DVDs are protected by region codes, and you can’t play DVDs from other countries unless you have a region-free DVD player. Finding the right multi-region DVD player allows you to enjoy international DVDs in 4K without interruption. This article lists the top 10 region-free Blu-ray/DVD players with a detailed introduction, and you can select one based on your specific needs to enjoy movies smoothly.
Part 1. What Is Multi Region DVD Player
A region-free DVD player, also called a multi-region or all-region DVD player, can play DVDs from any part of the world. Usually, region code is encoded on DVDs to protect unreleased movies. Each country has a different region code, and you can take a careful look at the following chart. For instance, Region 1 includes the US and Canada, while Region 2 covers Europe and Japan.
Region Code | Geographic Scope |
Region 1 | the United States and the US Territories, Canada. |
Region 2 | Europe, Japan, the Middle East, South Africa, and Greenland. |
Region 3 | Southeast Asia and East Asia |
Region 4 | New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, Australia, Central America, Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean |
Region 5 | Eastern Europe, the Indian Subcontinent, Russia, Africa, North Korea, and Mongolia |
Region 6 | China |
If your DVD player is region-locked, it won’t play DVDs from other regions. It will be inconvenient if you have DVDs from different regions. A region-free DVD player can bypass all these restrictions and can play DVDs from any region. Keep on reading to look for region-free DVD players.
Part 2. Top 5 Multi-Region DVD Players (Hardware)
Here are the top 5 multi-region external DVD players we have evaluated best, including the multifunction, stability, durability, convenience, and more. All these products are from well-known and reliable manufacturers such as Sony, Panasonic, and LG. You can have a comprehensive review and select one that best suits your demands.
1 Sony UBP-X800M2
This multiregion DVD player has a Dolby Vision display and HDR 10 compatibility, ensuring a fantastic movie viewing experience with crisp images and sound. This Player uses Sony’s DSEE HX function, which can enhance the sound quality of audio files. Besides, it can play nearly all Blu-ray video formats and upscales lower resolution to 4K.
Price: $248
Features:
- 4K UHD resolution
- WiFi, Ethernet connectivity
- Dolby Vision and HDR 10 support
- DSEE HX audio upscaling software
- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 region codes supported
Pros
- Supports high-display resolution
- Smart compatibility
- Anti-vibration design for clear sound quality
Cons
- Comparatively expensive Blu-ray player
Bottom Line: Sony’s UBP-X800M2 offers a premium movie experience with Dolby Vision, HDR 10, and DSEE HX audio enhancement. While it supports high-res displays and intelligent features, it comes at a higher price point.
2 WGC Sony Region Free Blu-ray Player
The WGC Sony Region Free Blu-ray Player allows you to play DVDs and Blu-ray discs from all regions, offering flexibility for your movie choices. With Full HD 1080p resolution and upscaling capabilities, it delivers enhanced viewing quality, even for older DVDs.
Price: $248
Features:
- Full HD 1080p resolution
- HDMI connectivity
- 0-8 region codes supported
- Versatile region-free Blu-ray player
- Upscales the content up to 1080p resolution
- PAL, NTSC, DVD, and Blu-ray discs supported
Pros
- Compatible with older discs
- Dedicated region codes for Blu-ray discs
- The upscaling feature is great for older movies
Cons
- Does not have WiFi support
Bottom Line: The WGC Sony Region Free Blu-ray Player offers flexibility with region-free playback for DVDs and Blu-ray discs. Its Full HD resolution and upscaling capabilities enhance viewing quality, but it doesn’t support a WiFi connection.
3 Panasonic S700EP-K
The Panasonic S700EP-K Multi-Region DVD player is a Full HD player that can play DVDs from any region, supporting region codes 0 to 8, so you can enjoy movies worldwide. It supports the conversion of PAL format video signals to NTSC, preventing playback issues for smoother viewing.
Price: $68.99
Features:
- Full HD 1080p resolution
- USB, HDMI connectivity
- 0-8 region codes supported
- PAL and NTSC DVDs supported
- Power resume feature
Pros
- Support all kinds of CDs and DVDs
- Affordable price
Cons
- Does not support WiFi connectivity.
