Want a cheap decent quality Region Free DVD player?

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Want a cheap decent quality Region Free DVD player?

Post by fnordboy » Dec 13th 2002, 5:01 am

I just picked up another DVD player today at Best Buy for 69.99 that has PAL > NTSC conversion (and keeps it in the right ratio). And has a super easy hack on the remote to make it all regions.

I read about it on another forum and figured I would drop the 70 bucks on it as a test, plus my girlfriend needs a region free so she could watch all my R2 goodness.

It's the Cyber Home Model CH-DVD 500. And has a surprisignly good picture for its price, rivals the modded JVC i dropped 350 on.

The 69.99 price is the sale price, and I dont know how long it will stay this cheap. So if your interested act quickly. Though make sure to get the 500 and not the 402 they have an overabundance of. I'm probably going to pick up another one to keep as a back up, at that price it seems worth it.

(Of course it isn't advertised as region free, nor really that it can convert PAL signal...it says on the box that it can play PAL or NTSC discs [which doesnt mean the same thing], but it works great :D )

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Re: Want a cheap decent quality Region Free DVD player?

Post by Sascha » Dec 13th 2002, 7:15 am

fnordboy wrote: It's the Cyber Home Model CH-DVD 500.
I recently bought a similar european model, the CyberHome CH-DVD 505 for 130 Euro. Excellent picture, optical digital audio output, integrated Dolby Digital decoder, NTSC->PAL, and it "eats" almost everything: MP3, SVCD, VCD, DVD+R, DVD+RW,... even special JPEG picture CDs are supported.

It can be made region-free in a hidden menu, a special firmware turns MacroVision off.

So yeah, DVD-players don't have to be expensive to be good.

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Post by GaryEA » Dec 13th 2002, 1:56 pm

Which Best Buy did you pick this up from?

I really shouldn't be thinking about these kind of purchases, with Christmas and bills running around my head, but I've been tentatively hunting for a Region Free for years.

My PC does it just fine, but I have yet to rig it to "video out" to my tv.

Oh, these temptations. I should be thinking about the "Back to the Future" set for next week instead... :lol:

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Post by fnordboy » Dec 13th 2002, 2:01 pm

GaryEA wrote:Which Best Buy did you pick this up from?
Well i picked mine up by me in Secaucus, but on my way home from work i stopped at the one on 46 in totowa and they had about 5 or 6 of them (and about 250 of the 402 model).
GaryEA wrote:Oh, these temptations. I should be thinking about the "Back to the Future" set for next week instead...
Heh i know. I need to pick that up and Minority Report next week :) but my fave anime store is doing a 40% off sale on one companies dvds and mangas..... I am going to be broke! plus i need to buy xmas gifts still :evil:

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Post by GaryEA » Dec 13th 2002, 2:16 pm

Well i picked mine up by me in Secaucus, but on my way home from work i stopped at the one on 46 in totowa and they had about 5 or 6 of them (and about 250 of the 402 model).
Thanks. I'll stop in and see what I think, that is, if they still have them. If not, I can always run over to East Hanover.

Oh man... forgot about Minority Report. It's gonna have to wait until after the holidays.

What anime store are you talking about, and for what company? I'm not hunting for anime right now, but my brother might be interested (gift ideas ahoy!).

Xmas... oh my head...

-g

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Post by fnordboy » Dec 13th 2002, 2:45 pm

GaryEA wrote:What anime store are you talking about, and for what company? I'm not hunting for anime right now, but my brother might be interested (gift ideas ahoy!).
www.rightstuf.com unfortunately the company they are having on sale is Tokyopop. Which of all the majore companies has the smallest selection of DVDs. But they do have a few decent ones IMO:

Vampire Princess Miyu TV Boxset
GTO
Real Bout High School

But they have a huge selection of manga, so i think i will be buying a fair amount of that. By the way just saw that it is 40% off DVD and VHS, 33% off other items (manga books, etc)

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Post by GaryEA » Dec 13th 2002, 5:37 pm

Oh neat. Rightstuf is where I got the art box for my Eva discs (it's also where I totally missed out on the Bebop box... :cry:).

They're a good store. Solid customer service too. I'll let my brother know about the sale (I'm never sure what he's into at any given time).

Thanks! :)

Gary

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Post by fnordboy » Dec 13th 2002, 5:57 pm

GaryEA wrote:Oh neat. Rightstuf is where I got the art box for my Eva discs (it's also where I totally missed out on the Bebop box... :cry:).

