Region and Code Free DVD Players Explained

Have you ever popped a new DVD into you player and gotten nothing but a message over the TV that read “Region Error?”  Believe it or not there is a simple explanation and no it isn’t you nor is anything wrong with the disk. Actually, a TV from one country and a DVD player from yet another will not always communicate due to pre-set regional codes. Whether you just moved countries, travel constantly for business or an avid traveler, region code free DVD players can make watching any disc from anywhere possible.

Regional Code
Regional codes were created in the USA to control the release of movies all over the world through a locking and number system. The DVD region locking system is what decides which DVDs can be played on which regional DVD players. The regions are:

·         Region one: United States and Canada

·         Region Two: Europe, Japan, Egypt, Greenland, South Africa and the Middle East

·         Region Three: Korea, Hong Kong, Philippines, Taiwan, and Indonesia.

·         Region Four: Australia, New Zealand, Central and South America, Mexico, Pacific Islands, and the Caribbean.

·         Zone Five: Eastern Europe, India, North Korea, Major part of Africa, Mongolia, and Russia

·         Zone six: China.

Regional Differences

Different regions in the world use different standards for both DVD players and TVs. North American countries usually use NTSC, while European and Asian countries prefer the standards of PAL while France uses the older SECAM standards. All this put together can become quite complicated for the viewer, since the right compatibility of local standards with a different instrument is required in each region.

Region-Free DVD Player
A region free DVD player is able to read and play any DVD regardless of the region code standards pre-set by the DVD disc by manufactures. A region free DVD player makes it possible to have any combination of standards work together. If you can’t find a code free player that is made in your country, purchase whichever one you can and then buy foreign plug adapters to fit your home.
Going to the movie theater can be expensive if you go often. If you’re a movie lover, there’s probably nothing that you love more than watching movies in the comfort of your own home. Don’t risk getting the popcorn made just to get an error message when you could just buy a region code free DVD player and never have to worry.