DVD region issues

[Paul.]

Is New Zealand region 4 for DVDs?

I would like to a) buy a couple of DVDs from Canada b) get some sent across from home (UK)

How do you watch region 1 DVDs? Is it an issue?

[Azza]

Yes we are region 4. I believe most DVD players are able to be swapped between regions however there is a finite amount of times this can be done. Might pay to buy a few DVD players and have each one set to a different region...

I have some "Drakeshead" DVD's from the UK and they seem to play alright on my DVD player.

[MikeW]

The software/drivers installed on windows only allow you to swap back and forth a few times, but most multi-region DVD players sold here will be fine. I guess Australia and NZ are in some sort of trusted zone were multi-zone players can be sold, and they'll play any region.

You could also rip the DVD, run through one of many converters and burn back to DVD if you had to.

[MikeW]

Correction, apparently the restriction is built into the DVD drive firmware. Anyway that only applies to computer DVD players AFAIK.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD_region_code

[Paul.]

we just bought this el cheapo DVD player from Noel Leeming, its a Thomson 2306x. I can't seem to find any information as to whether or not it is locked.

My little laptop doesn't even have a DVD player, so i will not be running them through my computer

[rjd]

I bought a DSE bluray cheapo player and it was region unlocked for dvd's.

I think that dvd players here are generaly region free, due to Australia outlawing region coding.

[Ben]

DVD players are normally region locked, but in NZ there is no support by low that it must be locked. So, it could be free ( not sure for Blue ray).
If you bought the DVD player in NZ (maybe not from parallel import) you can legally free the region lock. Some retailer selling them already unlocked or you can bring it to service centre with proof of purchase. I have bought Panasonic player in while back and it was locked to regression 4, contacted to Panasonic and I was directed to bring it with receipt and unit to nearby authorised service centre like (NEXT) and it was unlocked for free of charge.

A DSE model I have before was region unlocked from start which was somewhat broken after several years of light use (but I can not complain for less than $100 unit....)

Edit:
This is not apply to computer and I think it must be locked and unlocking is probably still illegal. - No supported argument as RJD pointed on later post.
You can install two unit like me and one for region 4 and another for 1, It sound but waster but I like having two writers on desktop.

[rjd]

Unlocking them is never illigal. Playing or buying movies from other regions is never illigal.

Theres nothing in law suporting this just the movie studios wanitng to separate lucrative markets from others.

Usualy with a dvd rom you have to blitz the firmware.

[Tony]

Sometimes a quick search on google for the model and region free will help you out. There is almost always a technicians code you enter with weird combinations of the remote buttons that makes it region free. Our old DVD player was locked to NZ but we have a bunch of DVDs we bought when living in the UK, so swapping region was impracticle with the limited times you can do it. I just made it region free and have not had any issues since. Perhaps do it before you buy the DVD's, just in case. I thought everythign was region free now in NZ?

[Russ]

^^ what Tony said ^^
I bought the cheapest one I could a few years back, jumped on the net, and had it region-free within a few minutes.

[whittyp]

It is only an issue if you have an older DVD player. Most sold in recent years have been multizone.

[Ben]

Unlocking them is never illigal. Playing or buying movies from other regions is never illigal.

Theres nothing in law suporting this just the movie studios wanitng to separate lucrative markets from others.

Usualy with a dvd rom you have to blitz the firmware.

You are probably right. I have no supporting argument and only I know is that a DVD player purchased in NZ can be multizone without any issue. (not in Japan apparently).

[Paul.]

OK, thanks for replies

Will let you know how i get on

Paul

[smix]

Quite a few of the DVD players here are region-free...if your DVD player isn't, they can be picked up quite cheaply for ~$100 - I'm assuming even less now with the Christmas sales coming up.

[Desmond]

I watch DVD's on my computer - for the occasional one from the wrong region I run a program similar to this one which makes them 'region free' .