Region Free DVD Player -- Breaking The Code

A little known fact about DVD players illustrates the worldwide control that video producers have on the marketplace. There are certain “region codes” built into the discs that prohibit them from being played on machines sold in various regions of the world. The rationale behind the use of the codes allows the studios the means to deliver certain DVD releases at varying times. As people have become more mobile in recent years they have taken the video collections with them as they study and work abroad. For that reason they have found that their DVDs cannot be played on some of the local machinery. So, the demand has sparked an underground movement to develop a region free DVD player that gets around the notorious region codes.

DVDs released in the United States, Canada, U.S. territories, and Bermuda are all in Region Code 1.  Region 1 videos provide the best of all programming and offer the special features we have grown accustomed to such as the commentaries made by the directors and some actors.

Region Code 2 through 6 take in all the rest of the world with the higher numbered region codes representing more of the politically closed nations. Region Code 7 is a particular code reserved for future use and is currently in use inside the motion picture industry for pre-release viewing and special copies for the media to review.  Region Code 8 takes in those videos made for use on aircraft, cruise ships, and trains.

Lastly there is a Region Code marked “ALL” which permits the DVD to be used anywhere on any player. Coupled with the “ALL” code there is also a Region Code 0 that permits worldwide viewing, however it is not viewed by the DVD producers as a valid code.

Warner Brothers and Columbia producers have worked hard to restrict the playing of Region Code 1 DVDs from playing on anything but machines produced and sold solely in North America. This practice has come to be known as Region Coding Enhancement (RCE).

So, you might say, “What’s the deal?” Well, the deal may not impact the majority of the citizens of Region Code 1 unless they find themselves stationed overseas and have carried their favorite DVDs with them. It is most likely that if they do not take their DVD player with them they will have a hard time playing their DVDs on any machine sold in that country. That is why you might be interested in finding a region free DVD player to share with anyone you know who will be stationed overseas in the near future.

There are other ways of bypassing the Region Coding dilemma. If you are into code breaking there are websites devoted to this practice. There are machines available also which can be found through a careful search on the Internet.

This author does not advocate the practice of Region Code breaking. I perceive it to be tantamount to breaking copyright laws. The price of portable DVD players is falling every day and if your family member is packing up for his overseas hitch and he is a videophile of the nth degree, get him an inexpensive going-away present so he can enjoy his video collection. Leave the region free DVD player to those who enjoy breaking the law and living their lives looking over their shoulders dealing with black market contraband.