Why do DVD's have different regions?
 

I was looking on ebay to buy a DVD, and it stated that it was only for Region 1.

I have already changed the region 3 times on my laptop, so I can only change it one more time (currently, it is set to region 2).

Why do they have different regions? Also, anyone know how I can get unlimited region changes on my laptop?

I forget the site.. but ask any computer salesman in Singapore and he will be able to tell you.

A very simple answer... marketing. Different countries/regions get movies released at different times. The way that a main feature will be in the US theatres before it goes abroad, the same (or opposite) with dvds. By region coding, the producers are ab;le to control (generally) who gets to watch it when.

As for whether or not it is a good thing...

How can I make my computer region free?

Would you mind asking please? You are a little closer than us :D

What drive is it? Almost any drive is flashable to make it region free. i know it sounds cliche but google it, youll find plenty of answers. for starters rpc1.org is a great place.

If flashing firmware sounds complicated to you, try any dvd region free software. plenty of them out there.

Linky is the best place.

Add pricing too. I read that legit DVDs are being priced n China at less than $5 (as low as 2-3) to stem pirating.

I know that during my last trip to BKK there were studio-sanctioned VCDs selling for next to nothing - apparently the moviemakers were getting their butts kicked so bad by the pirates they decided to fight them on price. The DVD market was more traditionally priced, as the legit DVDs offered more in the way of features than their pirate counterparts.

Its sort of an amusing irony how the region thing evolved. Originally, they wanted to be able to control release cycles and prevent dvds from being pirated overseas then sold in the US. Now, when I travel to SE Asia, the ONLY dvds which I can purchase and then play in my dvd players are pirated ones. Even if I wanted to buy a legit dvd in CGK, I would not be able to do so. Pirates, OTOH, are kind enough to strip away region encoding so that their dvds play anywhere. :cool:

So they can charge $39 here, 29 there, and 19 another place.

To "control" us.

To make you REALLY cranky whenever you move from one continent to another.

Because they can. And we let them get away with it.

You hit the nail on the head. So, I don't feel bad when I come across a $4 DVD.

Actually Studio DVD's are about to go to about $2.50 per disk in China.

In Indonesia, the "local" versions (which are often high quality) go for about $0.67. "Export quality" ones go for about $2.50. Interestingly, the black market dvds have come down in price significantly in the past couple years.

I am talking about legitimate studio released DVD's. In indonesia as you know, the starting price is usually about 8.000 Rps for locally made ones and 20.000 Rps for "imports" (which originate in Malaysia). The major studios have now belatedly understood that in a country with a per capita income of less than $1,000, no one is going to spend $20 (or more) on a movie.