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Viewing Foreign Films and TV Series on DVDForeign Films and TV Series on DVD
By Kathy Steinemann
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A great way to expose yourself to a foreign language is via TV series and movies on DVD. Unfortunately, there are several different DVD regions - and your DVD player is probably set to play DVDs for your region only. There is a solution. A great way to expose yourself to a foreign language is via TV series and movies on DVD. Unfortunately, there are several different DVD regions - and your DVD player is set by the manufacturer to play DVDs for your region only. This allows producers to circulate new releases in various parts of the world at different times. Therefore, you cannot just go to a site like amazon.de or amazon.fr and buy something that will play on an American DVD player. The same applies if you live in a country like Brazil and you wish to play a French-produced DVD. The world is divided (at least right now) into six different regions: [li] Region 1 - United States and territories, Canada [li] Region 2 - Europe, Japan, Middle East, Egypt, South Africa, Greenland [li] Region 3 - Taiwan, Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, Hong Kong [li] Region 4 - Mexico, South America, Central America, Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands [li] Region 5 - Russia, Eastern Europe, India, Africa minus South Africa Region 2, North Korea, Mongolia [li] Region 6 - China However, there is a way around the region problem. Many DVD players can have their region reset to a different region (or Region 0 - which is supposed to play all regions) via the remote control. I have already done this with three different DVD players. (Two were cheap, purchased at Wal-Mart.) Here is how: [li]Go to the local stores that carry DVD players and carefully write down the manufacturers and model numbers of all players that interest you. The cheaper the player, the more likely you will be to find a 'hack' to change the code. (Sometimes a -B -S -W at the end of a model number will simply mean black, silver, or white - and the hacks will be interchangeable.) [li]Go to VideoHelp.com DVD Hacks and search for your players. If you find some hacks, print them out. (Check other areas of the site as well for DVD player reviews and helpful articles.) [li]Read all hacks and reviews very carefully, and carry them along with you to the DVD sales outlet. Most hacks will reset the player on a more or less permanent basis. Some will have to be entered each time you power up your player. That is why you must read your printouts carefully. Try to purchase a unit that has a permanent hack. I have set my players to Region 0, and so far, I have had no difficulties playing any DVDs. Beware of buying illegal 'bootlegged' DVDs. They can sometimes do strange things to your DVD unit, and may have poor quality sound or video. So, if you are going to buy a DVD movie - why not wait a little longer and purchase it via Amazon - with both English and the language that you are learning! Some DVDs for foreign release have more than two language soundtracks and multiple choices for subtitles. Be aware, however, that the subtitles will probably not match the audio exactly. For example, if you decide to watch a movie with a German soundtrack and German subtitles, the text will probably vary considerably from the sound. Nervous about purchasing online from a foreign language site because you are just a beginner? I will help you with that process next time. Till then ... (c) Copyright Kathy Steinemann: This article is free to publish only if this copyright notice, the byline, and the author's note below (with active links) are included. About the Author: Kathy Steinemann is a busy webmaster and author who enjoys writing German-English stories in parallel translation. She works behind the scenes at several websites, including A-Language-Guide dot com. Article Source: A Language Guide - http://www.a-language-guide.com More free articles: 1st Rate Articles - 1stRateArticles.com |
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