Blu-Ray In Thailand

[kkerry]

Some questions if I may.

I was going to buy a new Samsung DVD player in Thailand to go with my new Samsung TV. The entry level Blu-Ray player from Samsung is only 500 or so baht more so I thought why not. Had the wallet open ready to buy and the sales clerk started saying if I had any copy DVDs then best get a cheaper DVD only player because the blu-ray player wouldn't play most of them. Anyone found this to be a problem in Thailand? He wasn't trying to sell me another model before you ask.

I know DVD players sold in Thailand usually play all region discs but what about blu-ray players? Will Area 2 disks from the US play on blu-ray players sold in Thailand or is it Area 1 South East Asia only...

Never looked but genuine blu-ray discs here, what are the prices like compared to buying in the US, much difference?

This is what I was looking at buying, nothing fancy. TV is only a 32" model, not a home theatre.

http://www.samsung.com/hk_en/consumer/tv-av/blu-ray/blu-ray-disc-players/BD-D5100/ZK

thanks in advance

[kennkate]

I have a Samsung Blue Ray player I am in the uk I also have a 32' Samsung HD Backlit LCD TV.

The Blue ray player is not that model Mine is A BD-P2500.

I have bought Blue ray films on disc at a somewhat inflated price And to be honest I cannot tell the differance.

If there is a differance it is not noticable Not to me anyway. The TV is superb But I would not bother with the Blue Ray Player. Mine will not play Copy DVDs

So I think the sales guy is telling you the truth. I can play copies on my Cheap Tesco TV with built in DVD player that we have in the Bedroom.

So maybe better you dont bother with Blue ray and take the sales persons advice.

Looks like it might be good advice. I was not told that when I bought mine

[dandun]

I have Sony BDP-S380 purchased here in bangkok, I havent had a single issue with it so far and it plays any copy dvd or blu-ray discs . Highly recommended.

[rkidlad]

Blu-ray players will play blu-ray and dvd. In fact, a blu-ray player will upscale a normal dvd to make the picture better. If your TV is full HD then I would definitely get a blu-ray dvd player.

Invite a bird around and show her something like 'Avatar' on blu-ray. She'll be so impressed she'll probably tickle your plums.

[Ciaran Mc]

Blu-ray players will play blu-ray and dvd. In fact, a blu-ray player will upscale a normal dvd to make the picture better. If your TV is full HD then I would definitely get a blu-ray dvd player.

Invite a bird around and show her something like 'Avatar' on blu-ray. She'll be so impressed she'll probably tickle your plums.

cheers for that ... gf has now said i'm not allowed to buy a blu-ray player or i'll be losing my plums !!!

[Familyonthemove]

I don't think the Blue Ray capability has any impact on the ability to play multi region (and copy!) DVD's ... but different models certainly make a difference.

My Philips Blue Ray seems to be able to play anything from anywhere, but my old Samsung DVD player was more fussy. The people in the shop often have a good idea about 'playability', and yes, it's often the cheaper, made in China or Thailand models that can play anything. Best bet is to take DVD's from different regions and give it a try in the shop.

I've been impressed with the upscaling on my DVD/Blue Ray player when playing genuine DVD's - so I recommend this feature - but you can this on a cheaper upscaling DVD player. The improvement in quality from Blue Ray is impressive, but the cost is even more impressive, so I rarely 'invest' in Blue Ray unless it's a movie I'm sure I will want to watch several times (I only have Casino Royal and erm ... Avatar on Blue Ray). Of course the plum tickling factor may move the needle on the cost/benefit assessment.

[jamesbrock]

I have a Samsung Blue Ray player I am in the uk I also have a 32' Samsung HD Backlit LCD TV.

The Blue ray player is not that model Mine is A BD-P2500.

I have bought Blue ray films on disc at a somewhat inflated price And to be honest I cannot tell the differance.

If there is a differance it is not noticable Not to me anyway. The TV is superb But I would not bother with the Blue Ray Player. Mine will not play Copy DVDs

So I think the sales guy is telling you the truth. I can play copies on my Cheap Tesco TV with built in DVD player that we have in the Bedroom.

So maybe better you dont bother with Blue ray and take the sales persons advice.

Looks like it might be good advice. I was not told that when I bought mine

Is your TV HD or Full-HD? Were they legitimate Blu-Ray discs? Or the cheap copies (which are barely DVD quality)?

