While Adult DVD's can be played in all 6 regions, General Release DVD's are coded for specific regions as noted above. All of our General Release DVD's are coded for region #1.

The reason for the regional coding is so that if a movie is being released on DVD in the US it cannot be played in other countries since that would hurt that country's theatrical release (Hollywood movies play the US theatrical circuit long before the rest of the world.). Normally the US video release of a movie is during the world-wide theatrical release.

The regional code was originally developed so that the movie studios could 'black out' overseas markets during the foreign theatrical releases. The DVD players are supposed to decode only DVD discs made for that specific region.   The regional code is contained on a 'flagging chip' -- which is easily removed by an electronics or video technician.  Once the 'flagging chip' is removed, the DVD player will play any DVD disc from any region.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Recently Columbia Pictures and Warner Brothers have added a Regional Coding Enhancement to Region 1 movies such as Hollow Man, The Patriot and The Perfect Storm. Some of our international customers may have problems playing these enhanced discs on their region-free DVD players because of this security coding. For more in-depth information on Regional Coding Enhancement (RCE), and how you may circumvent these bugaboos, please click here for some helpful assistance...