DVD / Blu-ray disc not playing - region code error?

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OnceBitten

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#293172 3-Jan-2022 21:15

Ok so my wife bought me a Music DVD for my birthday way back in November - I have the original on Video, but the DVD is remastered and has additional features / interviews and live footage.

I just tried to play it earlier and got an error message on the TV screen "playback prohibited by region code"

does anyone know what this means - our blu-ray player is Sony and only 4-5 years old and plays all our other DVD's / Blu-ray discs fine

I put the DVD into our 2012 MacBook and it came up on the screen and played no problems, but not on the Sony Blu-ray player

why would this be? - and is there anything I can do (settings on the Sony?) to get the DVD to play on our blu-ray player?

I'd much rather listen to the DVD through the home theatre system than the little speakers connected to the MacBook

any advice would be greatly appreciated

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#2842573 3-Jan-2022 21:34

Does the DVD case have a region code printed inside a small circle?

Rikkitic

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#2842574 3-Jan-2022 21:36

Where did your wife buy the DVD? Sounds to me like it is locked to a different region. Here is a link that explains it. If you have the right software, it is not difficult to get around this, but there is no simple adjustment you can make. Check the DVD to see what region(s) it is valid for.

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OnceBitten

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#2842605 3-Jan-2022 22:36

gzt: Does the DVD case have a region code printed inside a small circle?

no it doesn't sorry... in small print on the back of the cover it says 'playback requires the use of a DTS decoder'

and it just says DVD Video with the numbers 12103 on the side - I don't know if that's helpful or not

We bought the DVD off Trade me and I never thought to ask if there were any issues with it

this is the first time I've heard about a 'region code' for a DVD

Rikkitic

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#2842608 3-Jan-2022 22:44

Is this a commercial DVD or could it be a pirate copy? If it is the real thing, it ought to say somewhere what regions it is good for.

Region codes are a rip-off of the copyright mafia. To increase their profits, they have divided the world into different regions and artificially limited which DVDs can be played where. This is intended to prevent consumers from parallel importing DVDs from other parts of the world. Normally you wouldn't notice it because DVDs purchased in New Zealand are coded for this region so they just play.

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nitro

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#2842620 3-Jan-2022 23:57

OnceBitten:

this is the first time I've heard about a 'region code' for a DVD

i take it you've never bought dvds overseas before? they've always been 'region-coded'.

pioneers and panasonics can easily be made region-free... not sure about sony.

OnceBitten

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#2842625 4-Jan-2022 00:51

Rikkitic:
Is this a commercial DVD or could it be a pirate copy? If it is the real thing, it ought to say somewhere what regions it is good for.

Region codes are a rip-off of the copyright mafia. To increase their profits, they have divided the world into different regions and artificially limited which DVDs can be played where. This is intended to prevent consumers from parallel importing DVDs from other parts of the world. Normally you wouldn't notice it because DVDs purchased in New Zealand are coded for this region so they just play.

Thanks - this is a genuine commercial DVD that was purchased on Trade Me
I had a good look on the DVD box and can’t see anything about regions
I don’t understand why it would play on the MacBook though

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eracode

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#2842631 4-Jan-2022 03:10

nitro:

pioneers and panasonics can easily be made region-free... not sure about sony.

I have no direct knowledge or experience with this but just googled and quickly found:

https://www.techwalla.com/articles/how-to-change-the-region-code-on-a-dvd-for-a-sony-blu-ray

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

Bung

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#2842715 4-Jan-2022 07:51

It used to be quite common for some DVDs from The Warehouse to be parallel imported Region 2. I've looked at a few DVD cases here and the most common marking is a small elliptical projection of the world map with the region number in the middle and PAL underneath. Presumably US Region 1 discs would have NTSC.

SJB

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#2842895 4-Jan-2022 09:28

OnceBitten:

I don’t understand why it would play on the MacBook though

Software players can choose to ignore the region code.

Ge0rge

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#2842898 4-Jan-2022 09:31

Random question - could you not just hook your mac up to you home theatre, thus dodging the tinny speakers and the region code problem at the same time?

Movieman

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#2843019 4-Jan-2022 11:36

In the early days of DVD, I imported many discs from the US. Most of their releases were Region 1, and wouldn't play in NZ players (Region 4). However some discs were Region 0, which played on all players in all regions. I had access to a website which listed all discs that were Region 0, and these were the ones that I imported to sell on Trade Me. It was a good way to fund my personal purchases, as DVD was expensive in the early days, and such a revelation compared to VHS/Beta Video players/recorders.

To answer your question. Its 99% likely that your disc is from another region. The seller may not have realised, because he may have had a region free player which were/are available. I had a Pioneer region free player that I imported from Hong Kong, and it served me well over the years. I later bought a Sony model in NZ, which was region free out of the box. A good electronics company will probably be able to make your player region free, depending on the make/model.

Coding is a tool to protect copyright and film distribution rights. This is because movies are sometimes released in theaters in different parts of the world at various times throughout the year. A summer blockbuster in the U.S. may end up being the Christmas blockbuster overseas. If that occurs, the movie's DVD version may be out in the U.S. while it is still showing in theaters in another region. Also, copyright is not the same in every country, so by limiting DVDs by region, it also protects the copyright holder.

Most newer players are PAL/NTSC compatible.

FYI

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 7: Reserved for unspecified special use.
Region 8: Reserved for cruise ships, airlines, and other international venues.
Region 0 or Region ALL: Discs are uncoded and can be played worldwide. However, you must play PAL discs in a PAL-compatible unit and NTSC discs in an NTSC-compatible unit.

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gzt

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#2843047 4-Jan-2022 13:10

Can you take a look at your other DVDs and see what regions you have?

I've seen 1,2,4 and 0 sold in NZ retail. If you have DVDs from all 1,2,4 working in your player? then there's something very odd about the new disc.

old3eyes

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#2843051 4-Jan-2022 13:29

nitro:

OnceBitten:

this is the first time I've heard about a 'region code' for a DVD

i take it you've never bought dvds overseas before? they've always been 'region-coded'.

pioneers and panasonics can easily be made region-free... not sure about sony.

My current Blu Ray / DVD player is a Sony and was made DVD region free by a Sony repair shop in south Auckland at the suggestion of Sony. This would have been about 2012.

Regards,

Old3eyes

Bung

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#2843058 4-Jan-2022 13:43

Movieman:
In the early days of DVD, I imported many discs from the US. Most of their releases were Region 1, and wouldn't play in NZ players (Region 4). However some discs were Region 0, which played on all players in all regions. I had access to a website which listed all discs that were Region 0, and these were the ones that I imported to sell on Trade Me. It was a good way to fund my personal purchases, as DVD was expensive in the early days, and such a revelation compared to VHS/Beta Video players/recorders.

AFAIK TM have stopped that by requiring all content to have NZ classification.

"You may only list movies and games if they carry the correct New Zealand classification sticker. When listing such items, you must include in your listing the New Zealand classification rating and all information on the classification label. Additionally any photos you upload must prominently display the appropriate New Zealand classification rating."

nitro

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#2843066 4-Jan-2022 14:08

eracode:

I have no direct knowledge or experience with this but just googled and quickly found:

https://www.techwalla.com/articles/how-to-change-the-region-code-on-a-dvd-for-a-sony-blu-ray

that seems easy enough (easier than panasonic!) for @OnceBitten to try...

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