US or UK blu-ray movies on Japanese hardware?

[nagoid 4]

OK I have looked online and it has only got me more confused with region codes and pal/hstcts whatever..... can anyone tell me - if I buy a blu-ray disc overseas wanting to play it on Japanese blu-ray player, should I get one from the US or the UK? Anyone any first hand?

 

Thanks!

[bobby12 0]

oh god does blu ray also have region protection?

[klingon 10]

Yes it does and it's different from DVD.

 

This time, Japan is the same code as the US, rather than the UK.

 

The good news is that a lot (most?) discs are region free so you can buy many regardless of the region (you can find lists fairly easily online).

[BagOfCrisps 24]

I've got a few from the US and they work ok. Depends on what you want, when you know your title, do an online check and you can easily find out.

[Ezorisu 0]

Yes. Japan and US same region code. The logic being, "the powers that be" deciding these things made the countries that produce the majority of the hardware and software the same region, and everyone else another.

[thursday 1]

of course you could always buy a PS3 and use it as a bluray player

[rach 1]

It's still "region coded" though isn't it?

[.co.jp 0]

Yes it is. Though as someone else said, lots of games and Blu-Ray discs are region free. Most DVDs though aren't so remember that too.

[Ezorisu 0]

Originally Posted By: rach

It's still "region coded" though isn't it?

Yes.

I just thought of this too. Since a Blu-Ray player can also play your old DVD's, what you may run into if you purchase a JDM (Japan Domestic Market) one, is it will play "Japanese" and "American" Blu-Ray discs (since they are the same region code), but only play Japanese DVD's (since US DVD's are a different region code). Similar but opposite holds true if you get a USDM Blu-Ray player with Japanese DVD's. This I have empiracally proven with my USDM PlayStation 3.

[yoroshiku onegai shimasu 2]

It will play UK DVD's too. (Or will it, because of PAL). It's all so annoyingly complicated.