DVD Region Properties

[Oscar]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

Hi-

Most DVDs are encoded for playing in specific regions. I am allowed a limited number of times to change a region for a geographic area. Can anyone explain what this feature is about and how important it is?

I look forward to your reply.

Again, thanks for your help.

 

[bar]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

0 No Region Coding
1 United States of America, Canada
2 Europe, including France, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Arabia, Japan and South Africa
3 Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Borneo and Indonesia
4 Australia and New Zealand, Mexico, the Carribean, and South America
5 India, Africa, Russia and former USSR countries
6 Peoples Republic of China
7 Unused
8 Airlines/Cruise Ships


Now why did they dream this up and who are they.

They are the Movie Producers and or Publishers.

Why? Because when a movie is released, it is not generally released simultaneously in all countries and indeed may not be released in a particular region.

Obviously coding a DVD and thus the general home theatre DVD player will prevent someone getting hold of another region's DVD and playing it in their's.

It simply a control issue.

In Australia the ACCC deemed region coding unlawful and uncompetitive and thus all home theatre DVD players have to be free of the restriction. Sadly it cannot roll over to the Software DVD players that are distributed with PCs.

So as far as a PC is concerned the region coding is only enforced through the programming of the player [eg WinDVD].

 

[chrism]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware (More info?)

DVDs are as you say regionally encoded. It is somthing like USA, Europe,
Australia/NZ, Asia. Not sure if that is all the regions, but you get the
idea.

Only movie DVDs have this (and not all of them, though most do). It doesn't
apply to DVD-R or software etc. (as far as I know...)

Once you have used up all your 'changes' your player will become 'locked'
into the last one, and you will only be able to play movie DVDs from that
region.

Note: Many DVD players/drives can be 'unlocked' so you are free to changes
regions as much as you like.
Do a Google search for your make and model and multiregion and you might be
able to find some instructions to do this.

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=DVD+multiregion

Cheers,

ChrisM

"Oscar" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:457B77F7-5813-491E-ABD8-F99E8007670C@microsoft.com...
> Hi-
>
> Most DVDs are encoded for playing in specific regions. I am allowed a
limited number of times to change a region for a geographic area. Can
anyone explain what this feature is about and how important it is?
>
> I look forward to your reply.
>
> Again, thanks for your help.