Advice on DVD player purchase

I want to buy a DVD I've seen on the net as a present. I'm told it's available ( only) in NTSC format not PAl. My DVD manual says it will play anything marked 'Region 2' or 'All'. Would it work ?

Thanks to any kind-hearted techie who reads this.

What model of DVD player do you have? Let us know as someone else may have the same model and could confirm if that machine plays Region 1 (NTSC) films.

Although DVDs may be optimised for a particular TV standard there is no such thing as an "NTSC" DVD as the digital file format is the same on them all. It's likely the DVD is coded in Region 1 (USA) and can therefore only be played on a Region 1 player, or a multi-region player that plays all regions. You need to confirm your player really can play all regions (probably a menu setting), many/most can, especially (ironically) cheaper ones, but you need to be sure.

Are you also sure it's not an old-fashioned video - they come in NTSC or PAL formats. How about an Amazon link to the item - or is it a film one doesn't buy on Amazon

It's a Philips DVP 721 VR combined video and DVD player.

The DVD supplier is Australian and definitely says in her reply that the DVD is NTSC format.

Reply from potential supplier below. Any clarification welcomed.

'Thank you for your interest in the DVDs produced by SJB Productions. I think what you are asking is, if there is a "region" on the DVD. I do not use any region. The DVDs are NTSC, not the PAL format used in Germany. If your DVD player can play multiple formats you should be able to use my DVDs.'

If this is the same company, it looks like all the information you need is on the 'SJB Productions' website (click here).

As you will see at the bottom of the page the various regions are explained and as Region 0 is mentioned, one of their DVD´s should play fine on your machine.

It is the same company. I couldn't find the data on the website. Thanks.

Edit:

Cant help sorry, I thought this was a DVD player problem as the Title suggested...

Another possibility is to, ahem, back up your DVDs as "all region" using something like DVD Shrink. You just need to save an image of the source DVD (with the region settings you want set in Shrink) to your HD then burn the image to a blank DVD (using nero or whatever).

than it should play on any player, region codes unlike NTSC vs PAL are simply designed to prevent you from buying DVDs cheaper some where else. I also found out that code free DVD players need a code free TV or it comes out black and white, anyways in this day and age just burn a fresh copy of it.