What Region Dvd Do I Need To Play A Dvd In The UK?

The UK is part of region 2 along with Europe, South Africa, parts of the Middle East and Japan, so you need to make sure that your player conforms to region 2 or plays DVDs from all regions (known as multi-region).

The region system was introduced when DVDs came out to try to prevent films bought in one part of the world being played in another. This was partly for copyright reasons but also because DVD prices vary widely across the world and the manufacturers didn't want people buying DVDs from cheaper areas (e.g. the USA) instead of buying them in their own countries, where they were more expensive (e.g. the UK).

Many modern DVD players are multi-region these days but it is vital to check. Some will not have the region setup when you buy them but will ask you as part of the initial setup. It is important to get this right as there is a limit to the number of times you can switch between regions, sometimes as low as four. Others will allow you to set the region using a switch inside the player, but you need to check that this won't invalidate your warranty.

For many players it is possible to convert them to multi-region with a sequence of button presses that acces the hidden service menus. These can be found by searching on the Internet for 'dvd region hacks'. Again you must be aware that this also this may not affect your warranty, it is done at your own risk.