Timpas
Member
Im thinking about import the psp when it's being released outside EU... but will the psp be free from ntsc/jp shiat... :unsure:
Psp- Region Free?
- Thread starter Timpas
- Start date
Rico
Certified Guru
Doubtful. None of their other consoles have been, and it would lose them money.
mattmagoo
OFFICIAL
none of Nintendo's consoles are region free, but the GBA is
I think its harder to encode regions on a Cartridge, where as Sonys is UMD so it probably wont b
I think its harder to encode regions on a Cartridge, where as Sonys is UMD so it probably wont b
Timpas
Member
Just got some info, only movies will have region limitation, but games will be region free... :lol: nice
Rico
Certified Guru
I assume the movies region thing is MPAA-sponsored. Erm... I don't understand why handhelds don't have regions (TV refresh rate can't be the only reason) but as for cartridges not having regions, they do, but it's done in the cart itself through software, no reason why a UMD couldn't do that.
Dozer
Efram the retarded rabbit
Maybe it's because they're portable? And people shift countries more and more now? Ooooooooor just cheaper to make if they can make them all the same maybe? Ask sony 
.
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finty
what is this
Why would the put a region lock on it? How would it cost them money?
Also gameboy carts don't have regions, will the DS? I doubt it.
Also gameboy carts don't have regions, will the DS? I doubt it.
It would cost them money because they usually sell licenses for each game and each region...
Small publishers have the chance to sell their games only in one market (i.e. America) and pay a small fee, whereas big publishers like SquareEnix pay more because they sell their games (well, the biggest ones at least) worldwide.
When they make a console region free they either lose the small publishers (when the fee is set too high) or make it pretty cheap - where they could've gotten some more money from the big publishers.
That's why they try to stop the importers and mod chipping (a lot of people, myself included, use the mod chip to play US games here in Europe, not to play illegal copies).
BTW:
A bit of history for the region lock:
A lot of old consoles (8bit) DIDN'T really have region locks - the cartridges simply didn't work because of the different refresh rate (50/60 Hz) and the color system (PAL / NTSC. In fact, if you want to play foreign games in color, you still need an RGB cable - composite video won't work)).
That's simply because the consoles used the 50/60Hz not only for the TV output, but also divided their processor clock from it... so the cartridges won't work.
(Nowadays this is no problem - all consoles convert the power and clock internally as they need it - regardless where you plug it in).
Because of that, companies built some mechanical locks so that the cartridges won't fit and couldn't do any damage.
The first region free system was the Game Boy - simply because there is no technical lock.
During the 8bit period the companies realized that they could make more money by "really" region locking their next-gen consoles (because of the licensing fees).
That's why most consoles now are region locked.
The GBA isn't region locked because
- it's still fully compatible with the GB, and the GB also is not region locked...
- the main users of the GBA are kids - and they usually don't import any games. So it would cost more money to create different region locked systems...
Small publishers have the chance to sell their games only in one market (i.e. America) and pay a small fee, whereas big publishers like SquareEnix pay more because they sell their games (well, the biggest ones at least) worldwide.
When they make a console region free they either lose the small publishers (when the fee is set too high) or make it pretty cheap - where they could've gotten some more money from the big publishers.
That's why they try to stop the importers and mod chipping (a lot of people, myself included, use the mod chip to play US games here in Europe, not to play illegal copies).
BTW:
A bit of history for the region lock:
A lot of old consoles (8bit) DIDN'T really have region locks - the cartridges simply didn't work because of the different refresh rate (50/60 Hz) and the color system (PAL / NTSC. In fact, if you want to play foreign games in color, you still need an RGB cable - composite video won't work)).
That's simply because the consoles used the 50/60Hz not only for the TV output, but also divided their processor clock from it... so the cartridges won't work.
(Nowadays this is no problem - all consoles convert the power and clock internally as they need it - regardless where you plug it in).
Because of that, companies built some mechanical locks so that the cartridges won't fit and couldn't do any damage.
The first region free system was the Game Boy - simply because there is no technical lock.
During the 8bit period the companies realized that they could make more money by "really" region locking their next-gen consoles (because of the licensing fees).
That's why most consoles now are region locked.
The GBA isn't region locked because
- it's still fully compatible with the GB, and the GB also is not region locked...
- the main users of the GBA are kids - and they usually don't import any games. So it would cost more money to create different region locked systems...
If I get one, I wouldnt realy Buy films for it... How much do you think a Film would cost on them discs?? and are they gonna release nearly all the films out on them discs or only a small selection?? OR do you save them to teh Media Card??
DarkMetroid
Member
It would be cool if you could hook the psp to a tv to watch the movies I kno Im definitely getting one as soon as its realeased here in the States B)
mattmagoo
OFFICIAL
SONY reckon UMDs are the new DVDs except more versatile, so they are gonna start introducing home UMD players
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GPJosh
Addicted to Chrono Trigger
I don't know about the GBA not having region protection... I bought a few games in Australia, and when I brought them back to the US, they didn't work in my GBA.
oyo? crappy resolution? choppy framrate (prolly)? I'd rather buy regular dvd's if you ask me
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trooper
Trooper`s watching you !!!
Not sure what they mean by versatile. I mean, Its like comparing the sony memory stick the a compact flash card. :lol:
Afaik, The UMD disk has a capacity of 1.8 gig, Where as everyone knows a DVD disk has at least 4.7 gig and larger ones are to follow. Where`s the versatility in that.
. Plus i wouldn`t be suprised if these UMD disks are a lot more expensive than DVDs disks either.Yeah, Lets dump all our existing DVDs players and recorders and buy sony`s UMD stuff, Don`t make sense to me.
This sounds like sony trying to get a bigger piece of the pie i`d say.
Trooper
Last edited by a moderator:
spray
PSP pwner
All of sony's recent attempts at propriety media have seemed to fail.
Minidisc has failed to challenge CD in any real way, and flash based mp3s are now replacing Mds.
Their Memory Stick format seems only to feature in their products and thus remains far too expensive.
These UMDs will be awful for "DVD" movies. 1.8gb is just about enough for a movie to be encoded at VCD mpeg1 quality. Theres no way anyone will want to be buying home films on that small amount of space as soon as they see how crappy the results are. Unless of course Sony is developing an uber .mp4 format...
Minidisc has failed to challenge CD in any real way, and flash based mp3s are now replacing Mds.
Their Memory Stick format seems only to feature in their products and thus remains far too expensive.
These UMDs will be awful for "DVD" movies. 1.8gb is just about enough for a movie to be encoded at VCD mpeg1 quality. Theres no way anyone will want to be buying home films on that small amount of space as soon as they see how crappy the results are. Unless of course Sony is developing an uber .mp4 format...
So that Will probably Mean UMD Burners and Blank UMD Discs
Last edited by a moderator:
thebluenewt
wrrrr thrrr frrrrrrrrk?
I heard UMD films will cost as much as a DVD. What's the point in that? Why buy something that can only be watched on a tiny screen and even then only if the battery is fully charged!
Squidge
Certified Guru
They look a bit like the 8cm DVD-R's, only difference being they are able to hold 1.8gb instead of 1.4gb.
85p from here
Anyone know if they are the same size?
85p from here
Anyone know if they are the same size?
neo.fieldy
Still Fresh
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2003
- Messages
- 34
the umd discs rnt perfect circles, there more "stylish" i'd say, and it's official it won't be region free...
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