Blu-ray Region Codes and Locations
Blu-ray regional coding is very different from the earlier DVD region code system (see below). For one thing, Blu-ray discs have only three regions (A, B, C), rather than the six used for DVDs. But the really good news is that most Blu-ray discs are released without any region coding at all. The other good news is that the cost of region-free Blu-ray players has dropped considerably from their initial highs.
This multi-region Blu-ray UHD/4K player plays discs from all regions (3 Blu-ray and 6 DVD Regions). PHOTO: Amazon.com
On the other hand, UHD/4K players remain pricey. A cost drop similar to that seen for Blu-ray players has yet to be seen for 4K devices. But, unlike some Blu-ray releases, 4K discs have no regional codes.
About 70 percent of the Blu-ray discs (BD) released currently are region-free. Whether a BD disc has region coding or not depends on the movie studio that produces or releases it. Paramount and Universal do not use any region coding for their Blu-ray releases. On the other hand, 20th Century Fox is the only studio that releases almost all of its BD titles with region codes. Most of the other studios (Disney, Lionsgate, Sony, Warner Bros.) release the majority of their BD films without region codes.
Below is a chart with the three Blu-ray region codes and their locations. Below that you’ll find a similar chart for the six DVD Region codes.
Blu-ray Region Codes and Locations
| CODE | COUNTRIES and REGIONS |
| A | The Americas and their dependencies, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia; excludes instances that fall under Region C |
| B | Africa, Middle East, Southwest Asia, most of Europe, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and their dependencies; excludes instances that fall under Region C |
| C | Central Asia, mainland China, Mongolia, Indian Subcontinent, Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Moldova, and their dependencies |
| A,B,C ALL |
“Region free” is not an official setting; discs that bear the region ALL (A/B/C) symbol either have no flags set or have all three flags set. Discs with no flags set may not play in some non-compliant players. Multi-region players are set to play BD discs from Regions A, B, and C. |
| NOTE: Ultra HD/4K discs are not coded and will play on any Blu-ray/4K player. But a region-coded Blu-ray disc will not play on a 4K player if that player is not code-free. | |
Color-Coded Map of Blu-ray Region Codes and Locations
DVD Region Codes and Locations
| CODE | COUNTRIES and REGIONS |
| 1 | The United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda |
| 2 | Europe (except Belarus and Ukraine), Greenland, the Middle East, Egypt, Lesotho, South Africa, Japan, and French Guiana |
| 3 | Southeast Asia, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau |
| 4 | Latin America (except French Guiana and Puerto Rico), the Caribbean, and Oceania |
| 5 | Africa (except Egypt, Lesotho, and South Africa), Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Central Asia, South Asia, Mongolia, and North Korea |
| 6 | Mainland China |
| 0/ALL | “Region free” is not an official setting; discs that bear the region code 0 or ALL either have no flags set or have all DVD flags (1-8) set. Discs with no flags set may not play in some non-compliant players. Multi-region players are set to play DVD discs from Regions 1-8. |
| NOTE: Region codes 7 and 8 are not used on most DVD players. Code 7 is reserved for MPAA-related DVDs and “media copies” of pre-releases in Asia. Code 8 is for international venues such as aircraft, cruise ships and spacecraft. | |
Color-Coded Map of DVD Region Codes and Locations
Why Do We Have Region Codes?
Blu-ray and DVD regional coding has nothing to do with, and does not correspond to, the world’s three different analog TV standards (NTSC, PAL, SECAM) or the newer digital TV standards (ATSC, DVB-T, etc.). DVDs sold for the German-language market are coded Region 2 (Blu-ray Region B). DVDs in the U.S. and Canada are Region 1 (Blu-ray Region A). Region codes are nothing but a Hollywood marketing tool devised to deal with varying release dates for films around the globe. Some argue that, if you can buy a book and read it anywhere, why can’t you do the same with a DVD or Blu-ray disc?
As you can see from the charts above, region codes also have little to do with geography. DVD Region 4, for example, includes Australia and distant Mexico, Central and South America. Japan is grouped with Europe in Region 2. Until going digital (ISDB), Japan used the NTSC standard for broadcast TV and video, while Europe used both the PAL and SECAM television standards (now digital DVB in Germany and most of Europe). This just underscores how the codes arose purely for marketing, not geographical or video system reasons. The newer three Blu-ray codes are more geographical, but not completely. Many Blu-ray discs have no region code. None of the releases on UHD/4K discs have region codes.
Next | Blu-ray, DVDs, Prime Video (Amazon.com)
More | Blu-ray/4K – Part 2 (Amazon.de)
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Related Pages
AT THE GERMAN WAY
- Region-Free Blu-ray/DVD Players and Multisystem TVs – Code-free, international players and TVs
- Blu-ray Discs, DVDs and Prime Video from the German Way Store and Amazon.com
- Region 2/B (Europe) Blu-ray Discs and DVDs from the German Way Store and Amazon.de
- The German Way Store – Books, DVDs, travel items and more for expats or travelers in German-speaking Europe.
- The German Way Expat Blog discusses issues of interest to expats in German-speaking Europe.
- Expat Repatriation – Re-entry or moving on when the assignment’s over
- The German Way Expat Forum – Join our forum, where we share info and tips about life in German Europe.
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