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DVD region code

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"Region 1=E2=80=938" redirects here. For the ITU = regions, see International=20 Telecommunication Union region.

This article has multiple = issues.=20 Please help improve the article or discuss these issues = on the=20 talk=20 page.

It needs additional references= =20 or sources for verificatio= n.=20 Tagged since June 2009.=20
It may require general cleanup = to=20 meet Wikipedia's quality=20 standards. Tagged since March 2009.=20

=20

DVD Regions

DVD region codes are a DRM = technique=20 designed to allow motion picture = studios to=20 control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and = price,=20 according to the region. DVD video discs may be = encoded with=20 a region code restricting the area of the world in which they can = be=20 played.

The commercial DVD player = specification=20 requires that a player to be sold in a given place not play discs = encoded for a=20 different region, however region-free DVD players are also = commercially=20 available.^[=
1]=20 There are six different official regions and two informal variations. = DVD discs=20 may use one code, a combination of codes (Multi-Region), most codes = (Region 0)=20 or every code/no codes (Region All). In addition, many DVD players can = be=20 modified to be region-free, allowing playback of all discs.[= 2]

1 Region codes = and=20 countries=20
2 Region Code=20 Enhanced=20
3 Purpose=20
- 3.1 PAL/SECAM = vs.=20 NTSC
4 Implementations = of region=20 codes=20
- 4.1 Standalone = DVD=20 players=20
- 4.2 Computer = DVD=20 drives=20
- 4.3 Software = DVD=20 players=20
- 4.4 DVD = Discs=20
5 Blu-ray Disc = Region=20 Codes=20
6 Criticism and = Legal=20 Concerns=20
7 See = also=20
8 References=20
9 External = links=20

[edit]=20 Region codes = and=20 countries

Region code Area 0 Informal term meaning "worldwide". Region 0 is not an official=20 setting; discs that bear the region 0 symbol either have no flag = set or=20 have region 1=E2=80=936 flags set. 1 Canada,=20 United = States; U.= S.=20 territories; Bermuda 2 Europe=20 (except Russia, Ukraine and Belarus); Middle=20 East; Egypt; Japan, South = Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho; French = overseas territories; Greenland 3 Southeast = Asia; South=20 Korea; Taiwan; Hong=20 Kong; Macau 4 Mexico;=20 Central = and South = America; Caribbean; Australia; New=20 Zealand; Oceania 5 Ukraine; Belarus; Russia; Africa (except Egypt, South = Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho and=20 French = overseas territories); Central and = South=20 Asia; Mongolia; North=20 Korea 6 People= 's=20 Republic of China; Hong = Kong 7 Reserved for future use (found in use on protected screener copies = of MPAA-related DVDs = and "media=20 copies" of pre-releases in Asia) 8 International venues such as aircraft, cruise=20 ships, etc.^[3] ALL Region ALL discs have all 8 flags set, allowing the disc to be = played=20 in any locale on any player.

DVDs sold in the Baltic States = use both=20 region 2 and 5 codes. DVDs sold in Japan use the region 2 code, while = Macau and=20 Taiwan use the region 3 code. Hong Kong has historically used Region 3 = and has=20 added region 6 since the reunification, now using both.
Region 0 = (playable in=20 all regions, except 7/8) is widely used by China, and the Philippines. = DVDs in=20 Latin=20 America with the Spanish use = both the=20 region 1 and region 4 codes. Most DVDs in India combine the region 2, = region 4,=20 and region 5 codes; Indian Disney = discs=20 contain only the region 3 code.

European region 2 DVDs may be sub-coded "D1" to "D4". "D1" are United=20 Kingdom=E2=80=93only releases; "D2" and "D3" are not sold in the UK = and Ireland; = "D4" are=20 distributed throughout Europe.

Any combination of regions can be applied to a single disc. For = example, a=20 DVD designated Region 2/4 is suitable for playback in Western Europe, = Oceania,=20 and any other Region 2 or Region 4 area. So-called "Region 0" and "ALL" = discs=20 are meant to be playable worldwide.

The term "Region 0" also describes the DVD players designed or = modified to=20 incorporate Regions 1=E2=80=936, thereby providing compatibility with = most discs,=20 regardless of region. This apparent solution was popular in the early = days of=20 the DVD format, but studios quickly responded by adjusting discs to = refuse to=20 play in such machines. This system is known as "Regional Coding=20 Enhancement".^[3]=20 In turn, Region Free players have all 8 flags set, similar to Region ALL = DVDs.=20 Many also include RCE breaks, to skip repeating menus or bypass static=20 images.