Bottom Line: The Panasonic S700EP-K Multi-Region DVD player offers Full HD playback from any region, supporting region codes 0 to 8. While it’s affordable and supports various discs, it lacks WiFi connectivity.
4 LG BP350
The BP350 Blu-ray disc and DVD player from LG offers 1080p video quality. It supports connecting to the Internet for access to movies, TV shows, and music, with built-in WiFi supporting streaming apps like Netflix, Pandora, and YouTube.
Price:$99.95
Features:
- Supports a wide range of playback fronts
- Portable in size
- 1080p resolution
- Easy connectivity
Pros
- Good picture quality
- Easy to install
- Come with a remote control
- Can operate even lagging videos
Cons
- No warranty details are mentioned
Bottom Line: The LG BP350 Blu-ray player offers excellent picture quality and easy installation. With a portable size and remote control, it’s convenient for various playback needs. However, warranty details are not provided.
5 LG 4K Smart Blu-ray player
LG 4K Smart Blu-ray player is another choice from LG and can also serve as a multi-region DVD player. It can upgrade lower-quality content to 4K for better viewing and is compatible with HDR, HDR10, and Dolby Vision for video, and Dolby Digital, Dolby TrueHD, and DTS for audio. Besides, it can stream 4K content via WiFi.
Price: $370
Features:
- 4K UHD resolution
- WiFi, HDMI connectivity
- 0-8 region codes supported
- Region A, B, and C supported for Blu-ray discs
- Dolby Digital, Dolby TrueHD, and DTS audio processing
Pros
- Excellent audio and video quality are available
- All types of discs are supported
Cons
- Comparatively expensive Blu-ray player
Bottom Line: The LG 4K Smart Blu-ray player offers high-quality audio and video, supports various disc types, and features WiFi streaming for 4K content. However, it has a higher price.
Part 3. Top 5 Multi-Region DVD Players (Software)
If a physical multiregion DVD player is not handy for you, we also provide software to ease your burden. Here are the top 5 multi-region DVD player software we have evaluated best, and each has a detailed introduction, including the operating platforms, price, and other features you may be interested in.
1 Blu-ray Master Blu-ray Player
Blu-ray Master Blu-ray player is a premium multiregion DVD player we recommend due to its support for diverse discs without the limitation of region. It supports all DVD disc playback from any region, including DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RAM, DVD+RW, DVD-DL, etc. It can work on both Mac OS X 10.9 above and Windows 11/10/8/7.
Price:$15.6/Month, $45.96/Lifetime
Features:
- Support both DVD and 4K Blu-ray disc
- Play the latest DVD movies and 4K/1080p video
- Allow to choose title, chapter, audio track, and subtitle
- Provide options to adjust playback progress, video effects, audio effects, and manage the playlist
Pros
- Play discs without regional limitation
- Support multiple file formats, including disc, folder, and ISO files
- Easy-to-operate and user-friendly
- Hotkeys offer great convenience
Cons
- The trial version doesn’t support upgrades
Bottom Line: Overall, Blu-ray Master Blu-ray Player is a premium and cost-effective Blu-ray player we have reviewed. It supports various formats and allows users to make customizable settings and watch DVDs from any region smoothly.
2 DVDFab Player 6
DVDFab Player 6 is a versatile media player that handles DVD discs, ISO files, and folders, even those with encryption. It provides smooth playback for Blu-ray movies and can play various video and audio formats like MP4, MKV, M2TS, MP3, WAV, and more. It is available for both Windows and Mac OS.
Price: $59.99/Year, $69.99/Lifetime
Features:
- Region-free playback for all DVDs, Blu-rays, and 4K Ultra HD Blu-rays
- Easy to organize and manage all local media files
- Support 4K UHD, HEVC (H.265), and all other regular media files
- Allow to manage Playlist with customized options
Pros
- Compatible with 4K UHD and 3D playback
- Support to import DVDs/Blu-rays to the local library
- Collect movie info from the Internet
Cons
- The price is very high
- The program sometimes crashes under Windows 7
- It doesn’t support Dolby Vision HDR
Bottom Line: DVDFab Player 6 is a versatile media player that handles DVDs, Blu-rays, and 4K Ultra HD Blu-rays, even encrypted ones. It offers smooth playback and supports various formats. However, it’s pricey and may crash on Windows 7.
