While Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and other video-streaming services have grown exponentially in popularity throughout the last decade, they have failed to kill the DVD and Blu-ray markets. Despite their ease of access, they fail in ways which physical media have not and never will. I would like to take a moment and discuss the reasons why physical media will never die, even in the face of digital content streaming.

Audio/Visual Quality

When it comes to digital content streaming, there is typically some loss in terms of quality. This is based upon the service used, the amount one pays, and internet connection quality. While you certainly can stream HD content, it is less reliable than what one will receive from a Blu-ray disc. This is even more true when it comes to 4K content, as it requires phenomenal download speeds to acquire beautiful, seamless 4K video over the internet. Physical media, on the other hand, is capable of pulling off incredible visuals with little effort; the advent of 4K and 3D movies has proven that, as they are limited almost entirely to Blu-ray discs outside of few exceptions.

Streaming is notoriously harsh when it comes to audio quality. Even dedicated music-streaming services such as Spotify struggle with this problem, and while some services have found ways to get around some limitations, the general rule is this: digital audio quality is lower than that of physical, and streaming audio quality is lower than that seen on, say, a CD or vinyl. A part of this is the 'bitrate' of an audio track, or the amount of data stored in a single second of its file. The higher this number is, the better audio quality one will receive; in most digital audio files, the bitrate is 256 kbps (kilobits per second), while Dolby TrueHD has a maximum possible bitrate of 18 mbps (megabytes per second). Most audio tracks will never reach that lofty of a goal; the audio bitrate from Blu-ray discs has the potential to be a whopping seventy times higher than that seen through streaming services.

 

Building a Collection

Collectors will also never fully move to digital content, much less that seen on streaming services. Companies often sell 'collector's editions' of popular media. These might include special boxes, bonus merchandise for fans, special features, or other unique bonuses that are pertinent to fans. These are quite popular, particularly for television shows and films with dedicated fan-bases. As an example, the "Middle-Earth Collector's Edition" contains 30 Blu-ray discs which contain the entire Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. It includes dozens of hours of bonus content, extended, and cut scenes. This collection also contains digital downloads of each film, a unique box which presents the discs in the form of books, an art book containing sketches and concept art for the film, and more. While pricey, this is a must-have for fans of The Lord of the Rings and as such will sell well; streaming might be convenient, but it will never replace the sorts of bonuses seen in this example.

 

Ownership

It is essential to note what is perhaps the largest advantage of physical media over streaming services: not everything is available through streaming. There is a massive amount of content in the world which has not, and never will, be on any streaming platform. Even worse, the shows that you enjoy today might be removed at any time! On their website, Netflix writes:

"Netflix licenses TV shows and movies from studios and content providers around the world, and those licenses can expire if we don't renew them."

Netflix asserts they first check to see if the rights are still available and analyze a show's popularity and cost. They then discern any seasonal or localized factors which might be relevant. These explain how Netflix, among other streaming services, lose content that you might be a fan of. Popular content is not safe from this either, as their removal of Doctor Who in 2018 will show that even significant shows might end up nonrenewable. This is where Blu-rays and DVDs can come into play; fans of TV shows and movies will always want to have a permanent way through which to watch their favorites. Ultimately, streaming is an unreliable means through which to do so. When using a streaming service, you naturally do not *own* that video; even purchased digital versions of films have this issue. What would happen if you lost hundreds of dollars worth of films due to Vudu going out of business? This is an extreme example, of course, but serves to illustrate the shortfalls of digital content. Plus, Blu-rays typically contain digital copies of their content in question. This is typically free and serves as an additional bonus to purchasing a physical copy.

 

Physical Media Will Never Die

Digital media downloads and content streaming are obviously not going anywhere for the foreseeable future. They do, of course, serve as wonderful supplemental forms of entertainment. Having a wealth of content at your fingertips, ready to stream at any time, is a uniquely contemporary concept. This will only continue to grow in coming years. Physical media will never be left behind, despite this new technology. Collectors and fans will always want to purchase their favorite films and shows, whether it be for the unique bonuses, security, consistency, or quality found only in physical media. I, for one, am excited to see what the future holds for physical media.

Shop for region free Blu-ray and DVD players today, and recall just how amazing it can be to own your own movies and television shows!

-The 220 Electronics Team

There are plenty of reasons for purchasing movies on DVD or Blu-ray from overseas. A few examples are that some countries censor films and exclude critical parts of the story, some films may not be available in your country, and films from other countries are often cheaper to purchase. Certain genres such as Kung-Fu and Japanese Animation are available around the world, yet often the best titles are only sold in the countries of origin. Many independent films are also not for sale internationally and anyone interested must purchase them from the country where they were produced.

