Article: Region Free DVD Player
What is a region free DVD player?
A region free DVD player allows you to play DVDs purchased from any country in the world. For the purposes of global copyright, the world has been divided into a number of region codes. Some DVD players are able to play DVDs from one region code only.
Corporations control the release date, price and content of DVDs in different regions. Consequently, users are unable to access many films that have been released in certain regions only. It is possible to make your current DVD player region free, but most new DVD players, such as High Definition DVD players (HD-DVD) are region free by default. You can purchase region free DVD players from companies such as Sony, Pioneer and Panasonic.
What are regions and why do they exist?
Regions were invented to allow companies to release games in different countries at different times and prices. It is not possible to view a DVD from a different region code unless you alter your DVD player to bypass the regional lockout.
The world regions include:
- Region 1 – Canada, United States
- Region 2 – Europe, Middle east, South Africa, Iceland
- Region 3 – Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan
- Region 4 – Australia, New Zealand, Central America, the Caribbean, Oceania, South America
- Region 5 – Africa, former Soviet Union, Indian subcontinent, Mongolia, North Korea, Seychelles
- Region 6 – Mainland China
Regions were created by corporations so that products could be launched in different countries at different times and costs. Regions increase the revenue from worldwide sales, maintain copyright laws and allow different companies to compete for distribution rights.
Often, films are released first in the United States and Canada, then six months later in Australia and Japan, and a full twelve months later in Europe. If you lived in Europe and were anticipating the release of a DVD in the United States, waiting a full twelve months for the European release would be a great inconvenience.
Can I make my DVD player region free?
It is important to know that all DVD players are different. While some respond to regional coding, others do not. Some DVD players as being region coded are, in fact, region free.
There are some computer programs which will remove region codes from DVDs. All copies made of that DVD will be region free.
Making your DVD player region free can be costly, difficult and illegal. If you have concerns about your DVD player, check its specifications before you attempt to alter it.
Where can I get a region free DVD player?
New DVD players and portable DVD players are often already region free.
The newest High-Definition DVD players have no region coding. HD-DVDs are, however, protected by an Advanced Access Content System (AACS) which allows controls of content distribution and digital rights management. This does not prevent you from viewing a DVD from another region.
DVD players are made by brands around the world such as Pioneer, Samsung, Philips and Sony. You can browse online or at your local retailer.