I will be moving to New Zealand soon and am going to buy a laptop system rather than take my HP desktop. Most new laptops include a dvd player with the system. Do computer DVD players play all of the codes for individual DVD's? Can the computer (with DVD) be hooked up to a television? Finally, will the Astros ever wake up? Whoops..no one can answer that last question! Thanks in advance....
I think it depends on the player..... If yours doesn't, then I'm sure someone probably has a hack out there somewhere to modify it. If you have the right video card.... The card in my desktop has a tv input & output, but I've never seen a loptop with that capability. Scope out the ati.com site...see if they have anything. Maybe when hell freezes over....
You have a few things to consider, and I think you will have to contact the DVD player and video card manufacturer. When I just got my new IBM laptop, the first time I played a DVD, it asked me if I wanted to change the Region code, and told me that I couldonly change it 6 times total. You need to check whether a) Your DVD will do the same b) Is there a hackout there which will make it region code free Next thing is the TV out. My laptop has an S-Video out, so you would need an S Video IN in your TV or VCR in New Zealand. Some laptops come with RCA TV out which is probably better for yourt purposes. Remember that when hooking your laptop up to a TV to watch TV, you will be limited to the laptops soound, unless you have a way of hooking audio up as well. Final thing is the TV system. New Zealand operates under the PAL system of TV while USA is NTSC, and they are not compatible. You need to either:- a) Get a DVD player/Video card that will play and output in both (possible) b) Get a multisystem TV and VCR that can accept both. This could cause problems if you intend to play both NZ and US sourced DVDs on your laptop. Apologies if you already know this. Why the heck are you moving to New Zealand? If you are going that far, you might as well go to somewhere worthwhile like Australia.
I have an hp laptop with dvd/cdr combo drive and I have had NO PROBLEMS at all in playing movies/dvd-ROM/cdv/anything at all. I have used it to rip dvd's, save as cdv's, and watch those as well. For what its worth. clm
It's actually Elvis' fiancee here. Clearly I must come to the defence of my country, so cruelly (if jokingly) maligned by davo: "Why the heck are you moving to New Zealand? If you are going that far, you might as well go to somewhere worthwhile like Australia." Yes, we'd rather live in a giant brown desert populated with a vast array of lame pub bands, speedo wearers, and poisonous snakes (a genus which sadly includes the cricket team). And later, some Aussie bloke who likes Red Dwarf: "Especially considering all New Zealanders end up moving to Sydney and living at Bondi." And all Australians move to London and roam in wild packs throughout Shepherd's Bush. OK, back to your regularly scheduled testosterone. Danielle
