What Does Region Free Mean? DVD and Blu-ray Region Codes Explained
Anyone who regularly buys DVDs or Blu-rays online will eventually come across terms such as Region 1, Region 2, Region A, Region B or Region Free . For a casual buyer, these labels are easy to overlook. A disc looks like any other disc, the price seems reasonable and the film or television series is exactly what you were searching for. Then it arrives and your player refuses to play it. Amazon UK comment sections are full of US and Canadian buyers complaining that the disc arrived but wouldn't work. Did they not check the region coding before ordering? As a collector based in Ireland, I am normally looking for Region 2 DVDs and Region B Blu-rays . Whenever I consider buying a disc from Amazon, eBay or an overseas retailer, checking the region code is one of the first things I have to do. This is especially important when an attractive American box set appears at a good price. The release might look perfect, include better packaging or contain extras unavailable here, but none of t...