The short answer is yes, region-free DVDs will work on most American DVD players and computer drives. But there are some caveats to be aware of. Keep reading this in-depth guide to unlock the full picture on DVD regions, imported discs, and going region-free.
What are DVD region codes and why do they matter?
Back in the early 2000s when DVDs were taking over from VHS tapes, movie studios introduced region coding as a way to control release schedules and pricing in different parts of the world.
DVD region codes divide the planet into 6 zones:
| DVD Region | Countries |
|---|---|
| Region 1 | United States, Canada, US Territories |
| Region 2 | Europe, Japan, Middle East, South Africa |
| Region 3 | Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, South Korea |
| Region 4 | Latin America, Australia, New Zealand |
| Region 5 | Russia, Eastern Europe, India, Africa |
| Region 6 | China |
Most DVD players and DVD-ROM drives have a region code digitally programmed in. They will only play DVDs encoded for that specific region.
For example, DVD players sold in the US are Region 1. They will reject a disc coded Region 3 meant for Southeast Asian markets.
The aim here is to give studios total control over release schedules and pricing in different markets. They can delay the launch of a new DVD in Europe while it sells at full-price in America.
But from a consumer perspective, DVD regions are a total headache!
They stop you watching discs bought online or on vacation abroad. You miss out on entire catalogs of foreign films not available in the US. And you can‘t make backups of your DVD library to digital formats.
Thankfully there are ways around it…
What does region-free mean and will these DVDs play everywhere?
Region free or region 0 DVDs are not locked to any specific area of the world. In theory, they will work on any DVD player globally. Just pop in a region-free disc from France or China and it will play on your American DVD player.
In reality, it‘s a bit more complex. Some studios try to prevent region-free DVDs working through a system called Regional Coding Enhancement (RCE). It adds an extra layer of encryption that can block region-free discs on newer standalone DVD players.
But generally region-free DVDs work fine. Particularly on older DVD players, Blu-ray players, game consoles, and computer drives which ignore RCE.
Luckily there are lots of region-free DVDs out there:
Many discs made by smaller indie studios are region-free by default.
Big Hollywood studios release certain DVDs as region-free editions. Especially major blockbuster movies they want to sell everywhere.
Online stores like Amazon and eBay offer imported region-free discs. Look for DVDs labeled Region A/1/2/3/4/5/6 or Region Free/Region 0/ALL.
Any DVDs and Blu-rays you burn at home yourself will be region-free.
So it‘s easy to find region-free DVDs both in the US and internationally. They offer a handy way around region coding.
My European DVD won‘t play – why not?
If you try watching a DVD from Europe, Asia or another part of the world on your US player, you‘ll probably see an error message like:
"Wrong region, please check regional coding. This DVD is only for regions 2 and 3."
This happens because your DVD player is Region 1 locked. It refuses to run DVDs encoded for other regions.
To play imported discs on your American DVD player there are a couple of options:
Use a region-free DVD player not limited to Region 1.
Modify your existing DVD player to disable region coding.
I‘ll cover both methods in more detail shortly. But first, let‘s look at why DVD region codes only affect some types of discs…
Do DVD region codes impact every kind of DVD?
The region coding system only applies to DVD-Video discs. These contain commercial movies and TV shows.
Other common DVD formats ignore region codes entirely:
- DVD-ROM – for software, games, applications
- DVD-Audio – for music albums
- DVD-R/DVD+R – user recordable DVDs
- DVD-RW/DVD+RW – rewritable DVDs
- Blu-ray Discs – only has 3 regions (A, B and C)
So any software, music, or blank discs you burn at home will play fine on any DVD player worldwide. Region coding purely affects commercial DVD-Videos.
Making your DVD player region-free
One easy way around DVD region codes is using a region-free DVD player. These ignore region coding and let you watch discs from anywhere.
Major brands like Sony, LG, Samsung, etc. make region-free DVD players. You‘ll find them sold by specialist online import stores. Prices start around $90.
A cheaper option is making an existing DVD player region-free. Many name brand models include hidden firmware commands that disable region coding.