 

The age of the internet has made it remarkably easy for cinema fans and movie collectors to acquire films from various countries, and you can even shop for movies by region from stores who specialize in selling foreign discs. However, there's a slight setback to owning foreign film titles on DVD or Blu-ray disc - they're usually not compatible with your player.

 

With the basic intentions of maximizing profits and protecting copyright status, production companies and manufacturers work together to limit the playback capabilities of DVDs and Blu-ray discs purchased from other countries. Normally, a Blu-ray player purchased in North America will only play discs purchased in North America. Likewise, a European Blu-ray player will only play discs local to Europe. Attempting to use a European-bought disc in a North American player will result in an "error" where the player will tell you that the disc format is not supported. This is solely due to the encoding and decoding process. Each region uses it's own disc encoding, and the players from each region are set to only decode discs that originate from that home region.

 

Of course there are ways around these regional limitations. Some people have found that they can hack their players, giving them the ability to play DVDs and Blu-ray discs from other countries regardless of the disc encoding. There are many ways that people go about hacking their players but the methods aren't always effective. Often times, the hacking results in a player that locks up or gets stuck on a different region, eliminating the possibility for playback of local discs. It's a risky decision to try and hack your player, and the benefits aren't always worth the cost of a broken unit. Also, there's a much better solution for playing movies from anywhere in the world; a Region-Free player.

 

Region-Free players aren't sold by major retailers. You'll have to find a reputable retailer who specializes in region-free players and purchase directly from them. These players have been professionally modified and will easily play discs from any region, without any issues. Both the software and hardware of region-free players is altered to ensure proper and efficient playback of any disc you can imagine. In addition to playback, most region-free players feature worldwide voltage and internal Pal/NTSC conversion. Worldwide voltage gives you the ability to use your player in any country without a voltage converter - simply set the player to the proper voltage (110/120 or 220/240) - while the internal video conversion ensures the player will work with any TV without an external video converter. A Region-Free player is basically universal. You can take them anywhere, plug them in, use them with any TV, and play any disc. It's really rather simple and while they do cost a bit more, the price increase isn't absurd.

 

Most retailers of region-free players sell the same models from the top brand names that you'll see in stores. Good retailers even sell high-end models that have been modified for universal region-free use. These players usually cost 20 - 40% more than the un-modified model, but the value is self-explanatory.

 

Now that you know how to play DVDs and Blu-ray discs from other countries, you can get on with watching your foreign movie titles. In fact, you can even start shopping for foreign discs to expand your collection! Just be sure that the player you decide do buy is advertised as being region-free, and be sure you're purchasing from a reputable retailer.

 

What are Multi-system, Multi-Region, Region Free and Code-Free Electronics?

In the electronics world, devices are manufactured specifically for the area in which they're to be sold. From the device's labels and packaging to the default language and even retail price, there are many variations from country to country on what is essentially the exact same product. Additionally, these devices are manufactured to meet the specific requirements or regulations of these various countries, with one of the major factors being voltage compliance. Since different countries have different voltage standards (ranging from 110 volts to 240 volts) the electronics sold in any given country must be compatible with that country's voltage.

 

Multi-System and Multi-Region

When someone refers to "multi-system" or "multi-region", they're speaking of a device that can operate in foreign areas - usually because of its special voltage capability. Typically the device has been modified to operate at any voltage due to internal modifications. Common examples are TVs, DVD & Blu-ray Players, Stereo Receivers and other common items that might be taken along when moving, relocation or traveling abroad.

 

Aside from the modifications that allow the device to operate at any voltage, there are also other changes in some cases. There are 3 major video formats used throughout the world - these are PAL, NTSC and SECAM. In order to use another video component with the TV such as a DVD or Blu-ray Player, both units need to use the same video format. While compatibility can be accomplished via an external converter, the best models will come with internal video converters which is the easiest option.

 

Region-Free and Code-Free

While DVD & Blu-ray players could fall into the multi-system category, they are more commonly referred to as being "region-free" or "code-free". The difference in names is mostly due to the fact that these types of devices are not only designed for a specific voltage, but also coded to only play discs that originate from the player's native region of sale. While there are many reasons for this which we won't get into, these types of devices need to be unlocked in order to play discs from outside regions.

 

When utilizing a region-free DVD or Blu-ray player, there is no issue with voltage OR with playing discs from foreign countries. Some people purchase region-free or code-free players for traveling while others purchase them for the purpose of playing foreign discs in their native country - this is common with people who are collectors and enjoy watching foreign movies or those who purchase discs from overseas while vacationing or via the internet.

 

It's advised that if you're using a TV that's not compatible with PAL, NTSC or SECAM, you should be sure that your video player is equipped with internal conversion. If not, you'll need an external video converter for compatibility.

