip, be companioned with your child, brings tons of fun for your journey. ieGeek DVD player can be easily swiveled and attached to the car headrest
- Durable and Safe ---- Upgraded battery capacity to 2000mAh, ensures a 4 hours lasting time. We also provide certificated AC power adapter and high quality car charger in the package, no more worries about battery dies out when you out
- Sonorous and Loud Volume ---- ieGeek portable DVD players equipped with two high-power speakers, which makes the volume louder and clearer. Not enough? There is a 3.5mm earphone jack in the right side of player so that you can get a concentrated and clear sound
- All Regions, Multi Formats ---- Supports CD, DVD, DVD+R(-R), DVD+RW(-RW), VCD, SVCD-R(RW), CD-R(RW) from 6 regions; ieGeek also supports multi-media files via USB and SD Card (16-32GB), such as VOB, AVI, MPEG, MP3, WMA, JPEG
- Protective and Gorgeous Screen ---- ieGeek adopts the HD Eye-protective Screen, and refuse the recycled screen, aim at alleviating on eye fatigue caused by the long use, more comfortable and protective screen for your kids’ eyes
- Trusted ieGeek after-sales service ---- We offer a 365 day worry-free guarantee and a lifetime of professional customer service and technical support. No matter what problem you encounter, please contact us. Your message will be responsed within 24 hours
2016 SONY BDP-S3700
This is actually a multi-region Blu-Ray player, which just happens to play multi-region DVDs (and CDs) and it’s priced accordingly. If you just want a plain vanilla multi-region DVD player, then there are far more affordable options. On the other hand, if you want “one player to rule them all”, at least as far as discs are concerned, then this is the one we’d suggest.
One important point to note is that although this player will play multi-region DVDs without any help from you, it will only play region-encoded Blu-Rays if you manually set the correct region each time. Yellow is for the U.S.A., blue is for Europe and red is for Asia. You can also play content from a USB storage device or stream it over WiFi.
You connect this player to your TV via HDMI, so if you only have Scart then you’ll need an adaptor, but if you’re looking for a Blu Ray player then we’re guessing you have a TV which supports HDMI anyway. This player comes with a remote control, however, in case you already have too many remotes in your life, there’s also an app you can install on your mobile device as an alternative.
SONY BDP-S3700 Multi Zone Region-Free Blu Ray - DVD - CD Player...
- Plays DVDs and Blu Rays from all Regions and Zones A/B/C 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 PAL/NTSC on any TV with HDMI connection
- World Wide Voltage 100-240V 50/60Hz Auto Switching Built-in Wifi With built-in Wifi, no additional cables or wires are needed to connect to your wireless home network.Built-in Wifi With built-in Wifi, no additional cables or wires are needed to connect to your wireless home network.
- Plays DVDs and Blu Rays from all Regions and Zones A/B/C 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 PAL/NTSC on any TV with HDMI connection
- World Wide Voltage 100-240V 50/60Hz Auto Switching Built-in Wifi With built-in Wifi, no additional cables or wires are needed to connect to your wireless home network.Built-in Wifi With built-in Wifi, no additional cables or wires are needed to connect to your wireless home network.
- Enjoy all your favorite Blu-ray Disc movies in Full HD 1080p resolution, or upscale your DVDs to near HD quality. You can even play your CDs for a complete entertainment experience. Easily display your videos and photos on your TV or listen to your digital music by simply connecting your USB storage device to the Blu-ray player's front USB slot
- Use your smartphone or tablet to control your TV Cut down on the number of remotes by using the TV SideView app. TV SideView turns your smartphone and tablet device (Android or iOS) into a universal remote, controlling your Sony Streaming Blu-ray Disc player and other compatible devices. Dedicated buttons also let you instantly launch your favorite streaming services, such as Netflix, YouTube, Pandora, Amazon Instant Video, and more
- Use Stream photos, videos and music with DLNA, throw media from your Sony Xperia Tablet8 HD sound with Dolby TrueHD and dts-HD USB 2.0 lets you view photos, watch videos and listen to music from USB storage devices
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Katie is the Editor here at Poshh Living and is a well-respected voice in the world of design and home improvement. Katie has a first-class Hons degree in Journalism and is proud to say that she has written many leading entries in the biggest media outlets including Ideal Home, and Good House Keeping. Lover of the great outdoors and mother of two, Katie is ‘down to earth’, knowledgable and a great asset to the team
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I will only buy a Dvd Player which has Single Frame Backwards as well as Forwards. This is one of the most practical and worthwhile features you can have, yet very few makes give you this feature. If they did their sales figures would surly go up!