Should DVDs and Online TV be Region Free?

Yes. It sometimes throws me when I buy a DVD and they mention to make sure you can play region 5 or whatever, and I'm surprised that that's still a thing since my DVD player can just play any DVD. If region free players exist and are legal (I assume mine was since we just bought it in a shop) then it seems pointless not to just make them standard. Irritating consumers who just want to pay for things legally sometimes drives them to piracy.

BBC and ABC iView I can understand being regional though, since the logic is that they are paid for by taxpayers of Britain and Australia respectively and as such should only be available to the citizens of those nations.

by Jennifer Muirhead

I find it extremely irritating when DVDs are only available in a certain region. For example; there are many Golden Age cartoons by Hanna Barbera and Disney that are only available in region 1. Surely the industry is limiting its market by only allowing people from certain countries to buy the DVDs?

by Bryony Harrison

I think this is something that will come into play in the near future. Companies can't keep putting regional restrictions on devices or media as we become more of a global community. The internet as effectively changed the way the world needs to work in this respect, and the change becomes more evident with each new technological step we take.

by DamienR

yes it's stupid, what's the point?

by Lydia C. Lee

Great idea, but it all comes down to technology and money.
So if it were possible, it would happen....Everything cost's millions to develop,
to have that one world system, is a lot of tech and money.
Maybe one day, but the need is not great enough, that's the reason.

by jonaja

But it is possible. There are region free DVDs and players out there; they are just not made widely available because industries want to regulate where and what you can watch.

uumm typical isn't it!