How to Play Disc with DVD Region Codes for Different Countries

It’s really frustrating to experience DVD region code errors when playing the discs you have purchased overseas. This issue is always happened on the disc with a region code from other countries. Now, to provide you with brief yet rich information about DVD region codes, this post features a discussion about DVD region codes and best ways to free DVD discs from these codes. So, without any further ado, start exploring each of them now!

What is DVD Region Code? How to Figure Out the Disc Region?

DVD region codes are pieces of data that are infused into DVDs. These data are digital rights management (protection) implemented by various film studios, which is applied for protecting them from various authorized distribution/releases of movies in different countries. It gives distributors control over the international distribution of their DVDs containing movies. With these region codes, distributors could prevent illegal copyrights/piracy, control the release dates and prices in different countries, and avoid a significant reduction in revenue.

At the meanwhile, you can’t play those foreign DVDs you purchased because of the region codes. This happens when your DVD player and the DVD don’t share the same region codes. You can easily check the region code from the back of the physical disc, which is imprinted with an image/icon of a globe with a region number in its middle.

Get to Know All about 9 Different DVD Region Codes

There are different region codes for different countries, and here is the detailed list for you to check. Of course, you can find it from the DVD players produced for your country.

• Region 1 - USA and Canada.

• Region 2 - Japan, Middle East, South Africa, and Greenland.

• Region 3 - South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and some parts of Southeast Asia.

• Region 4 - Latin America (including Mexico), Australia, and New Zealand.

• Region 5 - India, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Russia.

• Region 6 - China.

• Region 7 - For unspecified particular use.

• Region 8 - For cruise ships, airlines, and other international venues.

• Region 0/Region ALL - For discs that are uncoded and playable worldwide. However, they can only be played with a PAL and NTSC-compatible unit.

Best Way to Remove DVD Region Code for Easier Playback

The easiest way to play all DVD discs with different region codes is to remove the code restriction with 4Easysoft DVD Ripper. You can use it to rip the protected DVDs to many digital formats, including MP4, MKV, AVI, and more. Thus, you can play them on any devices even without a DVD player. Moreover, there is no worry about the large size of DVDs, since the GPU acceleration feature will enable you to convert a batch of DVDs quickly.

Step 1Launch 4Easysoft DVD Ripper on your Windows/Mac computer and insert the DVD into your computer’s disc driver/external driver. After that, click the "Load DVD" and the "Load DVD Disc" buttons.

Step 2If you only want to watch a part of the DVD movie, click the "Full Title List" button to access and select the desired DVD content. Once done, click the "OK" button to save the settings.

Step 3Afterward, click the "Rip All to" drop-down list and click the "Video" button to select the desired format for removing DVD region code. The recommended format is MP4, which is compatible for all devices.

Step 4You can also set the quality, encoder, and more parameters with the "Custom Profile" button. At last, go back to the main interface, check the audio and subtitles, and click the "Rip All" button.

How to Play All DVD Discs with Region-Free Player

Region-free DVD player can also solve your playback problem! No matter what DVD region code your disc has, 4Easysoft Blu-ray Player can play it smoothly without any restriction. Instead of those expensive DVD players, like Sony BDP-S6700, Panasonic DVD-S700, and Samsung DVD-E360, you can easily use the region-free DVD player on Windows/Mac with the default driver.

Step 1Launch this player for all DVD region codes on Windows/Mac, and click the "Open Disc" button to load the inserted disc.

Step 2After starting playing the DVD disc, you can control the playback by adjusting the speed, volume, screen size, and more. You can also take screenshots easily.

Directly Change the Region Code on DVDs for Your Country

Aside from purchasing a Region Code free DVD player, you can also change the region code so you can play the region code-protected DVD. But, before that, you need to remember that the region code of a DVD can be changed only five times. Here are different steps on Windows/Mac:

Change DVD Region Code on Mac:

Step 1Insert the disc on your Mac’s optical drive. On the dialogue box, select the region code that is the same as your DVD player, and click the "Set Drive Region" button.

Step 2After that, click the "Lock" button at the left corner of the Drive Region window to save the changes you’ve made.

Change DVD Region Code on Windows:

Step 1Insert the "disc" on your computer’s disc driver. Then, press and hold the "Windows" key, and then press the "R" key to access the "Run" program.

Step 2Next, enter the "devmgmt.msc" on the Run’s search bar and click the "OK" button. Then, on the Device Manager window, access the "DVD/CD-ROM drives" option.

Step 3After that, right-click your "Drive" and select the "Properties" option. Then, on a new window, select the "DVD Region" tab, choose your current region, like region 2 DVD. At last, click the "OK" button to save.

Related Articles:

• Seeking DVD Region Information: What DVD Region Is USA?
• Region 0 DVD: What & Why You Can’t Play on New DVD Players!
• Bluray Region: Delve into Blu-ray Region and its Restrictions
• Everything You Need to Know - Does PS4 Support Region 2?