[edit]=20 Region Code = Enhanced

Also known as just "RCE" or "REA",^[3]=20 this was a retroactive attempt to prevent the playing of one region's = discs in=20 another region, even if the disc was played in a region free player. The = scheme=20 was deployed on only a handful of discs. The disc contained the main = program=20 material region coded as region 1. But it also contained a short video = loop of a=20 map of the world showing the regions, which was coded as region 2, 3, 4, = 5, and=20 6. The intention was that when the disc was played in a non-region 1 = player, the=20 player would default to playing the material for its native region. This = played=20 the aforementioned video loop of a map, which was impossible to escape = from, as=20 the user controls were disabled.

However, it is easy to work around the scheme. A region-free player = tries to=20 play a disc using the last region that worked with the previously = inserted disc.=20 If it cannot play the disc, then it tries another region until one is = found that=20 works. RCE could thus be defeated by briefly playing a "normal" region 1 = disc,=20 and then inserting the RCE protected region 1 disc, which would now = play. RCE=20 caused a few problems with genuine region 1 players.

As of 2007^[update], many "multi-region" DVD players = defeat regional=20 lockout and RCE by automatically identifying and matching a disc's = region code=20 and/or allowing the user to manually select a particular region.[= 4][= 5]=20 Some manufacturers of DVD players now freely supply information on how = to=20 disable regional lockout, and on some recent models, it appears to be = disabled=20 by default.^[=
6][= 7]=20 Programs such as DVD Shrink are also = capable=20 of removing RCE protection, provided the operator knows what the region = of the=20 disc actually is. If the region is specified correctly, the copy will = play in=20 any region.

[edit]=20 Purpose

This section does not cite = any=20 references = or=20 sources.
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable= =20 sources. Unsourced material may be challenged= =20 and removed.=20 (March 2009)

There are many purposes that region coding can achieve, but the = primary one=20 is price=20 discrimination, i.e., allowing the manufacturer to demand a higher = or lower=20 price depending on what the market will allow. = There is great=20 disparity among the regions of the world in how much a person is willing = to pay=20 for a DVD. Price discrimination is especially applicable to DVDs, as the = marginal=20 cost of selling one DVD is relatively small, allowing the seller a = great=20 deal of flexibility in pricing.

Another purpose is controlling release dates. One of the traditions = of movie=20 marketing that the advent of home video threatened is the practice of = releasing=20 a movie (to theaters) later in some countries than in others. Video = tapes were=20 essentially regional anyway, since video tape formats had to match those = of the=20 encoding system used by television stations in that particular region, = such as=20 NTSC and = PAL. DVDs are less = restricted in=20 this sense, and region coding allows movie studios to better control the = global=20 release dates DVDs.

[edit]=20 PAL/SECAM vs. = NTSC

DVDs are also formatted for use on two conflicting regional = television=20 systems: 525/60 (NTSC) or 625/50 (PAL/SECAM). NTSC is the TV format used = in=20 Canada, Japan, Mexico, Philippines, Taiwan, United States, and other = countries.=20 PAL is the TV format used in most of Europe, most of Africa, China, = India,=20 Australia, New Zealand, Israel, North Korea, and other countries. Some = DVD=20 players only play NTSC or PAL discs, while others can play both = standards.[= 8]

In general, it is easier for consumers in PAL countries to view NTSC = DVDs=20 than vice versa. Almost all DVD players sold in PAL countries play both = kinds of=20 discs, and most modern PAL TVs can handle the converted signal. However, = most=20 NTSC players can't play PAL discs, and most NTSC TVs don't work with PAL = video.=20 Those in NTSC countries, such as in North America, generally require = both a=20 multi-standard player and television to view PAL discs, or a converter = box.=20 There are also differences in pixel aspect ratio (720x480 vs. 720x576), = display=20 frame rate (29.97 vs. 25), and surround audio options (Dolby Digital vs. = MPEG=20 audio). Again, NTSC discs (with Dolby Digital audio) play on over 95% of = DVD=20 systems worldwide, while PAL discs play on very few players outside of = PAL=20 countries.^[=
9]

Most DVD PC software and hardware can play both NTSC and PAL video = and both=20 audio standards.^[=
10]

[edit]=20 Implementations of=20 region codes

[edit]=20 Standalone DVD=20 players

Usually a configuration flag is set in each player's firmware at the = factory. This=20 flag holds the region number that the machine is allowed to play. = Region-free=20 players are DVD players shipped without the ability to enforce regional = lockout=20 (usually by means of a chip that ignores any region coding), or without = this=20 flag set.

