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Bringing a DVD player to Italy

Can I bring a portable USA DVD player to Italy to connect to the tv in the hotel room and watch American dvds?

Posted by
2096 posts

You’ll be in Italy. Why would you want to? Get out and about. What you’ll see will be better than any American DVD.

If your player has HDMI out, chances are the newer TVs should have compatible input. Still The player and DVDs, even in a case is just extra junk to tote around. Use your space for more useful things.

Posted by
1662 posts

Hey westbrook,

How long are you traveling in Italy for? Are you traveling solo and maybe want to fill in some down time at night? If you can account for the extra weight of the player, movies and adapter, then do what makes you happy.

Are you checking a bag too so you can distribute the weights? Put the player & movies in your carry on.

To answer your question, yes, you can bring your own player with you.

If I'm thinking of the correct player, you don't have to necessarily connect it to the TV.

You can charge them and watch about 6 hours worth, depending on movie. Plays DVDs, CD's.

I have a small and a medium size. The ones I'm thinking about/own have a built in screen, and are heavy. Although, I do have the player that you plug into your own television.

Keep in mind about the plug adapter. I would bring two for any electronics (phone) you may be using. Don't forget your charging cords. lol

Personally, I wouldn't bring it to Italy. They're a bit heavy. Lugging movies would add extra weight of course.

In my hotel room in Rome, I had a very nice, newish, TV - there were some news channels to get "American news." Mostly were the Italian channels. Actually, it was fun to listen to them while I got ready either to go out for the day or to go night night.

A couple of suggestions: Do you own a Kindle or Ipad? A Kindle is not that expensive to buy. It can operate like a small PC tablet.

You can have your favorite apps and your browser. You can check your email. It comes with Skype already loaded, or that is what I have with mine. You can bookmark sites you want to visit after looking up the information. You can map out your destination.

So, Kindles are good if you don't know that already.

Some movies on Kindle you can buy for as low as $1.99 and up. It then stays in your "movie library" forever. But, it's always good to check with their customer service to make sure.

With a Kindle (for example), you can watch some of your favorite movies or music videos for free on You Tube.

Check to see if people have uploaded your favs. Some movies may be a little grainy or not good quality because of the copyright issues. But, many, many older movies are on YT to view. And, some are remastered and good viewing quality.

So, without knowing exactly which movies you're interested in, I just gave an example for you to consider.

Hope some suggestions help you.

Posted by
9098 posts

Can I bring a portable USA DVD player to Italy to connect to the tv in the hotel room and watch American dvds?

Unless the player states “multi-standard” in it’s specs, it won’t work. The USA uses the NTSC video format, Europe uses the PAL format. So you won't get a picture.

A better option is to load movies/TV shows onto your smartphone, tablet, or laptop.

Posted by
32171 posts

westbrook,

That's not the most practical solution for a number of reasons......

  • If you pack a DVD player, that means you'll have to haul around a bunch of DVD's as well which would be quite a burden.
  • Is the charger for your DVD player designed for operation on 220VAC electrical systems?
  • You'll be paying thousands of dollars to get to Europe to see Europe, so the logic of sitting in a hotel room watching American movies escapes me?
  • Some hotels may have older generation TV's, which may not have the capability for external connections.
  • As mentioned in an earlier reply, the TV may only be capable of processing PAL format.
Posted by
9098 posts

You'll be paying thousands of dollars to get to Europe to see Europe, so the logic of sitting in a hotel room watching American movies escapes me?

It’s not a travel crime to watch a movie before going to bed after a long day if sightseeing.

Posted by
15041 posts

westbrook7,
You are sooo 1990's.
My wife used to carry her portable DVD player in those years to watch movies on the plane or before going to bed at my parents' house.
Well, it's 2019 now. I suggest you download your movies on your tablet, phone, computer etc. to save space and weight.
And don't think you'll be able to load your DVDs onto the hotel's TV. Assuming they have one, Italian tv sets use the higher def PAL system, so you won't get a picture.

Posted by
7209 posts

A good book weighs less and doesn’t require cables...

Posted by
4756 posts

I'd go blind trying to watch a movie on a phone. A tablet would be better. If you have Netflix you can download certain movies and TV shows that you can later watch offline. I've done this on a couple of trips- sometimes you just want to relax before bedtime and watch something in English, besides the news. It's also a way to pass the time on a long train or bus ride.

Posted by
1662 posts

Well, another thought popped:

Just sitting back in a cafe or wherever "is like watching a movie." I've enjoyed the serenity at times. And, I've also witnessed some comical stuff.

Walking around all day (and night), I would think can make a person really tired. I would turn on the TV at night, but it wouldn't last long. Close eyes and dream...

But again, it's up to the OP or whoever is considering the same when traveling.

Posted by
9098 posts

Seeing as Amazon sells over twenty different models of travel DVD players (https://tinyurl.com/y4racg39) and most of them have the ability to connect to an external TV, there is no reason to believe this to be anything but real. There is obviously is a market for them, people are buying them and transporting them.

Posted by
15677 posts

Hey, the Hubster and I are still using flip phones! 🦖
They're cheap (more $ for going to Europe!) and there's no one we really want to talk to THAT much when we're not home :O)

(We do have an ipad and laptop, though)

Posted by
11027 posts

I don't think it's an "assault", but rather puzzlement that one would go to the expense and bother of going to Italy, and want to bring along a device and movies from home, that can be watched anytime at home.
As one has said, to each their own.

Watching a bit of TV at the end of the day to find out what happened in the world is one thing. Spending 2-3 hours watching a movie.......?

Posted by
9098 posts

There is no law requiring someone to watch an entire movie in one sitting. That’s why chapter marks were invented. Thirty minute sitcoms are also available on DVD.
In any event Mr Rick advises people to “travel as a temporary local”, what do you think most locals are doing 9pm on a weeknight?

Posted by
9098 posts

Reality TV was invented in Europe.
No city anywhere in the world has enough restaurant tables to feed anything but a tiny fraction of its population in any given evening.

Posted by
7737 posts

That's a really good piece by the webmaster here, at the link that Michael Schneider posted. Good to remember.