DVD Region Codes
Thursday August 23, 2007
I receive emails from time to time concerning DVD playback. What happens is that people buy DVDs over the Internet from different regions of the world. Most issues are between NTSC and PAL playback.
Unless you have a multi-region DVD player, the DVD won't play. You might think you have a bad disc but the reality is that different regions of the world encrypt the DVD with different types of television signals. Europe (PAL) and the United States (NTSC) are the two most common incompatibilities.
About Guide to Home Theater, Robert Silva, has an article explaining the different region codes and what to look for when buying a DVD. Again, this is especially important if you don't own a multi-region DVD player.