 

Where Can I Find Multi-System and Region-Free Electronics?

220 Electronics is one of the world's largest retailers of professionally modified multi-system and region-free electronics. From TVs and Blu-ray players to stereo receivers, home theaters, and even 240 volt appliances, we carry the top brand names at the lowest prices, guaranteed. In business for over 35 years, our top priority is customer satisfaction and our low price guarantee. If you can find a product offered by a competitor at a lower price, we'll beat it by 10% of the difference. Check us out today at 220-Electronics.com where you can browse all of our products and learn more about finding the proper electronics for your needs.

 

The DVD Region system is used to control which DVD movies play on which DVD Players. The DVD regions are broken down as follows:

DVD Region Codes	Blu-ray Region Codes
Code  | Where 1  | USA & Canada 2  | Europe & Japan 3  | South East Asia 4  | Latin America & Australia 5  | Russia, Rest of Asia and Africa 6  | China 8  | International Venues, Cruise Ships, Planes, etc.	Where  | Code Americas, East and South East Asia  | A Europe, Africa, Oceania, Middle East, French territories, Greenland  | B Central and South Asia, Mongolia, Russia, and People's Republic of China  | C

 

What does all this 'DVD region coding' mean?

This means that DVD movies from DVD Region 1 (USA & Canada) WILL NOT play on a DVD player regions 2-6. Effectively Region 1 DVD discs play only on Region 1 DVD players, Region 2 DVD discs play only on Region 2 DVD players and so on.

 

Why are there 6 DVD regions?

Movies are released on DVD at different times around the world, typically America and Canada first, Australia and Japan 6 months later, and Europe 12 months after US release. In some instances, DVD movies are available for purchase in America and Canada before they are released in European cinemas.

Due to the high quality of DVD and the movie release system used by Hollywood, 5 regions were established to prevent people from watching Region 1 movies before they were released on Regions 2-6.

DVD Censorship between countries also plays a part, another reason for DVD region coding.

 

What can I do to solve this problem?

220 Electronics specializes in Region Free DVD Players and Region Free Blu-ray Players that play DVD and Blu-ray movies from DVD Regions 1 thru 6 and Blu-Ray Regions 1, 2 and 3. Guaranteed 100%, giving you the freedom to watch any DVD movie, censored or uncensored, without having to wait up to 12 months for the official release in your country.

 

How do you make a DVD player region free / multi-region / Code-Free?

Our custom chipping process ensures your DVD or Blu-ray player plays every region disc available, using our custom DVD Region chip design. Our qualified technical staff modify and test your DVD player 100% with all DVD and/or Blu-ray egions before leaving our warehouse.

 

What if the movie studios put a DVD region protection system into the movie disc?

The DVD region protection system, 'RCE' was introduced 8 years ago, and all our DVD players play RCE discs 100%. So far no other 'new' protection system is possible other than RCE due to the way the DVD region format works. Our players play all protected 'RCE' DVD discs.

 

Enjoy the freedom that 220 Electronics offers, the freedom to watch any DVD movie from anywhere, Code-Free / Region Free!

Our DVD and Blu-ray Players play all movies from all regions, Guaranteed for Life!

Multi-system TV Buying Guide

Multisystem TV 's are all compatible with video systems from any country including NTSC, Pal, and Secam. These TVs are the perfect option for International customers that have relocated to the USA or are Relocating outside the USA. We can offer an International relocation consultation and set you up with everything you will need for your International move outside the USA. Generally speaking, purchasing a multi system TV from us will be less expensive than purchasing that same TV in Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia, etc. Also we have a larger selection of TVs than you will find in most countries.

 

The TVs we sell can be used anywhere in the world. They support all formats including Pal, NTSC, and Secam. Multisystem LCD and Plasma TVs are 110-220 volts and can be used in Europe, Asia, North America, South America, and any other place in the world. Perfect for International Relocations. We also offer Multi system Home theater systems as well as code free DVD players, and region free portable DVD players on our website. They are compatible with any VCR or TV for viewing anywhere in the world. All televisions are NTSC, Pal, and Secam and 110-240 volts. They can be used anywhere in the world.

 

Please choose what kind of Multi System TV you are looking for. Also don't forget to see our weekly special promotional offers! We understand that you have other options when choosing for a Multi system TV vendor. Our goal is to offer you the best service, knowledgeable customer service, at the best possible price. We will explain what Plasma, LED, LCD, or HDTV will work best for you, and why. If you already have a TV, we will try to provide you with the necessary equipment to use it overseas. We don't want to sell you something and be done with it like our competition. We want to help you buy something and thus earn your business. Please call us before you buy elsewhere and tell us how we can earn your business. We promise to provide the best possible customer service, the largest variety of products for Multi System customers, as well as the best possible prices.

