American Videos/ DVD's work in HK?

I am moving to HK and will buy a DVD and video player when there. Will our American bought videos and DVD's play on the HK equipment?

depends on the DVD you buy - you just need to make sure it is multi- whatever it is called - we had the same issue with UK dvds

Neither VHS nor DVD is a problem as long as the kit supports it.


VHS: Needs to support NTSC (US broadcast standard), as does the TV. This is typically not an issue as a lot of kit supports both NTSC and PAL standards. Just tell the store attendant.


DVD: Needs to support NTSC as does the TV. Also needs to be set to region 0 ("unlocked") so that you can play your US (region 1) DVDs (and any other DVD) on it. Ask the store attendant. Either the store staff will unlock it for you or they will tell you the codes you need to key in on the remote to set the player correctly.

axptguy 38, your advice is really on the spot. I am currently in an eastern European country and bought a sony DVD player + theatre system. It is a multi system so I THOUGHT it must be able to play everything!! No. It has to be set to zero. So I asked the shop for the code but he told me he cannot give it to me because it is illegal. Our DVDs are set that way so that people cannot play every DVD (something to do with zone rights or something, i dont quite understand). I am stuck. Do you know where and how I can get the code to decode? I bought a samsung DVD player before and when the shop assistant told me "let me set it to zero" for you, I didnt quite understand. Now I do. I shld hv asked for the code before I paid. Sadly, too late now!!

What's the name of your player? Try googling "unlock xxxx" with xxxx being your model number. You will probably find something, with luck even a sequence of steps you can perform to set region 0 (unlocked).


"So I asked the shop for the code but he told me he cannot give it to me because it is illegal."


Clueless shop staff abounds in every country. ;) It's hardly illegal. That would be like saying you can't repaint a car that you own.



"Our DVDs are set that way so that people cannot play every DVD (something to do with zone rights or something, i dont quite understand)."


The DVD world is divided into zones. US DVDs (and players) are zone 1, Europe zone 2, etc...


The reason for zones is so that DVD makers can use price discrimination. For example DVDs are sold at a lower price in the US compared to Europe. The Euromarket can bear higher prices, so the DVD makers have higher profits there.


With zone rights, Mr. Leblanc in France cannot import his DVDs directly from the US, saving money and decreasing profits for the DVD makers. The US DVDs are Zone 1 while the European players are Zone 2. And so, despite all the talk of "free trade", the recording and film industry has sh*fted the consumer with the full support of the various legislating bodies that are supposed to protect said consumer.



"you might have a problem finding a VHS machine now though, they are hard to come by."


VHS doesn't have region coding, but you will have to find a player that supports both NTCS and PAL.

Tks for your reply. In fact I did search on the net and found some codes for trying. Sorry that I am a complete techno idiot... now I hv got the codes but how to put them in the DVD player to make it to become a region '0' machine. I shld hv listened to my hubby too when he told me about this 0 problem....

"Sorry that I am a complete techno idiot..."


We can't all be geeks. That would make us actual geeks rather useless. ;)


"now I hv got the codes but how to put them in the DVD player to make it to become a region '0' machine."


Typically it is done through the remote. Why don't you post the link (or the actual instructions) and I'll see if I can decipher it for you.

I will send you a pm. Many tks.