However, if the player is not region-free, it can often be unlocked = with an=20 unlock code entered via the remote control. = This code=20 simply allows the user to change the factory-set configuration flag to = another=20 region, or to the special region "0". Once unlocked this way, the DVD = player=20 allows the owner to watch DVDs from any region. Many websites exist on = the=20 Internet offering these codes, often known informally as hacks. = Many=20 websites provide instructions for different models of standalone DVD = players, to=20 hack, and their factory codes.

[edit]=20 Computer DVD = drives

Older DVD drives use RPC-1 ("Regional = Playback=20 Control") firmware, which means the drive allows DVDs from any region to = play.=20 Newer drives use RPC-2 firmware, which = enforces the=20 DVD region coding at the hardware level. These drives can often be = reflashed or=20 hacked with RPC-1 firmware, effectively making the drive region-free. = However,=20 this usually voids the warranty.^=
[11]

In most computer drives, users are allowed to change the region code = (i.e.=20 change region code) up to five times.^=
[12]=20 However, if the number of allowances reaches zero, the region last used = will be=20 permanent even if the drive is transferred to another computer. This = limit is=20 built into the drive's controller software, called firmware. Resetting = the=20 firmware count can be done with first- or third-part software tools, or = by=20 reflashing (see above) to RPC-1 firmware

[edit]=20 Software DVD = players

Most freeware and open=20 source DVD players, such as VLC, ignore = region=20 coding. Most commercial players are locked to a region code, but can be = easily=20 changed with software.

Other software, known as DVD region killers, transparently remove (or = hide)=20 the DVD region code from the software player. Some can also work around = locked=20 RPC-2 firmware.

[edit]=20 DVD Discs

One can circumvent the region coding of a DVD disc by burning a copy = that=20 adds flags for all region codes, creating an all-region DVD. DVD backup = software=20 can do this, and can usually remove Macrovision, CSS, = and disabled= user=20 operations (UOPs) as well.

In common region-locked DVDs (not in RCE-DVDs), the region = code is=20 stored in the file "VIDEO_TS.IFO" (table "VMGM_MAT"), byte offset 35 = decimal=20 (23 hex).

A "really" region-free (for "pseudo-region-free," see below) or an=20 RCE-protected DVD has the value 0 / 00.

Here are the values of the Regions (decimal / hexadecimal):

"Pseudo-region-free" (Regions 1-6 are supported, but Region 7 and / = or Region=20 8 are not):

R1-R6: 192 / C0, R1-R7: 128 / 80, and R1-R6+R8: = 64 /=20 40,

Regions:

R1: 254 / FE, R2: 253 / FD, R3: 251 / FB, = R4: 247=20 / F7, R5: 239 / EF, R6: 223 / DF, R7: 191 / BF, and = R8: 127 / 7F

DVDs made for more than one Region have other values, e.g. a = DVD for=20 Regions 1 and 4 has 246 / F6, one for Regions 2 and 4 has 245 / F5, one = for=20 Regions 2 and 5 has 237 / ED.

The RCE protection can be hidden in all .IFO files. It is in one or = several=20 PGC's as PRE-command.

[edit]=20 Blu-ray Disc = Region=20 Codes

Main Article-Blu-ray = Region=20 codes

Blu-ray Disc uses = a much=20 simpler region code system than DVD with only 3 regions, labelled 'A', = 'B' and=20 'C'.

Region A includes most North, Central and South American and = Southeast=20 Asian countries plus Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and Korea.=20
Region B includes most European, African and southwest Asian = countries=20 plus Australia and New Zealand.=20
Region C contains the remaining central and south Asian countries, = as well=20 as China and Russia.