 

Commonly Asked Questions About Our Televisions...

Quick Links

• Pal, NTSC, Secam Explained
• Which TV's Work Where
• TVs for Those Visiting
• DVD Players and VCRs
• TV Tuners

 

What are Pal, NTSC, and Secam?

There are several different and incompatible video formats in use around the world. Video broadcasts and recorded material in the USA will not play on equipment in Europe, for example - and vice versa!

 

NTSC (National Television System Committee)

Color system currently used in North America. All TVs sold in the USA and Canada that are not purchased from a specialty Multi System store such as us, are NTSC. NTSC is not compatible with other color systems such as Pal or NTSC. This means that if you would like to play a Pal or Secam DVD movie on a NTSC TV, it will come in black and white and the picture will scroll. You will not be able to see a viewable image on the TV. Also if you would like to take an NTSC TV to another country in Europe, Asia, or Africa, it will not work. There are ways of making it work by purchasing a Pal to NTSC converter as well as a voltage converter. This would normally cost over $300 by the time you are done, so it may not be worth it for some TVs. If you are interested in doing something like this please call one of our sales advisors at (847) 640-9000 or (877) 578-0587 toll free. The TVs that we carry are Multi system and support all the TV standards including Pal, NTSC, and Secam. So if you purchase one of our TVs they will work anywhere in the world.

 

Pal (Phase Alternation by Line)

Color system currently used in Europe, Asia, Africa and many other places outside North America. This system is also not compatible with any of the others. So if you brought a Pal TV with you from overseas it will probably not work here in the USA.

 

Secam (SÉquentiel Couleur À Mémoire")

Color system currently used mainly in France. This system is also not compatible with any of the others.

 

Note: We do offer video converters that will allow you to convert from one TV system to another, however the best picture quality is obtained only by buying a multi system TV. Normally if you are viewing Pal DVD movies in the USA, our DVD players do have very good video converters built in so you do not need to purchase a Multi system TV. However if you are wanting to use a TV overseas, it is recommended to purchase a multi system TV. Please call one of our Sales advisors if you have any questions.

 

Which TVs work where? I'm moving overseas and am wondering if my TV will work?

NTSC TV's will work only in North America, unless you purchase a video converter and a voltage converter. Even with the conversion, it is recommended purchasing a Multi System TV, which is made to work anywhere in the world.

 

I just moved to the USA for a temporary period of time and want to buy a TV that will work here, and that I can take with me when I move back. What can I use?

Buying a Multi System TV will be your best option in this situation because you will be able to take it overseas with you when you move back. Also the Multi System TVs we sell in the USA are usually much cheaper than those available overseas. So if you purchase your TV here, you will be able to get a better, cheaper model and take that back with you. Also, normally duties and taxes in Europe are only on new items, so if you have used the TV here in the USA before moving, you will probably not have to pay as much in taxes.

 

DVD players & VCRs: I want to be able to play foreign videos and DVDs

If you are not going to be taking your TV overseas, but you just want to be able to play DVD and VHS movies that are Pal or a different region here in the USA you should consider purchasing a Code Free DVD Player that has a built in Pal to NTSC converter. We have many models to choose from on our Region Free DVD Player category page. If you are also wanting to Play Pal VHS movies, you should look into a DVD/VCR combo or a VCR and a External video converter. We have packages and specials on these devices on our site, and you can call us for more information on them as well if you would like: (847) 640-9000 or (877) 578-0587.

 

TV Tuner: What is it and do I need one?

A TV tuner is a card in the TV that allows you to change channels. TV tuners also have different systems around the world: Pal, NTSC, and Secam. Pal M and Pal N are tuners that are used in South America. A tuner's function is to capture your signal through your antenna or a cable service and turn it into a video signal your TV can read. It allows you to change channels on your TV to the channel you want to watch. TV tuners are also in devices such as DVD recorders, VCRs, cable boxes, satellite receivers, etc. Modern day applications usually involve the use of a satellite receiver or a cable box to receive TV channels. Thus, A TV tuner is normally not utilized in these application. However if you have an old fashioned TV connection where you are receiving channels from a roof antenna or your cable company will not provide you a cable box, you will need a TV tuner. If the TV you purchase does not have one, you can use a VCR or a DVD recorder instead. However 99% of the modern day applications do not require you to use the TV tuner as there is already one in the cable box, HD cable box, DVR box provided by your cable company, or they utilize the satellite receiver used with satellite dish applications which are used as a tuner. The short answer is if you will be subscribing to a cable or satellite service, you probably do not need a tuner in your TV.