I was never really interested in Blu-Rays until I bought a new Samsung TV just after xmas and they threw in a Samsung Blu-Ray player. The only problem was I was unable to find and real Blu-Ray movies here on Samui! I went to Bangkok last week, and one of the first shops I went into was Mangpong in MBK, where I purchased several Blu-Ray movies. I must say, I loved my new TV before, but the picture quality of the Blu-Ray is simply astounding!

As for the prices - you can pick up a regular movie for around 1000B, and 3D movies and sets are more expensive. I bought the Jurassic Park trilogy for 2600B, the complete Star Wars saga for 4590B, and the Toy Story trilogy in 3D for 3500B. You can get the movies for a lot cheaper from the US, but I wanted all the movies to have Thai subtitles (which I wouldn't get if I ordered them from there).

Be aware, though, that not all Blu-Ray movies are created equal. The quality depends a lot on the transfer process (from original source to digital Blu-Ray), and a number of other factors. For example, while the picture quality of the original Jurassic Park was stunning, it was nowhere near as good as Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World, which was the first of the trilogy to be filmed in digital.

[carolineess]

HI there Is there anywhere on line in Thailand that I can buy 3d blu ray disks. Live near Hua Hin so not easy to find here. Any ideas / suggestions welcomed!

Download (but not torrent) sites would be even better

[TS79]

Why not take a selection of original (different regions) and copy DVD's back to the shop and try them out? This way you will know for sure.

Also many players can have their region lock removed through the remote control and its worth checking the model number online to see if its possible with that particular model prior to buying.

[chris2004]

What i can't understand is why blu-ray and 3d discs are so expensive in Thailand. I mean you can buy a genuine DVD for 2-300 baht but a blu-ray is 1,000 baht and 3d 1,500 baht. I wouldn't pay that much and i'm sure thais couldn't afford it. It's cheaper to buy a multi region abroad and ship it here. Region 2 blu-rays don't work on my player.

[Digitalbanana]

What i can't understand is why blu-ray and 3d discs are so expensive in Thailand. I mean you can buy a genuine DVD for 2-300 baht but a blu-ray is 1,000 baht and 3d 1,500 baht. I wouldn't pay that much and i'm sure thais couldn't afford it. It's cheaper to buy a multi region abroad and ship it here. Region 2 blu-rays don't work on my player.

I've got two BR players in computers I have that have never ever been used, couldn't see point in paying for a BR disk when I can get all I need on the net::-)

[Chicog]

If you look at Bluray as a 25Gb storage drive, it often becomes useful.

[attrayant]

I know DVD players sold in Thailand usually play all region discs but what about blu-ray players? Will Area 2 disks from the US play on blu-ray players sold in Thailand or is it Area 1 South East Asia only...

Blu ray region codes are different from DVD region codes. Blu ray region 1 is all of the Americas and Southeast Asia. So as long as the disc is coded properly, any blu ray you buy here should play on a player made in, for example, the USA, and vice-versa. I can personally vouch for this as all blu ray discs I've bought here will play without error in my U.S. purchased PS3.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu-ray_Disc#Region_codes

Edited November 7, 2012 by attrayant

[attrayant]

I think I misread the op, who seems to be asking if regular region 1 DVDs (USA & Canada) will play in a Thai blu ray player. I don't know the answer to that, but it seems like the easiest way to find out would be to take a handful of you DVDs with you to the store so you can test-drive them in the display model before you buy.

[Will27]

I have a Samsung blu ray player.

Recently ordered some region 2 discs (not blu ray) from the

UK which the player would not play. I think Thailand is region 3.

Phoned the dealer who basically said "cannot fix".

Hunted around on the net for a "code" that you input

visa the remote control.

Took a few goes as there's different codes for different models.

Managed to get the correct one and changed the machine to

multi-region, code 9.

It's really handy as you cannot get a lot of UK movies in Thailand.

So, there's your answer and fix.

BTW, I find there's a big difference between standard dvd's and blu ray.

Regards

Will

[eTiMaGo]

Blu-ray has 3 regions, A, B and C. We are in region A, along with the US, Japan, etc, while Europe and the UK are region B.

Most Blu-ray players on the market are locked to their region, though with a very few it's possible to make them region-free, Google will find you the answers if it's possible.

As for DVD regions, players here will also be locked to region 3, but as the poster above said, it's a mater of finding the right code too.