Standard
DVD Imports and more…
Though Blu-ray is settling in as the new format for
serious High Definition fans, we are going to for the continued reference of
our readers continue to cover DVD releases including DVD imports. We are also doing import Blu-rays about every
month, we continue to cover import DVDs monthly and will continue to do so, now
on a regular basis from companies like Network U.K., BFI (British Film
Institute, Umbrella Entertainment and Madman Entertainment in Australia.
Why?
Because there is so much great programming that is out
there not being issued in the U.S.
market and some that for financial reasons, crossed rights issues or lack of
popularity in the U.S.,
likely never will. As you may know, to
match the way major movie studios distribute theatrical films worldwide, the
studios and electronics companies have added regional coding to most of the
DVDs produced in the world. One reason
is to make it harder to duplicate DVDs.
Another is to assure the owner of the rights of a given title in their
part of the world retains them and gets the most profit out of them. Also, there is a technical reason, and that
is the incompatibility of analog TV systems NTSC and PAL. These are numbered from 1 to 8. Blu-rays have regions too, but there is only
A, B & C. Then you sometimes get
bits and extras on overseas releases you might not get anywhere else.
Though DVD-Audio is
practically dead (only 5 to 6 titles are now being produced annually), we
continue to see titles in the underrated SA-CD/Super Audio Compact Disc/SACD
format issued to we will also cover these imports where applicable. Here are up to date links to some reviews we
have done covering all imports and PAL DVDs early on, some of which are
comparison reviews. For titles since this
initial list, enter “Network”, “Umbrella” or “Madman” into our search engine
and find the latest coverage of new releases:
ADAM ADAMANT LIVES!
(Region Four Madman PAL DVD Set/spy show)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9526/Adam+Adamant+Lives!+-+The+Compl
THE ADVENTURER (Spy
series/PAL Region Zero Umbrella DVD Set)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/8614/The+Adventurer+-+The+Complete+Ser
THE AGATHA CHRISTIE
CODE DVD
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9610/The+Agatha+Christie+Code+(2005/Re
AMITYVILLE 2 – THE
POSESSION (Region Zero/PAL DVD set)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/2593/Amityville+II+-+The+Posession+(Region
AMITYVILLE 3-D set with
2-D & 3-D discs
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/1899/Amityville+3-D+
ARMY OF DARKNESS
(Region 3/NTSC Import vs. U.S.
Anchor Bay Boomstick Edition DVDs)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/2112/Army+Of+Darkness+(MGM+R3/NTSC
ASTRO BOY 1960s DELUXE
DVD TIN BOX SETS (Region 4/PAL Imports)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9726/Astro+Boy+%E2%80%93+1960s+Delu
BAFFLED! (1972 telefilm
DVD/Region 2)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9929/Baffled!+(1972/Network+U.K./PAL+Reg
BRIAN CLEMENS’ THRILLER
– THE COMPLETE SERIES DVD set (Horror anthology/ Region 4)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/10189/Brian+Clemens%E2%80%99+Thriller
BUGSY MALONE (NTSC Korea Region
Free DVD)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/2022/Bugsy+Malone
CALLAN - THE MONOCHROME
YEARS DVD set
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9599/Callan+%E2%80%93+The+Monochrom
CHAPLIN AT KEYSTONE
(BFI Region 2 DVD Import set)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/10599/Chaplin+At+Keystone+(1914/Shorts/
THE CORRIDOR PEOPLE –
THE COMPLETE SERIES DVD
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/10082/The+Corridor+People+(1966/British
THE CREEPING FLESH
(Region Zero PAL Special Edition DVD)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/2171/The+Creeping+Flesh+(Region+Zero
DARKROOM – THE COMPLETE
SERIES DVD set (Horror anthology)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/10234/Darkroom+%E2%80%93+The+Compl
DEATHCHEATERS (Region
4/PAL DVD)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9889/Deathcheaters+(1976/Region+4+PAL+I
DEPARTMENT S (Spy
series/PAL Region Zero Umbrella DVD Set)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/8656/Department+S+%E2%80%93+30th
DOG SOLDIERS (DTS
Region 3)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/2373/Dog+Soldiers+(DTS/Region+3)
GHOSTS … OF THE CIVIL
DEAD (Region Free PAL DVD Import)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/1942/Ghosts
GORDON LIGHTFOOT – HIS
GREATEST HITS LIVE IN RENO
DVD
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/6512/Gordon+Lightfoot+–+His+Greatest
THE GREEN HORNET (1974
compilation film/Bruce Lee/Region 0/PAL DVD)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/2121/The+Green+Hornet
THE HARDER THEY COME
(1972 restored PAL Region Zero DVD NOT
in U.S.)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/8660/The+Harder+They+Come+(1972/Resto
JASON KING (TV Spy
series/Comparison review DVD Sets)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/8921/Jason+King+(The+Complete+Chapters
KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT
STALKER – THE COMPLETE SERIES DVD Set (Region 4/Madman import w/alternate
openings…)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9520/Kolchak:+The+Night+Stalker+-+The
Note: a U.K. Region 2
Rewind edition (unreviewed) with even better sound has also been issued, but
prints are cut differently than this or the U.S. editions.
