DVD discs around the globe are sold with a different regional coding depending on the area of the world. For example, American discs are region 1 whereas English and Japanese discs are region 2. This is a full list of the different regions Region 0: All areas of the world Region 1: United States and Canada Region 2: Japan, Europe, South Africa, Middle East Region 3: Southeast Asia, East Asia, Hong Kong Region 4: Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Central America, South America, Mexico, Caribbean Region 5: Former Soviet Union, Indian Subcontinent, Africa, North Korea, Mongolia Region 6: China Region 7: Unused Region 8: Special International Venues (e.g. airplanes, cruise ships, etc)
Region coding is how Hollywood studios stagger DVD movie releases across the planet. These codes ensure that one country doesn't get a DVD movie before the same movie is out in that country's theatres. In their corporate omniscience, movie studios have carved the planet into regions with each region having a specific code. All DVD players and discs have region codes. A DVD player and disc must be of the same region or the disc will not play. If you want to watch movies from other countries, you need a multiregion DVD player. This will allow you to play any disc from any region. However, because TV standards differ, you might need a specialized NTSC/ SECAM/ PAL TV or a DVD player that can output any signal to the standard your TV accepts. TechTV