The process varies by model but generally involves:
- Turn on DVD player with no disc inserted
- Press a certain sequence of buttons on the original remote control
- This unlocks the region code – now you can play DVDs from any region
For example, on a Sony DVP-NC875V:
- Power on with no disc
- Press TOP MENU, NEXT, NEXT
- Region free!
You can find unlock codes like this for most major brand DVD players online. Just Google "[model number] region free code".
The only catch is that some cheaper generic DVD players lack this feature. Those models need a hardware modchip installed to disable region coding.
Playing imported DVDs on your computer
Unlike home DVD players, most computer DVD drives are region-free out of the box.
DVD playback software like VLC Media Player ignores region coding. And DVD ripping programs such as DVD Fab Passkey Lite can change your PC drive‘s region up to 5 times.
So the quick, easy way to play discs from any region is on your laptop. Just insert the DVD, install a good media app, and enjoy!
An external USB powered DVD drive also works great. Pop it into any computer with a free USB port. These start at around $20.
For desktop PCs without a DVD drive, grab an external USB model. They slot perfectly into a spare USB port to add DVD playback.
If you don‘t have a DVD drive, don‘t worry! There are other ways to watch region-coded DVDs on a PC…
How to rip region locked DVDs to digital files
Another handy way around DVD regions is ripping discs to digital video files or ISO images.
Specialized software can decrypt and copy region-coded DVDs to your hard drive. You can then play the files or burned backups on any device.
WinX DVD Ripper Platinum is my top pick. It effortlessly rips DVDs from any region to MP4, AVI, ISO and more. Passkey technology defeats region codes and other copy protections.
DVD43 is a good free DVD ripping tool for Windows. It disables region coding when copying DVDs. Though the interface and speeds fall short of premium options like WinX DVD Ripper.
Once you‘ve ripped your DVDs, here are some ways to watch the digital copies:
- Media players – VLC, 5KPlayer, etc.
- Tablets, phones, and TVs – via Plex or DLNA
- Cloud storage – Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.
- Flash drives, external HDDs, discs
- Home media servers like Plex
- Game consoles – Xbox, PlayStation, etc.
So ripping your DVDs makes them region-free. And gives you ways to enjoy the content anywhere, anytime!
Watching imported DVDs on modern smart TVs
Many new TVs no longer include integrated DVD players. So how do you watch region-coded discs on the latest smart TVs?
One easy option is getting an external USB powered DVD drive. Models from LG, ASUS, Dell, and others connect via USB and get power that way.
Just plug into your TV‘s USB port, insert the DVD, and play it using your TV‘s pre-installed media apps. For example, Samsung and LG TVs have excellent movie players built-in.
You can also rip region-locked DVDs on your computer first, then load the digital files onto a USB drive. Pop that into your smart TV‘s USB slot and enjoy your DVDs region-free!
If your TV doesn‘t have good media playback apps, streaming boxes like Roku offer excellent DVD ripping and USB media features.
Are DVDs still worth buying in 2024?
You might be wondering, with all the streaming options today, are DVDs still worth buying in 2024?
In my opinion, yes definitely! Here are some key reasons DVDs are still great:
- Huge back catalog – tons of older films are DVD only
- Insanely cheap prices – often under $5 per movie
- Better bonus features – DVDs include commentaries, making-ofs, etc.
- Reliability – discs don‘t depend on internet access
- Retro collectibility – out-of-print DVDs can be very valuable
- Fun to collect – building a library is rewarding
- Loan or sell later – retain resale value
- Region-free options – imported discs from anywhere
And with DVD players and software that bypass region coding, you can enjoy content from all over the world. So I‘d say DVDs are absolutely still worth buying in 2024 if you know how to go region-free!
Final thoughts on playing DVDs from any region
While DVD region coding seems annoying, there are ways around it:
- Buy a dedicated region-free DVD player
- Use hidden codes to make your DVD player region-free
- Play imported discs on a computer drive or external USB model
- Rip region locked DVDs to digital copies that play anywhere
This lets you unlock a world of content from other countries not available in the US. Definitely still enjoy collecting DVD movies in 2024 and beyond!
I hope you found this guide helpful. Let me know if you have any other questions!