They're a good store. Solid customer service too. I'll let my brother know about the sale (I'm never sure what he's into at any given time).

Thanks! :)

Gary
Which Bebop box you looking for? The metal one or the Limited Edition Boxset one? Empty or with the DVDs? I might be able to help you.

Yeah rightstuf is great, i've gotten orders in from them for the passed 3 days lol. All my backorders seem to be getting restocked everyday...which is good for me..bad for my wallet :lol:

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Post by GaryEA » Dec 13th 2002, 6:40 pm

Which Bebop box you looking for? The metal one or the Limited Edition Boxset one? Empty or with the DVDs? I might be able to help you.
The LE box that they had sold separately or with the series inside. Now it goes for far too much for my wallet on Ebay (that wretched hive of scum and villainy :lol:).

Added: I just want the box and I'm going to buy the discs as I go along. My brother has the series, but he's moving out, taking his anime with him. Plus, I thought the box was gorgeous.

Gary

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Post by fnordboy » Dec 13th 2002, 6:54 pm

GaryEA wrote:
Which Bebop box you looking for? The metal one or the Limited Edition Boxset one? Empty or with the DVDs? I might be able to help you.
The LE box that they had sold separately or with the series inside. Now it goes for far too much for my wallet on Ebay (that wretched hive of scum and villainy :lol:).

Added: I just want the box and I'm going to buy the discs as I go along. My brother has the series, but he's moving out, taking his anime with him. Plus, I thought the box was gorgeous.

Gary
Well you can try to win it over at animeondvd.com here otherwise i will keep my eyes open for it. I was lucky enough to find one in a suncoast (full box) long after it went out of print, brand new wrapped for the regular price. I hear that they go for over 300 on ebay now. Though someone over at animeondvd.com just found one for 150 somewhere..so they are still out there. Check Coconuts stores they seem to not get rid of sh!t. I just found a Hellsing ltd. ed. Vol 1 + Box that came with a bloodbag, which is fairly rare because Pioneer recalled them. I snatched it up for 35 bucks even though i already had vol1 and box (anyone interested in a sealed copy of hellsing and box PM me ;) ).[/url]

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Post by GaryEA » Dec 13th 2002, 7:11 pm

Well you can try to win it over at animeondvd.com here otherwise i will keep my eyes open for it.
I'll have to figure out how much of a fan I am to enter (lol), but I'll give it a shot. I appreciate you offering to keep a look out. Anything close to retail for whatever store would be fine with me. The box would be great, the set would be super.
I was lucky enough to find one in a suncoast (full box) long after it went out of print, brand new wrapped for the regular price. I hear that they go for over 300 on ebay now. Though someone over at animeondvd.com just found one for 150 somewhere..so they are still out there.
Everytime I go to a retail shop, I check out the DVD area and see if they have one for sale, but no luck so far. I'm kicking myself because I held one in my hands at a Coconuts when it was announced how limited they were ging to be, and put it down because I weighed the choices of being seriously in debt or have the set. I chose wrong. :)

I'm not touching Ebay for this one. It's turning into the Salo of DVD hunting and unless I stumble onto a Buy it Now for around retail, box or full set, I'm not trying it. Like I said, if I could just find the box, I'd be thrilled.
Check Coconuts stores they seem to not get rid of sh!t.


Will do. The holidays will make them all the more scarce so I better hustle on this one. Oh well.

Thanks.

Gary

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Post by fnordboy » Dec 13th 2002, 7:21 pm

GaryEA wrote:
Well you can try to win it over at animeondvd.com here otherwise i will keep my eyes open for it.
I'll have to figure out how much of a fan I am to enter (lol), but I'll give it a shot. I appreciate you offering to keep a look out. Anything close to retail for whatever store would be fine with me. The box would be great, the set would be super.
I was lucky enough to find one in a suncoast (full box) long after it went out of print, brand new wrapped for the regular price. I hear that they go for over 300 on ebay now. Though someone over at animeondvd.com just found one for 150 somewhere..so they are still out there.
Everytime I go to a retail shop, I check out the DVD area and see if they have one for sale, but no luck so far. I'm kicking myself because I held one in my hands at a Coconuts when it was announced how limited they were ging to be, and put it down because I weighed the choices of being seriously in debt or have the set. I chose wrong. :)

I'm not touching Ebay for this one. It's turning into the Salo of DVD hunting and unless I stumble onto a Buy it Now for around retail, box or full set, I'm not trying it. Like I said, if I could just find the box, I'd be thrilled.
Check Coconuts stores they seem to not get rid of sh!t.


