Quote:
Originally posted by RUgreek
it's not a myth. I took a couple dvds of mine and backed them up without any region codes. Region free means it will play on all 8 regions. I haven't had a dvd player that wouldn't play region free dvds, but I'm guessing they are older models that require a region code.
Don't worry, soon there will be Blu-ray and HD-DVD formats coming out, so the rules will change again.
just checked the web:
"However, the regional coding system is entirely optional and discs without Regional Codes will play on any player in any country."
http://www.sendit.com/help/help_dvd_regions
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I was in the AV industry for 9 years, and sold region free DVD players. I worked at a high end AV store in Manhattan where I spoke with industry executives (on the software and hardware side) on a regular basis.
"Region 0" is not part of the DVD spec. It doesn't exist. What you are talking about is a coined term for a loophole that usually works with DVDs that don't have regional encoding.
As fas as HD-DVD goes, that has been technically possible since the first day that DVD players hit the market. It hasn't happened yet because of Hollywood's paranoia about piracy. No one really knows when it will happen. DVD is the most popular format in the history of consumer electronics. Everyone is making money on it. Don't hold your breath for HD-DVD to come out anytime with a real software title base. The incentive isn't there.