I'm sorry this is off topic but having searched the internet I simply can't find the answer and am desperate. I know you tech wizards will have it..

I'm in the UK (PAL, Region 2) but have sourced some recordings of an old TV show made in America.The company assures me the discs will play in all regions because they are -R.

Is this correct information?

(The series, incidentally, is A Man called Shenandoah starring the late Robert Horton.)

I hope you can help.

Meryl

Can your TV play NTSC DVD's?
Not only are there regions, there's PAL vs NTSC.

According to ***this*** and ***this*** Region-Free DVD's are referred to as "Region 0."

I've never heard of "-R" as a region. Maybe these are written-on-demand discs and they're referring to a DVD-R disc instead of a pressed DVD.

That is indeed a dvd-r disc . Basically , you're going to be getting a burned dvd copy , instead of an original . Whether or not the dvd is playable , depends entirely on how the original was transferred .

Yes, I can second what Jenny says, but of course some conjecture is involved.

I read on Amazon.com for instance that customers remark on or complain about the fact that CDs or DVDs they ordered, presumably because factory-pressed disks have become a lot rarer due to downloads and streaming, were in fact written on demand CD-Rs or DVD-Rs ('R' for recordable). So the original disk, or just a set of video files, was ripped and copied to a blank disk. These can be of inferior quality, more prone to oxidation for instance.

It would be a good idea to verify that.

For instance, a customer writes about Tony Bennett's relatively rare "Hometown" CD:


Another customer writes about the "Hey Arnold" TV-series:
Best,

Rich

Interesting information to know.
Thank you.

I think these disks are indeed ones that have been burned and will not be of the same quality as the originals. I can accept that.

But the company concerned is of the opinion that because these disks are -R the region of origin is immaterial. But I don't know if this is the case and I can't find the answer. Is the company correct? Also the PAL compatibility issue. Does this issue arise if one is playing the disks on the computer rather than through the DVD/TV?

So I suppose I am asking 2 questions.

Meryl,

I think the company is correct about the lack of region code. As they burn the disks themselves, they can set the region, or leave it out. If the copy is made from a set of video files, as may be the case with 'obscure' series or movies, and not a straight copy of an original DVD disk, it is especially straightforward.

On your computer, PAL or NTSC shouldn't be an issue. Often, the software of the DVD disk drive inside your computer (I think, or the operating system?) restricts the number of times you can play disks from another region than your own, but there are small programs (less than one MB) you can download that can make your desktop, laptop etc. region-free.

Unbelievable but true, I've been using the same program called DVD Region-Free from Fengtao for 14 years now, on three consecutive desktops, a single unlimited licence, transferable to other computers, which cost me 36 euros (23 British pounds, US $ 32) at the time, but I'm sure there are many other programs now, even free ones.

I bet Jenny knows more about this!

Best,

Rich

Well, thank you everyone. It seems I may well be able to play these disks. The series was 34 episodes I believe so I think there are 4 or 5 disks which aren't expensive in themselves but the international postage will be eye watering. I didn't want to make the purchase without consulting the unbiased techie wizards here at Gameboomers. So helpful. You're a great bunch!

And I apologise once again for being rather off topic.

There may not be any "originals." Not every TV series was put on DVD. So you may be getting something that was transferred from VHS -- or from a film -- or from a VHS tape that someone used to copy a rebroadcast of the series on satellite. DVD-R's can produce quality that is just as good as a DVD, but it depends on the quality of the starting material.

You can check YouTube. That's probably similar to the quality you'd be getting.

Yes Jenny. As long as the quality is similar to Youtube it is acceptable.

This series was on TV in 1965/66 when I was a student and didn't have a TV, so completely missed it.

Combining information from Wikipedia, Moviechat.org (the site where the recently deleted forums of the Internet Movie Database are saved) and Robert's Hard to Find Videos, which offer the series, I get the impression the series was never officially released on DVD.

Warner Archive Instant aired all episodes a few years ago as a streaming service, so it is very likely the sources are the same video files.

On Robert's Hard to Find Videos, the set is explicitly listed as being offered on DVD-R.

Good luck!

Rich

Thanks Rich.
Robert's Hard to find Videos is the vendor and I've just ordered one disk for now to see how it plays. If that is OK I'll probably go for the whole series.

Meryl

A seller on Ebay has them and buyers have not registered any complaints.

That's good news Pokey. Thanks for posting that.


Edit/Update

Just thought I would let you all know the disk arrived yesterday from Canada and it plays perfectly on my Sony DVD player via the Sony TV. The quality is pin sharp. Excellent result and i wouldn't have had the confidence to go ahead with the purchase without your advice.