Will do. The holidays will make them all the more scarce so I better hustle on this one. Oh well.

Thanks.

Gary
Yeah the good thing about anime is that there is only a small number of us willing to drop 150 - 200 on a cartoon boxset :)

I actually just picked up the Escaflowne TV Ltd. Box set at the Coconuts on rte 46, dropped 2 bills on it, but you can't find it anywhere else. So i could live without eating lunch till next paycheck comes in. I would recommend checking there..they had all the anime boxsets behind the counter though (which was odd) very few in the actual anime section, I only happened to find it when i was paying for my other dvd purchases.

Speaking of Salo....i want the criterion coll. of that :( I might have to settle for the R2.

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Post by GaryEA » Dec 13th 2002, 7:34 pm

Yeah, I guess we're lunatics in that we'll drop the cash, but so much of the stuff is really, really good, it's worth it. Now if WB would release box sets of Batman: Animated...

I'll check out the Rt. 46 Coconuts as well as the Rt. 10. I'm also doing my weekly jaunt down the shore to my girlfriend's house tomorrow, so I'll check out all the Borders, Best Buys and Coconuts in the area. Suncoast too, but I think I checked there. Got my fingers crossed.

They have pawn shops down there so maybe I'll peruse there as well (I should be concentrating on X-mas gifts!... lol)

It boggles my mind when I see the prices people pay for Salo. I have no interest in getting it, mostly because I've never seen it. Go for the R2, find a scan of the Criterion cover and save yourself a headache.

Okay, okay - it's not the same thing, but it sounded like a good plan...

-g

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Post by Natasha (candygirl) » Dec 31st 2002, 4:21 am

I took your advice and bought the Cyber Home 500 DVD player for my dad and it's awesome! As a matter of fact, I'm thinking about buying one for myself now (even though it's not on sale anymore, so it's $120 now) - the one I have at my house sucks.

I loved the zoom feature - my sister and her friends used it to see if Felicity really had that beauty mark on her lip way back in the pilot :D

Another great feature - the box has a plastic carrying handle. Good for two wussy girls trying to carry tons of packages into the house on Christmas Eve :wink:

We didn't try to switch to PAL since we didn't have any of those types of DVDs to try out yet, but I figured if my dad wanted to buy some Jackie Chan movies from Hong Kong he would be able to read the instruction booklet. He's an engineer so I'm sure he can figure it out.

Thanks again for the recommendation!

P.S. Just out of curiousity, what differentiates the 500 from the 402?
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Post by fnordboy » Dec 31st 2002, 11:43 am

Well Amazon.com has it for 89.95 so you might want to get it from there if you get another one.

Did you do the region hack on it yet? If not it is real easy to do:

Press Stop, Open disc tray, hit 1999 on the remote, and a new menu should pop up, in there you can change the region to All.

Well I know for a fact the region thing is not in the instruction booklet, and I don't think it tells you that it converts PAL to NTSC. It might mention that it can play PAL discs, but that is not the same thing.

Though I don't remember doing anything to it to have it play my PAL discs.

I only know of a few differences between the 402 and the 500. Basically the region hack is more of a pain in the ass to do (1369, Left left, right to bring up the menu) I dont think it does proper PAL to NTSC conversion, and it is even cheaper feeling from what a friend has told me.
candygirl wrote:I took your advice and bought the Cyber Home 500 DVD player for my dad and it's awesome! As a matter of fact, I'm thinking about buying one for myself now (even though it's not on sale anymore, so it's $120 now) - the one I have at my house sucks.

I loved the zoom feature - my sister and her friends used it to see if Felicity really had that beauty mark on her lip way back in the pilot :D

Another great feature - the box has a plastic carrying handle. Good for two wussy girls trying to carry tons of packages into the house on Christmas Eve :wink:

We didn't try to switch to PAL since we didn't have any of those types of DVDs to try out yet, but I figured if my dad wanted to buy some Jackie Chan movies from Hong Kong he would be able to read the instruction booklet. He's an engineer so I'm sure he can figure it out.

Thanks again for the recommendation!

P.S. Just out of curiousity, what differentiates the 500 from the 402?

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