# Options for viewing Region 2 DVDs in the USA **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 22, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/options-for-viewing-region-2-dvds-in-the-usa/526021 "2010-01-22T18:40:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/options-for-viewing-region-2-dvds-in-the-usa/526021/1 "2010-01-22T18:40:30Z")
Friends there is a BBC TV series I would like to buy but it is only in the Region 2 format. Is there any way around this issue, are ther multi region DVD players? Are there other options to view them? ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/options-for-viewing-region-2-dvds-in-the-usa/526021/2 "2010-01-22T18:48:49Z")
Rip them on a computer, assuming that you’re in a location where that’s legal. Not all locations are. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/options-for-viewing-region-2-dvds-in-the-usa/526021/3 "2010-01-22T19:25:33Z")
Yes, you can buy a DVD player. Google ‘region-free DVD player’. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/options-for-viewing-region-2-dvds-in-the-usa/526021/4 "2010-01-22T19:50:13Z")
What I’ve done is to purchase a conventional, Region 1 DVD player and then use a hack to make it region free. I recommend looking at [this website](http://www.videohelp.com/dvdhacks) for information on hacks for various DVD players. The one you already own may be hackable, and if not, there are a couple of Philips DVD players available for $50 or so that can be hacked. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/options-for-viewing-region-2-dvds-in-the-usa/526021/5 "2010-01-22T19:52:36Z")
You also have to deal with the format issue. A British DVD is probably encoded in PAL format, rather than NTSC. My Philips DVD player can handle PAL. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD\_region\_code#PAL\_vs.\_NTSC.2FSECAM](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD_region_code#PAL_vs._NTSC.2FSECAM) You can search here for DVD players that support PAL: [http://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayers?DVDname=&Search=Search&dvdportable=&dvdchanger=&dvdtv=&multisystem=1&chipset=&orderby=Rating&hits=50&Submit2=Search](http://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayers?DVDname=&Search=Search&dvdportable=&dvdchanger=&dvdtv=&multisystem=1&chipset=&orderby=Rating&hits=50&Submit2=Search) ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/options-for-viewing-region-2-dvds-in-the-usa/526021/6 "2010-01-22T21:12:32Z")
In the US, it’s not technically legal to rip DVDs. And if you just have 1 DVD, a new player is probably not worth it. If you don’t mind watching on your computer, or can hook it up to the TV, [VLC](http://www.videolan.org/vlc/) should work for your needs. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2010, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/options-for-viewing-region-2-dvds-in-the-usa/526021/7 "2010-01-22T21:31:59Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > In the US, it’s not technically legal to rip DVDs. It’s perfectly legal in the US, and everywhere else in the world, to rip DVDs. What is illegal in the US is circumventing copyright protection schemes (which runs afoul of the DMCA) and, in many cases, copyright infringement. The former is an issue only if the DVD is encrypted; most commercially released DVDs are, though. The latter is an issue if you don’t hold the copyright to the DVD, or if the copyright holder hasn’t authorized you to make copies. Again, most commercially released DVDs are under copyright licences which do not permit copying. ---
**Author:** ![Caractacus\_Pott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@Caractacus\_Pott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caractacus_Pott)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2010, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/options-for-viewing-region-2-dvds-in-the-usa/526021/8 "2010-01-23T21:06:13Z")
Try the cheapest no-name brand DVD player you can get. They often read all regions. I found this true in both the US and England. FWIW, I got mine at the grocery store.