Blu-ray and DVD region codes

Overview/Introduction

Blu-ray and DVD discs are encoded to only play in certain regions of the world.  In the United States, most Blu-rays are encoded as Region A and most DVDs are encoded as Region 1. Details are found below.

Details

Blu-ray Region Codes

Region A: This region covers all of North America, South America and South East Asia.

Region B: This encompasses Europe, Africa, Middle East, French territories and Greenland.

Region C: This region covers the rest of the world including Russia, Asia, and China.

DVD Region Codes

There are 6 individual region codes with which DVDs are embedded. These 6 region codes function the same way as Blu-ray region codes. A DVD disc from region 1 would be encoded as region code 1 and is therefore only operable in a DVD player that originated from region 1. The same is true for region 2, region 3, and so on.

Region 1: USA & Canada, Bermuda, and US Territories

Region 2: Europe (with the exceptions of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus), Japan, South Africa, Swaziland, Middle East, Egypt, Lesotho, and Greenland

Region 3: Southeastern Asia

Region 4: Latin America and Australia

Region 5: Russia, Asia (non-southeast), and Africa

Region 6: China

Additional Region Code Information

As a side note, there are technically 3 other region codes aside from regions 1-6. These are regions 0, 7, and 8.

Region 0 means that no region code has been embedded, or that the disc has been embedded for regions 1 through 6. This type is generally referred to as being a “region free” disc.

Region 7 is reserved mainly for future use. As of now, region 7 is only used by MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) and in Asia for copies intended only for use by the media.

Region 8 is employed only for international use and therefore only utilized for discs used by airline or cruise ship industries.