Blu-ray High Definition Discs

High Definition is a universal digital format and our Blu-ray discs are Region Free, so will play on any Blu-ray device worldwide. There is no longer the incompatibity between NTSC (North America) and PAL (Rest of world) formats which we have with DVD.

NTSC vs. PAL on DVD: What is NTSC/PAL?

There are two different methods for picture decoding standards: Europe (Region 2) uses the PAL system; North America (Region 1) uses the NTSC system. NTSC and PAL differ in the number of scan lines available in the vertical axis of the screen; NTSC has 480, PAL has 576. Secondly, they run at a slightly different frame rate (frames/second) and so running times are very slightly different.

Region coding: What is region coding?

Imposed by the film studios due to the staggered theatrical release of movies worldwide and to protect exclusive markets, region coding was designed as a method of ensuring discs would be playable only in certain geographical locations.
Region 1: The US, US territories, Canada
Region 2: Europe, Japan, Middle East, Egypt, South Africa, Greenland
Region 3: Taiwan, Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, Hong Kong
Region 4: Mexico, South America, Central America, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Caribbean
Region 5: Russia (former USSR), Eastern Europe, India, most of Africa, North Korea, Mongolia
Region 6: China

What is Region 0?

Also known as ‘Region All’ or ‘Region Free’, Region 0 discs have no geographic restrictions. All Panamint Cinema DVDs are 'Region 0'.

How can I be sure a Panamint Cinema DVD will play on my equipment?

As our DVDs are PAL Region Free they should play on any DVD/TV system compatible with the PAL system. In countries which use the NTSC system you will require a DVD player which is multi-standard, i.e. able to play both NTSC and PAL systems. Please check before ordering as we are unable to replace or refund items which have been ordered in error.

Can I watch DVDs on my PC or laptop?

As our DVDs are all PAL Region Free they should be playable on any PC or laptop worldwide. Most PC monitors are easily able to display PAL or NTSC output, but if you use a ‘TV-Out’ port on your graphics card to pass the signal to a TV set you’ll need an PAL-compatible TV for stable colour playback of PAL discs.