Page 1 of Can anyone help...?

Hi there... I`m about to buy a DVD player, and I need some advice.
I already have a dolby surround setup, but my amp does not decode 5.1 or DTS. This is the main reason I want on-board decoding on whatever DVD player I get. I anticipate that I will only really want to play region 1 DVDs, so an American model might be a possibility. My parents are visiting America very soon and could bring a player back. I realise there are some compatability problems with this. What I want to know is whether or not I can get a decent player from a reputable company like Sony, Yamaha, Pioneer, Toshiba etc that decodes DTS and is multi-region in the UK for 200 pounds?
Alternatively, I am aware that DVD player prices in the US are substantially less than their UK counterparts - less than half price in most cases - so I want to know if my old Sony TV which only has coaxial and scart inputs will play DVDs at all, either from America or the UK. I am a bit shaky on the whole PAL and NTSC issues...
If anyone could make a suggestion I would appreciate it.
Many thanks...

"What I want to know is whether or not I can get a decent player from a reputable company like Sony, Yamaha, Pioneer, Toshiba etc that decodes DTS and is multi-region in the UK for 200 pounds?"

The answer is no, and especially not if you want a decoder built in. You`d need to go up at least another £100 and get one ready-modified or have it modified afterwards.

As to buying a Region 1 player, there are a number of problems.
1. You`d need a step-down transformer as the US power supply is 110 Volts, not 230-250 as it is here.
2. It won`t have Scart sockets as they are a European connection. The Yanks use component video, so you`d have to get a lead made-up.
3. If your Sony TV is old, then the chances are it is PAL only, so you`d need a DVD player that internally converts NTSC to PAL60. There are a number that do, but not American ones. So, if you buy your US player, you`d probably have to buy a new TV. Most of the ones sold today will work with PAL or NTSC signals.