I know that there are different formats for video TAPES, but will a UK DVD play in my (cheap) American player? Or is it a different format?

The reason I ask is because there is a Special Edition DVD of Bugsy Malone (yeah, the kiddie gangster movie with Jodie Foster and Scott Baio from 1976) that is only available in the UK.

If it'll play in my player, I'm gonna get it.
If not, I'll just get the bare-bones version that's being released here in April.

Thanks for your input.

DVDs are divided up into Regions and the US and UK are in different so technically a UK DVD won't play in a US DVD player.

However many DVD players these days are Multi-Region (i.e can play DVD's from any region) or can easily be altered to become Multi-Region players. Check and see what kind of DVD player you have.

You should also be able to play it on your PC provided it has a DVD drive, although my PC will only allow you to alter the Region you play a certain number of times (I think it's 12 times) before it 'sets' permanently, so be careful on that score.

Yeah, it won't play. You need both a multi-region player and a multi-format player. The whole NTSC vs. PAL thing is still an issue, too.

That said, they're getting pretty cheap -- I got one for US$25 a year ago or so.

Easiest workaround... all DVDs/all encodings/all regions/all formats should play on your computer.

i dont believe that is true...you HAVE to set the region..and you can only set it differently 4 times (windows machine)

Lot more than 4 times. But yeah, it's limited.

i have never changed it and it says i have 4 more times..

windows xp pro

I guess my Mac is more forgiving... I don't ever have to set the region code. Then again, I have DLd so many hacks over the years, who remembers?

Software and/or firmware upgrades can get around this.

Check the internet for hacks.

This site might be able to help you.

http://www.dvd.reviewer.co.uk/info/multiregion/hackable.asp

Often you can change the Region simply by pressing buttons on the hand controller sort of like an 'easter egg'.

This is true. Mine is multi region and I wouldn't call it a high end player. If you bought your dvd player in the last year, there is a good chance its multi region. I'd confirm that though before I bought any foreign dvds.

So what's the brand and model number of your DVD player, Todd?

or if you rip the dvd first then you can reburn it for all regions
if you are on a mac you can use this to rip and remove the region code

mac the ripper

If you use VLC and disable autorun, then the region code is completely ignored and you never have to reset it.

You need VLC. It plays anything.

Or, there's a cheap Cyberhome DVD player I have, costs $40, and is easy to hack to be region free. I'm not sure if its still in production, but it works great. Model CH-DVD 320 or CH-DVD 300, they're the same.

Yeah, I think I have one of those two. Got it a little over a year ago, when there was a $20 rebate.

Will check out VLC.

I'm gonna put it out there that WI obners are consistantly some of the most helpful motherfuckers out there.

"Wisconsin, pulling our own (considerable) weight."