Region code free?

Question

I am looking on Ebay at some DVDs that say they are region-code free, but that they can only be played on an NTSC compatible DVD Player/ROM Drive. I've looked on the internet and found only ads for players/ROM drives that are NTSC compatible, but I can find nothing about how to determine if my current DVD-ROM drive is compatible. Is there any way to find out that doesn't involve purchasing a DVD to find out first?

Answer

This question was answered on December 20, 2004. Much of the information contained herein may have changed since posting.

Every DVD movie is released with a region code which prevents a DVD player with a different region code from playing that DVD. If you want to copy or purchase a DVD, you'll have to make sure you can play it first. If you find yourself in a situation where you can't play the DVD because your DVD drive is set to a different region, you can purchase products on the internet that will remove region code protection from your DVD drive.

Author

Posted by cristina of Katharine Gibbs School - New York on December 20, 2004