Updated: 01/31/2020
Now that 4k is really starting to explode in popularity, we feel that it's important for us to cover the basics about 4k UHD Blu-ray Players, including their region-free capabilities. As region-free specialists, it's our duty to get this information out there so consumers can make informed decisions about their purchases; more importantly, so they can be sure they're getting the product & features that they're looking for and expect.
There have been a lot of misconception floating around the web regarding the idea that all 4k UHD Blu-ray Players are region-free. How did these rumors start and what are the facts? We're not sure exactly how they started, but let's take a closer look at the facts.
Also read our related article on the Current Best Region Free 4K Blu-ray Players!
What is Region-Free?
By default, most Blu-ray Discs and DVDs utilize a special region coding within disc. What this coding does is provide information that's read by the Blu-ray or DVD Player to determine if the disc is compatible with the player. Around the world, Blu-ray Discs and DVDs from specific regions are embedded with a code that is native to that region only. Likewise, most Blu-ray and DVD Players around the world are designed to only play discs that are encoded for the local region. For example, a Blu-ray Player sold in the United States is only setup to read and play discs sold in the United States. A Blu-ray Player from Asia is only setup to read and play discs sold in Asia. Attempting to play a disc from Asia in a Blu-ray Player purchased in the United States will result in an error message, and the disc simply will not play. The player is reading the disc, recognizing that it's from a different region and determining that the disc is incompatible.
The reasons for region-coding discs are many, but to keep it simple and understandable, the main reason for region-coding is that movies are not always released at the same times around the world. In some countries, movies are still being shown in the theaters while other countries already have them on Blu-ray. In order to protect profits and ensure that people aren't importing discs from overseas before movies are in theaters, the production and distribution companies (in conjunction with electronics manufacturers) developed region-coding.
Region-coding works as follows: Blu-ray discs feature 3 separate regions - A, B, and C. On the other hand, DVDs feature 9 different regions - 0 through 8. You can see a region-code map here for more information. The only discs that will play on your player are the discs sold in the same region where your player was bought; and the only way around this is to purchase a region-free Blu-ray player. But we'll get to that later.
Are all 4K UHD Blu-ray Players Region-Free?
No, and this is where the misconception and misinformation come into play. For some reason, manufacturers have decided not to code 4K discs by region. In other words, if you have a 4K movie title, it should play in any 4K player, regardless of what country the disc came from. However, this is only true for 4K discs. Any other disc, such as a non-4K Blu-ray or a DVD, will not play in the 4K player.
The rumors that have been circulating claim that all 4K UHD Blu-ray Players are region-free. This has created a lot of debate and confusion, and it also has many consumers deciding that they need to purchase a new 4K UHD Blu-ray Player so they can watch movies from anywhere in the world. Again, this could not be further from the truth.
A real region-free player will play any disc, from anywhere in the world. The ability of 4k Players to play any 4K disc does not make the player region-free. In fact, as 4k becomes more widespread on the global marketplace, the discs may very well be region-coded. For all we know, the only reason these discs aren't being coded as of yet is to help promote growth of 4K technology - nothing more than a marketing tactic. While we cannot verify the reasoning behind 4K being regionless, we can definitely assure you that a 4K Player will not play standard Blu-ray or DVD discs from any region.
Region-Free 4K, Blu-ray and DVD Players
The only way to ensure that you can play any disc - be it 4K, Blu-ray or DVD - from any region in the world is to purchase a Region-Free 4K Blu-ray Player. These units are not available in stores, and they're sold only through retailers who specialize in Region-Free electronics. These specialty retailers professionally modify their units and carry the same exact models as major retailers.
One of the biggest problems is that people will see a specific brand & model of Blu-ray Player being sold by a Region-Free retailer and assume that they can purchase that same model from Best Buy and it too, will be region-free. These people will then purchase foreign discs and attempt to play them, only to realize that the player is not region-free, leaving them in a state of confusion. The ONLY way to get a region-free model is to purchase one from a region-free retailer.
As specialists in region-free electronics and with over 35 years in the industry, we hope that this article was able to help clear up some of the confusion. While we'd hope that anyone who is looking to shop for a region-free player would purchase one from us, we're more concerned with spreading correct information. The bottom line is that there's only one way to acquire a true Region-Free 4K Blu-ray Player: By purchasing one from a reputable, region-free retailer.
The newest Blu-ray technology is here, and it's 4 times the resolution of 1080p HD. 4k resolution, also known as Ultra-HD (UHD), has been in the works for quite some time now. The technology has actually been readily available with TVs for a couple years now but the market for 4k Blu-ray Players and 4k discs was lagging far behind. While several manufacturers released players in the past with 4k upscaling, it wasn't true 4k resolution unless the disc and the Blu-ray player had the actual UHD format.
In the last year, three of the top manufacturers have released true Ultra-HD Blu-ray Players that perform in all their glory to deliver an astounding - and very lifelike - picture of 3840 x 2160 pixels. In unison with your 4k TV, you can now play 4k discs on a 4k Blu-ray player and experience the true, intended quality of Ultra-HD.
What's more than the ever increasing availability of 4k Blu-ray disc titles and 4k Blu-ray Players? Region Free 4k Blu-ray Players. If you're not familiar with the term, let me break it down for you as quickly as possible. All discs are coded to play only in players purchased from the same region where discs are sold. Chinese Blu-ray and DVDs are not compatible with North American or European players and vice-versa. If you want to watch discs from other countries, you'll need a Region Free player. Furthermore, Region Free 4k Blu-ray players are compatible with any electrical voltage, allowing you to use the player anywhere in the world without a voltage converter. They even feature internal Pal/NTSC conversion which eliminates the need to use an external video converter for foreign TVs. In all reality, the Region Free 4k Blu-ray Player is a truly global player. It works universally, with any TV, at any voltage, to play any disc from anywhere in the world.
Although there's only a few true 4k Blu-ray players on the market, it's already possible to purchase the Region Free models from reputable retailers such as ourselves. Our Region-Free 4k Blu-ray Players are not available in stores. Each and every unit has been professionally modified for worldwide voltage and region-free playback. Essentially these are the same exact brands and models you'd buy in a department store, only ours have been tuned and modified for high-performance and global functionality. If you have a 4k TV and are looking for the best picture quality currently available for your home theater, we have it.
We're currently stocking the Region Free Samsung UBD-K8500 4k Blu-ray Player, the Region Free Oppo UDP-203 4k Blu-ray Player, and the latest release, the Region Free Sony UBP-X800 4k Blu-ray Player. All three are excellent machines with a full spectrum of high-end functionality and networking capabilities for a flexible and powerful home theater experience. We'll leave it up to you to determine which of these units best suits your needs. You can see all of our Region Free 4k Blu-ray players here To learn more or purchase your own. We offer fast shipping, and the guaranteed lowest prices. With over 35 years in business and thousands of positive reviews from real consumers, you can't afford to purchase from anyone else. Get into the 4K experience today!
