The Region Code

[Brendan M.]

I just came back home from the library, and the asian film section of the DVDs are all from different regions and I checked one out simply out of curiosity. I use my PS2 for watching DVDs in my room. The Region code on the DVD is 6 (China). Didn't work on that, but it works PERFECTLY FINE on my computer when I play it on RealPlayer. Plus it has english subtitles in the setup. Its great.

So what's the big fuss about region codes and having to buy a regionless DVD player? I never did anything on my computer to set it up like this. I plan on looking for more out of region DVDs that are unavailable in the US now that I've made this discovery.

[The Postmaster General]

So what's the big fuss about region codes and having to buy a regionless DVD player?


"Okay, I'm showing an asian film marathon tonight at my house. Now I just need to figure out how to crowd everyone into my office."

[TheHutch23]

You don't need to buy a dvd player specifically designed and advertised as being region-free. Region coding is just that, a code in the machine's software. Every player has it's own keycode through the remote that will make it play all regions. Case in point: My standard Toshiba dvd player graciously accepts my Korean cinema.

[Brendan M.]

"Okay, I'm showing an asian film marathon tonight at my house. Now I just need to figure out how to crowd everyone into my office."

If you have a DVD burner, I'm sure ripping it and burning it would be no problem. I've always been told that I need a regionless player in order to watch DVDs released in other countries. Now I've discovered I don't. I've been wasting my time and turning down good offers from people under this belief.

[The Postmaster General]

If you have a DVD burner, I'm sure ripping it and burning it would be no problem. I've always been told that I need a regionless player in order to watch DVDs released in other countries. Now I've discovered I don't. I've been wasting my time and turning down good offers from people under this belief.



My point is that the Average Joe wants the convenience of having everything ready to play and present. That's why Apple TV and microsoft media centers sell millions of units. You can also rip and burn YouTube videos, but not everyone feels like waiting for shit to rip, recompress and burn. You could also buy a DVI-video adapter and hook the computer up to the TV, but not everyone wants wires running through their house. You could get Apple TV, but that costs more than a regionless player. You could download the file from a torrent to play on your DVD player, but that's lame. There's probably a dozen ways to get images from the computer to your TV.

What you are talking about doing converting a region disc to play on your DVD player would probably end up being at least a 5 hour process even on a really fast computer. That doesn't even take into account that it's rarer than not for people to have the knowledge on how and what they need to do. Not everyone feels like scouring message boards to learn this stuff, and even if they did - Me, someone who knows how to do it... I don't feel like going through a process every time I want to watch a movie outside sitting in front of my computer monitor.

What you are asking is like asking why iPods sell so well when everyone could just record all their music onto a cassette or burn it to a CD and use their old Walkman headsets... It just doesn't happen.

[Brendan M.]

I don't plan on burning them anyway. See, I was told that it would be IMPOSSIBLE to watch a different region DVD without a regionless player but it's not 100% true. I'm okay with watching hard to find movies only on the computer.

[The Postmaster General]

Ah.... I think I see what's going on here... maybe...

The DVD drive in your computer is regionless. It's not a workaround or anything. Not all drives are regionless, but you can "flash" them to change the firmware and have them play any region -- the same as with shelf top players. It sounds like you might have gotten lucky and already got yours region free.

?

It is cool, I wasn't trying to deny that - I was just explaining why watching it on the computer won't be good enough for most people. That's changing though, I think, now with HDTVs that are just basically giant computer monitors. I'm pretty sure in the coming years, home theater systems and computers are going to integrate more and more to the point where every system is a computer. For the life of me, I don't understand why people shell out so much for players, stereos and the sort, when you could get a MacMini and be all set, but it goes back to the interface there.

It'll happen though.

[53rdand3rd]

I bought my first R2 DVD after finding out VLC Media Player (which is a free download) plays DVDs from all regions. It's not my DVD-Rom Drive, because Windows Media Center gives me a region error. I think it depends on the software you're running it on.

I still bought a region free player 2 Christmases ago, and I can't imagine looking back. I mean, sure, I could still just watch them on my computer monitor, but sitting down and watching movies on my home theater system that are unavailable in North America is highly satisfying.

[DarthWade]

Why are there region codes anyways? I know different markets sometimes have different versions of the same movie, but I've wondered what the big deal is about this. Why can't DVDs be "universal"?:confused:

[Brendan M.]

Why are there region codes anyways? I know different markets sometimes have different versions of the same movie, but I've wondered what the big deal is about this. Why can't DVDs be "universal"?:confused:

I guess some of the distribution companies are different in other countries. And then there is the fact that some movies are released in theaters while the DVDs are already being released on DVD.

It's not my DVD-Rom Drive, because Windows Media Center gives me a region error.

The movie works on both real player and my computer's regular DVD player. I don't care what it is, I'm just excited by the fact that it works.

[The Postmaster General]

I bought my first R2 DVD after finding out VLC Media Player (which is a free download) plays DVDs from all regions. It's not my DVD-Rom Drive, because Windows Media Center gives me a region error. I think it depends on the software you're running it on.



I really thought it depends on the drive you have. Starting in 2000, all region coding went from being handled through the OS, to being handled within the hardware. Even if you had a drive that played any region, you would still need software that could play any region. That's why Windows Media Center gives you a region error.

Do you know the history of your DVD drive?




Sorry for this Brendan, but this is turned into something of a mystery for me. I need answers!

[Brendan M.]

I don't know if it'll help, but this is the kind of computer I own:

http://www.emachines.com/products/products.html?prod=T3120

[The Postmaster General]

Is there any way you can see the actual model of the drive, like in a system profiler thing or something? I don't want you to have to pop the case open, but there should be someway to check through the OS.

I hate when I go on these detective hunts to give myself peace of mind about something like this. I just want to know the truth! I can handle it!! :D

What I'm looking at it seems there are some drives that might be able to workaround, and some not... That makes sense, because it's the same case with DVD players where some you can reset, while others you can't.