, ▁den oting ▁the ▁area ( s ) ▁of ▁the ▁world ▁in ▁which ▁distribution ▁and ▁play back ▁are ▁intended . ▁The ▁commercial ▁DVD ▁player ▁specification ▁dict ates ▁that ▁a ▁player ▁must ▁only ▁play ▁disc s ▁that ▁contain ▁its ▁region ▁code . ▁In ▁theory , ▁this ▁allows ▁the ▁motion ▁picture ▁stud ios ▁to ▁control ▁the ▁various ▁aspects ▁of ▁a ▁release ▁( including ▁content , ▁date ▁and ▁price ) ▁on ▁a ▁region - by - region ▁basis , ▁or ▁ensure ▁the ▁success ▁of ▁" st agger ed " ▁or ▁delayed ▁cinema ▁releases ▁from ▁country ▁to ▁country . ▁For ▁example , ▁the ▁British ▁movie ▁ 2 8 ▁Days ▁Later ▁was ▁released ▁on ▁DVD ▁in ▁Europe ▁several ▁months ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁film ' s ▁release ▁in ▁North ▁American ▁movie ▁the aters . ▁Regional ▁coding ▁kept ▁the ▁European ▁DVD ▁un play able ▁for ▁most ▁North ▁American ▁consum ers , ▁thereby ▁ens uring ▁that ▁ticket ▁sales ▁would ▁be ▁relatively ▁una ffect ed . ▁▁ ▁In ▁practice , ▁many ▁DVD ▁players ▁allow ▁play back ▁of ▁any ▁disc , ▁or ▁can ▁be ▁modified ▁to ▁do ▁so . ▁Ent ire ly ▁independent ▁of ▁encryption , ▁region ▁coding ▁per tain s ▁to ▁regional ▁lock out , ▁which ▁origin ated ▁in ▁the ▁video ▁game ▁industry . ▁ ▁From ▁a ▁world wide ▁perspective ▁regional ▁coding ▁may ▁be ▁seen ▁as ▁a ▁failure . ▁A ▁huge ▁percentage ▁of ▁players ▁outside ▁of ▁North ▁America ▁can ▁be ▁easily ▁modified ▁( and ▁are ▁even ▁sold ▁pre - mod ified ▁by ▁main stream ▁stores ▁such ▁as ▁Amazon . co . uk