[edit]=20 Criticism = and Legal=20 Concerns

Region code enforcement has been discussed as a possible violation of World = Trade=20 Organization free trade = agreements or competition = law.= [13]=20 The Australian=20 Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has warned that DVD = players that=20 enforce region coding may violate their Trade = Practices=20 Act.^=
[14]= [15]= [16]=20 Under New=20 Zealand copyright law, DVD region codes and the mechanisms in DVD = players to=20 enforce them have no legal protection.^=
[17]=20 The practice has also been criticized by the European=20 Commission^=
[18]=20 which is currently investigating whether the resulting price = discrimination=20 amounts to a violation of EU competition law.^=
[19]

The Washington = Post has=20 highlighted how DVD region coding has been a major inconvenience for = frequent=20 travelers, students of foreign languages, immigrants who want to watch = films=20 from their homeland and foreign film enthusiasts.^=
[20]=20 Another criticism is that region coding allows for local censorship. For = example, the Region 1 DVD of Stanley = Kubrick=E2=80=99s Eyes=20 Wide Shut contains the digital manipulations necessary for the = film to=20 secure an MPAA R-rating, whereas these manipulations are not evident in=20 non-Region 1 discs.^=
[21]

In March 2009, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown = received a=20 "wrong region" message on a screen when attempting to watch a DVD set of = classic=20 American movies received as a diplomatic gift from US President Barack=20 Obama.^=
[22]=20 On Feb. 7, 2001, NASA=20 sent two multiregion DVD players to the International Space Station.^=
[23]

[edit]=20 See also

[edit]=20 References

^ Breaking Down DVD Borders, Washington Post, June 1, = 2001.=20
^ DVD FAQ: DVD utilities and region-free information=20
^ a=20 b=20 c=20 Regional Coding Enhancement FAQ from DVD Talk=20
^ RCE/REA Info=20
^ Regional Code Enhancement=20
^ "Cheap DVD players come at a cost". The = Sydney=20 Morning Herald. 2007-05-28. http://www.smh.com.au/news/reviews/cheap-dvd-players-come-= at-a-cost/2007/05/26/1179601725641.html. Retrieved = 2007-08-22. =20
^ "The DVD doctors". The Tribal Mind (The = Sydney=20 Morning Herald). 2005-03-30. http://www.smh.com.au/news/The-Tribal-Mind/The-DVD-doctors= /2005/03/29/1111862384019.html. Retrieved = 2007-08-22. =20
^ DVD FAQ: Is DVD Video a Worldwide Standard? Does it = Work with=20 NTSC, PAL and SECAM?=20
^ DVD FAQ: Is DVD Video a Worldwide Standard? Does it = Work with=20 NTSC, PAL and SECAM?=20
^ DVD FAQ: Is DVD Video a Worldwide Standard? Does it = Work with=20 NTSC, PAL and SECAM?=20
^ Doom9 on RPC1.=20
^=20 "Rulemaking hearing: Exemptions from prohibitions on=20 circumvention of technological measures that control access to = copyrighted=20 works". 15 May 2003. pp. 287 line 18. = http://www.copyright.gov/1201/2003/hearings/transcript-may= 15.pdf. Retrieved 1 June = 2009. =20
^ Openlaw DVD FAQ=20
^ "Restricting DVD's illegal: ACCC" The Australian = IT.=20 March 27, 2001. Retrieved May 11, 2006.=20
^ "Consumers in dark about DVD imports: ACCC".=20
^ "Difficulties between the pro-competitive community and=20 Intellectual Property" (note: open one of the attachments and = search for=20 "RPC" to find the relevant section).=20
^ Copyright Act 1994 No 143 (as at 01 December 2008) = section 226=20 part b.=20
^ Keeping Downward Pressure on Consumer Prices - EU Press = Release=20
^ Probes into Regional DVD Imperils Studio Strategy, = Paul=20 Sweeting, Variety, June 3, 2001.=20
^ Breaking Down DVD Borders, Washington Post, June 1, = 2001.=20
^ Closed Borders and Open Secrets: Regional Lockout, the = Film=20 Industry and Code-Free DVD Players, Brian Hu, Mediascape: Journal = of=20 Cinema and Media Studies, Vol. 1, No. 2=20
^=20 March 18, 2009 Gordon Brown is frustrated by 'Psycho' in No 10 = Walker, Tim.=20 The Daily=20 Telegraph=20
^ http://www.dvddemystified.com/dvdfaq.html#1.10 DVD = FAQ: What=20 are "regional codes," "country codes" or "zone locks"? =

[edit]=20 External links

DVD region information with regards to RCE from = Home Theater=20 Info=20
Region Coding - Explanations & Help from The = DVDCodes=20 Source

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia= .org/wiki/DVD_region_code"

Categories: = = Digital=20 rights management | DVD | = Self-censo= rship

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