Menu: Tools - Regional Coding
Regional Coding is used to prevent the playback of discs depending upon the geographical area it is played in. This has been added to DVD specifications on request of major film studios mostly because it allows them to give different local distribution rights to each region.
Important: No special action is needed. Regional Coding is a restriction type of flag (like UOPs). That means you are not allowing in which regions the DVD can play, but restricting in which regions the DVD cannot play.
By default the DVD is set to be playable in all regions.
Unless you are a large movie studio with worldwide local distribution, there is absolutely no point in setting a restriction based on region.
Another important fact is that DVD Forum specify regional coding only for DVD-Video. For DVD-R/+R the DVD Forum say that the regional coding is not permitted and the Prohibited Regional Mask should remain 0 (all regions). The fact is that most players will accept Regional Coding restrictions also on DVD-R/+R even if it is against DVD specifications.
Tip: Before you start clciking on chekboxes, you have to ask yourself what is the true reason why you need to prohibit the playback on some region. In many cases by setting regional coding you just cut yourself from many potential buyers.
Not a good reason:
| • | Disc is in PAL or NTSC system. |
This has nothing to do with regional coding, it is a technical issue. Many players in Europe can play NTSC discs without problem. On PC you can play both PAL or NTSC.
| • | You produce discs with different languages. |
Again not a good reason since people migrate very often from continent to contitnent. Many people living in one country would love to watch DVD in their mother tongue.
| • | Big studios do it, so do I. |
A good reason:
| • | You produce disc that is specific for each region (for example a promotion disc that offers services that are different in America than in Europe) |
| • | You have sole distributors for each region that sells with different prices and therefore they need to protect themselves from grey market |
| • | A contens of disc is illegal in some regions or you have no distribution rights for some regions |
The Regional Coding can be set on already compiled project with the Regional Coding tool in Tools menu. You don' have to recompile the project, just set the regional coding restriction and press OK which will quickly update the original IFO and BUP files. You can change it as many times as you need.
Code regions
1 USA, Canada & US Territories
2 Europe, Japan, South Africa, Middle East (including Egypt)
3 South East Asia, East Asia (including Hong Kong but not China!?)
4 Austrlia, New Zealand, Mexico, Central & South America, Caribbean and Pacific Islands.
5 Former Soviet Union, Indian Subcontinent, Africa, North Korea, and Mongolia
6 China (excluding Hong Kong)
7 Unused
8 International territory (airplanes, cruise ships, etc.)