Regional coding system

Overview
DVDs are protected by digital rights management technology, including a regional coding system, by which

"movie studios can control when and where DVDs are distributed so as not to interfere with schedules for sequential release of movies, which includes theatrical runs, Pay TV broadcast, video rental release, retail video release, and free-to-air television broadcast. As a result of the system DVDs authorised for one region will only play on players that are also authorised for that region. So, for example, a Region 1 DVD will play only on a Region 1 player. If the consumer attempts to play a Region 1 DVD on a Region 2 the player will display a message that the "DVD is not readable in this zone" or simply reject it."

There are six main regions:


 * Region 1 North America.
 * Region 2 Europe, Japan, South Africa, Middle East (including Egypt), Greenland.
 * Region 3 South Korea; Taiwan; Hong Kong, China; the Philippines; parts of Southeast Asia.
 * Region 4 Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Latin America (including Mexico), Caribbean.
 * Region 5 Eastern Europe, Russia, India, Africa, North Korea, Mongolia.
 * Region 6 China.