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How do I make a Region 0 or all-region DVD
Quick summary: I am trying to help a small non-profit organization make a DVD that will work in all regions so we can send it to people in other contries to play in their regular DVD players.
Longer explanation:
We have a video we created (using our own source material and doing our own editing with Premiere) that we have been burning to DVD using regular DVD burners, but when we tried to send a couple of the discs to people in other countries, they are not able to play the discs in their DVD players (surprise!). I’ve been searching around with google and have found several suggestions that I need to make a “region 0” DVD that will play in all regions. Some places indicate that I will need to get a special “authoring” DVD burner, as a typical “home” burner will not burn region 0 discs (surprise again).Unfortunately for me, searching for anything containing “region 0” or “region free” on google turns up tons of (probably illegal) hacks for home DVD players and burners to make them play DVDs of all regions. I don’t need anything like that, I just want to burn a legitmate all-region disc from the source matrial.
Source material is in Adobe Premiere and we are using Adobe Encore to build and burn the DVDs, though we could use something else if we needed to.
Does anyone know of a way I can make a disc anyone/everyone can play?
Or am I going to have to buy a whole stack of “home” DVD burners and set them all to different region codes?Thanks,
JW
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8 Replies
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I cant believe you just asked this question. I was just coming to this forum to ask the exact same thing. Sorry to see no replies.
Come on guys whats the deal should be easy… no?
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You don’t have to do anything. Unless you specifically set a region in your project settings, all DVDs produced by Encore will play in all regions.
Provided your video is in the proper television format, that is.
-Jeff
The Focal Easy Guide to Adobe Encore DVD 2.0
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Hi Jeff,
It may be true that /Encore/ is not setting the region, but in this case, it must be the DVD hardware. Over the years I have used several different burners and most of them either come set to Region 1 or else they ask you what region you want to set it to the first time you play a DVD in the drive.
Additionally, we have already sent 2 discs overseas, and the recipients cannot play them – so I know for sure that the DVD discs are region locked.
I know this is the Encore forum, and it may sound like I’m asking a hardware question, but I have not been able to find any other forums about this, and I am hoping other Encore users have experience in this area.
I know the big studios /want/ region encoding, but surely there’s smaller companies and businesses are just want a disc everyone can play?
Thank you,
JWSystem Administrator, Cedar Creek Software – https://www.cedarcreeksoftware.com –
https://jwadmin.blogspot.com/ -
Keven if you come up with any information on this could you post it here please?
Thanks,
JW
System Administrator, Cedar Creek Software – https://www.cedarcreeksoftware.com –
https://jwadmin.blogspot.com/ -
[jwlinux] “Additionally, we have already sent 2 discs overseas, and the recipients cannot play them – so I know for sure that the DVD discs are region locked.”
Just to eliminate any variables, are you absolutely sure this isn’t a PAL/NTSC problem?
I see that Cedar Creek Software is based in Waco, TX. So I assume you are producing NTSC discs? What TV system is in use in the country where you sent the discs?
No insult intended here – I’m just making sure that I have all of the facts.
Thanks,
JeffThe Focal Easy Guide to Adobe Encore DVD 2.0
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I forgot to include some info in my last post.
Region Coding is technically part of the CSS copy-protection system, and as such, is not functional for burned discs. To enable CSS and Region Coding, the Encore project has to be written to DLT tape and sent to a mastering house. CSS and Region Coding only function on replicated/pressed discs.
That’s why I had to ask about PAL/NTSC.
-Jeff
The Focal Easy Guide to Adobe Encore DVD 2.0
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Jeff you are right, I believe it is an PAL/NTSC problem. I thought I had looked this up already, but I just double checked (https://www.anima.demon.co.uk/pvs/faqvhsstds.html) and the countries where we have sent the discs are indeed using PAL. I will assume that is the reason the discs are unplayable.
Thank you for asking the question, I would not have double-checked without it. Probably would have been going on the wild goose chase a while longer!
– JW
System Administrator, Cedar Creek Software – https://www.cedarcreeksoftware.com –
https://jwadmin.blogspot.com/ -
Many newer players sold in Europe can play NTSC DVDs. This happens in a couple of ways.
1. The player simply switches to NTSC and sends out an NTSC signal. For that to work, the TV or monitor must also sense and switch to NTSC.
2. The player does a standards conversion and sends out a PAL signal viewable on a PAL monitor. I’ve heard the results may be good or bad.
So my assumption is that they are using older gear that’s not very agile.
If you are playing DVDs on a computer, it won’t matter. Computers don’t care.
I hope this is helpful.Mike Brown
Video/Film Producer
American Heart Association
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