MALENA DVD
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/1839/Malena
MAN FROM HONG KONG (Region 4/PAL Import DVD)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9613/The+Man+From+Hong+Kong+(1975/R
THE MOODY BLUES U.K.
SACD IMPORTS
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/3637/The+Moody+Blues+
MURDER IN A BLUE WORLD
DVD
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/1826/Murder+In+A+Blue+World+
MY FAVORITE MARTIAN –
THE COMPLETE THIRD SERIES (Region 0/PAL DVD Set)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/6344/My+Favorite+Martian+–+The+Comp
NARROW MARGIN (DTS-ES
Region 2 Polish import DVD)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/2655/Narrow+Margin+(DTS+Polish+Import)
PAL Region 4 Madman Import
DVD
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9516/Narrow+Margin+(1990/Madman+DVD
NIGHT OF THE LIVING
DEAD (1968/Network Blu-ray/Region Free)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9169/Night+Of+The+Living+Dead+(1968/Re
(Umbrella
Blu-ray/Region Free)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/10388/Night+Of+The+Living+Dead+(1968)
PETER WATKINS’
PRIVILEGE (BFI Region B Blu-ray)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/10015/Peter+Watkins%E2%80%99+Privilege
PHANTASM II (Region
Zero/PAL DVD version)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/2116/Phantasm+II+(0/PAL+set)
THE PROTECTORS – THE
COMPLETE SERIES (U.K.
restored edition/spy show) DVD Set
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/10145/The+Protectors+%E2%80%93+The+
RED BALOON/WHITE MANE
(Network U.K.
Blu-ray)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9512/The+Red+Balloon+w/The+White+Mane
RETURN OF THE SAINT –
THE COMPLETE SERIES (Region 0/PAL DVD Set)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/6250/Return+Of+The+Saint+–+25th+Anni
THE SENTIMENTAL AGENT –
THE COMPLETE SERIES DVD set
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9930/The+Sentimental+Agent+%E2%80%93
THE SORCERERS (Region
Zero/PAL DVD)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/2170/The+Sorcerers+(Region+0
SPACE PATROL U.K. (ala
PLANET PATROL/U.K. Sci-Fi Puppet Show) Blu-ray
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/10321/Space+Patrol+(1963+%E2%80%93
STAR FLEET X BOMBER –
THE COMPLETE SERIES (Japanese Sci-Fi Puppet Show DVD Set)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/8504/Star+Fleet+X+Bomber+-+The+Comp
STUNT ROCK (aka SORCERY/Region
4/PAL DVD)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9802/Stunt+Rock+(1978+aka+Sorcery+aka
SUPER INFRAMAN (Region
3/NTSC DVD)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/1799/Super+Inframan+
THAT GIRL – THE
COMPLETE SERIES DVD set (Region Free/superior to US version)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/10362/That+Girl+%E2%80%93+The+Compl
THIS IS SKINT (U.K.
Music Video set DVD)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/46/This+Is+Skint+(PAL
WHO KILLED NANCY? (of Sid &
Nancy/Region Zero/Region Free PAL DVD Import)
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/9725/Who+Killed+Nancy+(2007/Region+Zer
Some of the PAL discs
have no regional encoding and will actually play back just fine on many DVD
players, though NTSC TV and DVD player owners are often not aware of this. Older machines may play the PAL back in black
and white. Another problem is PAL speed-up,
where the image and the sound have been slightly sped by the lower frame rate
of PAL (26 frames-a-second) versus a higher 30 for NTSC. PAL DVDs often use NTSC transfers, which
means some distortion and blowout of the picture in many cases. The sound on a PAL speed-up can be more
problematic, with the sound (particularly Dolby Digital’s compression) causing
a slight whine from the artificial increase of playback.
The reason why people
will get imports include titles never coming to the United States, extras and
limited editions issued in smaller-sized-but-major markets like Britain, Japan,
Hong Kong and Germany that companies see as too expensive to do in the much
larger United States. DTS on overseas
titles not in the U.S. is yet another reason people will buy these titles. DTS is not as affected by the sound speed-up
or ensuing distortion. Finally, some
transfers are just done better from some great companies overseas. We have more and more people from all over
the world visiting this site, so we have to expand into these titles to some
extent. The result is that we will cover
only special and unusual such titles because overlap with U.S. NTSC DVDs that
are usually the same overseas is in the majority. Feel free to write us with more questions on
this topic, as we will be happy to help.
