# DVD player region/zone change: Is there a way around it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 26, 2005, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-player-region-zone-change-is-there-a-way-around-it/314233 "2005-07-26T15:21:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gitfiddle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/898d66/32.png) [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-player-region-zone-change-is-there-a-way-around-it/314233/1 "2005-07-26T15:21:57Z")
Okay, the DVD players on the two computers we have in our apartment are both Zone (or Region) 1, yet we are in a Zone 2 country. If we want to watch zone 2 DVDs but don’t want to change back and forth (I’ve already changed twice), is there a way around it? Something I could download, for instance… Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Ponster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponster/32/17081_2.png) [@Ponster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponster)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-player-region-zone-change-is-there-a-way-around-it/314233/2 "2005-07-26T15:45:53Z")
Check out [this link](http://www.digital-digest.com/dvd/articles/region_software.html) to find a guide to unblock software DVD players. If you can’t find yours in the list then reply for more help. ---
**Author:** ![critter42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@critter42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/critter42)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-player-region-zone-change-is-there-a-way-around-it/314233/3 "2005-07-26T16:22:50Z")
I’d expect to see this thread closed soon, as hacking around restrictions put in place by the manufacturer is borderline, if not outright _verboten_. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-player-region-zone-change-is-there-a-way-around-it/314233/4 "2005-07-26T17:14:32Z")
> [@critter42](#): > > I’d expect to see this thread closed soon, as hacking around restrictions put in place by the manufacturer is borderline, if not outright _verboten_. IANAL, but AFAIK defeating copy protection is actually illegal under one of the numerous copyright laws. I know of no law in the US that requires region restrictions, and no law that makes it illegal to remove region restrictions. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-player-region-zone-change-is-there-a-way-around-it/314233/5 "2005-07-26T17:30:08Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > IANAL, but AFAIK defeating copy protection is actually illegal under one of the numerous copyright laws. I know of no law in the US that requires region restrictions, and no law that makes it illegal to remove region restrictions. That’s correct, i think. Region coding is quite a different animal from copy protection. In fact, i think that the mods/admins of this board have even said in the past that discussions of how to break copyright protection are forbidden, but discussions of getting around region coding are not. I can’t find the relevant thread, though, so it’s possible that i’m misremembering. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-player-region-zone-change-is-there-a-way-around-it/314233/6 "2005-07-26T17:37:52Z")
An analogy Asking how to copy a Beatles album to tape, or onto a blank vinyl record would involve violating copyright laws and get the thread locked. Asking how to play a 45 on a 78 turntable (or vice versa) would not violate any laws. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-player-region-zone-change-is-there-a-way-around-it/314233/7 "2005-07-26T19:16:35Z")
> [@critter42](#): > > I’d expect to see this thread closed soon, as hacking around restrictions put in place by the manufacturer is borderline, if not outright _verboten_. I purchased a region 4 DVD player from LG. It came with a printed sheet, inside the sealed box, that told me how to use the remote to ‘uncode’ the player. I take this to mean the DVD manufacturers are happy for you to have region-free players. It’s the DVD distribution companies that try to force them into only allowing one region to be played. ---
**Author:** ![gitfiddle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/898d66/32.png) [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-player-region-zone-change-is-there-a-way-around-it/314233/8 "2005-07-26T21:33:13Z")
Yes, I would like to clarify that I’m not trying to view illegally in Europe a DVD that has come out in the US. I’m trying to view a European DVD with a DVD player from a different zone. That’s all. I don’t think that’s illegal, at least to my knowledge. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-player-region-zone-change-is-there-a-way-around-it/314233/9 "2005-07-26T21:45:10Z")
> [@gitfiddle](#): > > Yes, I would like to clarify that I’m not trying to view illegally in Europe a DVD that has come out in the US. I’m trying to view a European DVD with a DVD player from a different zone. That’s all. > > I don’t think that’s illegal, at least to my knowledge. Actually, as far as i know, even if the DVD has come out in the US and not Europe, there’s nothing illegal about buying a copy in america and taking it with you to Eureope. ---
**Author:** ![gitfiddle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/898d66/32.png) [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-player-region-zone-change-is-there-a-way-around-it/314233/10 "2005-07-26T21:51:10Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Actually, as far as i know, even if the DVD has come out in the US and not Europe, there’s nothing illegal about buying a copy in america and taking it with you to Eureope. I should hope not. I’m saying that I’m in Europe, but my DVD player is from the US. I’m trying to watch DVDs from Europe that I borrowed from a friend (who bought them legally). That’s all… ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2005, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-player-region-zone-change-is-there-a-way-around-it/314233/11 "2005-07-27T00:06:17Z")
Many standalone DVD players are either purchased region-free, or can be modified to be region-free. Region-free players seem to be most uncommon in North America, but they’re sold openly in Canada. Even many players that are region-locked need only some commands to be entered from the remote to disable the region coding. Others need to be modified physically. I’m not sure who does the hardware mods, but region-free ‘hacks’ can be found for many players at such sites as [VideoHelp.com](http://VideoHelp.com). ---
**Author:** ![Ponster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponster/32/17081_2.png) [@Ponster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponster)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2005, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-player-region-zone-change-is-there-a-way-around-it/314233/12 "2005-07-27T07:48:46Z")
**gitfiddle** are you talking about a DVD player (hardware) or the DVD player on your PC (software) ? ---
**Author:** ![RealTronic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9dc877/32.png) [@RealTronic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealTronic)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2005, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-player-region-zone-change-is-there-a-way-around-it/314233/13 "2005-07-27T07:59:43Z")
You should give software from this company a try - it will do what you want (and more) [http://www.slysoft.com](http://www.slysoft.com) ---
**Author:** ![matt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@matt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2005, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-player-region-zone-change-is-there-a-way-around-it/314233/14 "2005-07-27T08:38:23Z")
Since the question appears to be allowed, this site has all the information and links that you’ll ever need: [http://faq.inmatrix.com/](http://faq.inmatrix.com/) I used it to locate a firmware flash update for my DVD drive, which may have been unnecessary but I did it anyway. I then downloaded DVD Genie, which allows me to periodically reset the Region Change counter to zero in PowerDVD. It’s free.