Hi
I need to buy some DVDs from here for my relatives in Germany. I want to know if the DVDs will work in Germany. The DVDs over here say “Region 1”. Is Germany under Region 1 or is it Region 2?
Anybody know?
Thanks
I don't think so. See if you can get 'Region Free' DVD's. Or if your relatives have All Region (multi-system) DVD player.
Will they not even work on a computer?
hmm surprising.. since most software DVD players can be made region free. (Try DVD Genie).. it could be your DVD drive though.
No, I want to buy those Islam DVDs off of PBS for my relatives to take back with them. On the PBS website, they say “Region 1”.
I already have one set of those DVDs for myself, but I can’t even record them onto video and convert them that way as they’ve set the picture of the DVDs to go all wobbly once you try to record it.
Oh well. I’ll tell them to get a multi-system DVD player.
Thanks. 
Correct me if I am wrong, but this Region thing is a software issue and not a hardware issue. So, if you have the right software in your PC, you should be able to play any region's DVD on your PC. Ofcourse you need a DVD drive in your PC.
The geographical regions are as follows:
REGION 1 – USA, Canada
REGION 2 – Japan, Europe, South Africa, Middle East, Greenland
REGION 3 – S.Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Parts of South East Asia
REGION 4 – Australia, New Zealand, Latin America (including Mexico)
REGION 5 – Eastern Europe, Russia, India, Africa
REGION 6 – China
REGION 0 or REGION ALL – Discs are uncoded and can be played Worldwide, however, PAL discs must be played in a PAL-compatible unit and NTSC discs must be played in an NTSC-compatible unit.
Hey Mehnaz, dont worry about it.
Buy those DVD s
Most of the players here in Europe are Region free :)
and for the computer there s a lot of freeware so they can watch on computer aswell :)
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by dutch_paki: *
Most of the players here in Europe are Region free :)
[/QUOTE]
In some countries they call these players "Code Free" instead of "Region Free".
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Umer: *
In some countries they call these players "Code Free" instead of "Region Free".
[/QUOTE]
ahaan :p
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Faisal: *
Correct me if I am wrong, but this Region thing is a software issue and not a hardware issue. So, if you have the right software in your PC, you should be able to play any region's DVD on your PC. Ofcourse you need a DVD drive in your PC.
[/QUOTE]
I think you're wrong :p
Whilst it is true that the software is multi-region, PC DVD drives normally allow the region to be switched up to around 5 times, then lock themselves. Unless you're technically competent enough to know how to modify the software on the DVD drive itself, you then get screwed.
Mehnaz, your best bet woud be to ask around your social circle and find the guy who is a DVD pirate (there is always one). He should be able to make a copy of the DVD (maybe without special features though) but which could be put on a non-region specific DVD and thus played anywhere.
The PAL / NTSC thing could be a problem. I think that DVDs in Canada are NTSC, whereas Europe uses PAL. If you're running the DVD on a PC it shouldn't make a difference though, it would only be a prolem if you are trying to watch it on a TV.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Faisal: *
Correct me if I am wrong, but this Region thing is a software issue and not a hardware issue. So, if you have the right software in your PC, you should be able to play any region's DVD on your PC. Ofcourse you need a DVD drive in your PC.
[/QUOTE]
True, its a software issue. There is a way to patch that though.
As for DVD players, they have an IC inside, that can be changed to make it multi-region. Ofcourse, that would require opening up the thing, desoldering, and putting the new IC back on, and requires a fine tip soldering gun. Its like adding those old style mod-chips to the PS2.