3 VLC Media Player
VLC is a cross-platform and open-source player that is available on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS. VLC can also perform as a multi-region DVD player and can handle DVDs, CDs, and online streams. With libdvdcss, it can bypass DVD encryption to play region-locked DVDs.
Price: Free
Features:
- Support various file formats
- Allow to play CDs, DVD folders, and ISO files
- Transform files to other formats
- Free and open-source to use on different operating systems
Pros
- Offer an easy-to-use interface
- Make customizable settings on video playback
- Completely ad-free
Cons
- The playback quality of VLC needs to be improved
- Bypassing DVD encryption requires libdvdcss
- It may crush sometimes, and the screen becomes black and white
Bottom Line: VLC is a versatile player that handles DVDs, CDs, and online streams. It’s free and open-source, available on multiple platforms. While easy to use and ad-free, playback quality may vary, and libdvdcss is needed for DVD decryption.
4 5KPlayer
5KPlayer is another multi-region DVD player, and it is praised as an all-in-one multi-functional video player that can also serve as a music player, online video downloader, and AirPlay media streamer. It can play ultra-high-definition videos with multi-subtitle tracks and soundtracks, which are available on Windows and macOS.
Price: Free
Features:
- Region-free playback for any DVD
- Support various formats like MKV, AVI, MP4, FLAC and MP3
- Allow to download videos from YouTube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion
Pros
- Allow to download videos from more than 300 websites
- Support wireless streaming audio and video via AirPlay and DLNA
- Users can create and manage decent library
Cons
- The interface may be a bit confusing for beginners
- Outdated and dark user interface
Bottom Line: 5KPlayer allows users to download MP4 videos, movies, and songs in full HD, Ultra HD, 4K, etc for free on Mac OS and Windows. However, it may not be a good choice for users who prefer a fashionable interface.
5 BlazeDVD
BlazeDVD is a Windows-based region-free DVD player. Its professional version can unlock and play any region-code/CSS-encrypted DVDs. It is a feature-rich media player and supports various video and audio like AVI, MPEG, VOB, WMV, DTS, HD (high-definition) videos, etc.
Price: $49.95
Features:
- Play DVD/VCD/SVCD/CD/DV/WebCam
- All-region-free DVD Player to play movies of regions 1-6
- Equip with cinematic surround sound and has special audio effects
- Provide rich playback experience
Pros
- The audio playback quality is excellent
- Provide the Smart Stretch technology
- User-friendly interface and is easy to use
Cons
- Unable to play Blu-ray discs
- It does not serve as a Mac DVD player
Bottom Line: BlazeDVD is a Windows-based region-free DVD player that is able to unlock and play any region-coded/CSS-encrypted DVDs. It offers excellent audio quality and a user-friendly interface. However, it doesn’t support Blu-ray discs and is limited to the Windows operating system.
Part 4. FAQs of Multi-Region DVD Player
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Are there any DVD players that play all regions?
Yes, DVD players, known as multi-region or region-free, can play DVDs from all regions. These players are designed to bypass the region coding system, allowing users to play DVDs from any region. Blu-ray Master Blu-ray player is a premium multiregion DVD player.
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Do multi-region DVD players work?
Yes, multi-region DVD players do work as advertised. They are specifically designed to ignore the region coding on DVDs, enabling users to play discs from any region without restrictions.
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How do I know if a DVD player is multi-regional?
You can check the information on product specifications or descriptions provided by the manufacturer. You can search for reviews or forums where users may have discussed the player’s region-free capabilities. Or you can directly contact the manufacturer or retailer to inquire about the DVD player’s region-free functionality.
Wrapping up
In summary, this article explores the top 10 multi-region DVD players, including both hardware and software, and gives a comprehensive and reliable review of each player. Just pick any of these versatile players and watch DVDs worldwide with an amazing audiovisual experience smoothly.
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