) ▁to ▁ignore ▁the ▁regional ▁codes ▁on ▁a ▁disc . ▁This , ▁couple d ▁with ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁almost ▁all ▁televis ions ▁in ▁Europe ▁and ▁Austral asia ▁are ▁capable ▁of ▁displaying ▁N T SC ▁video ▁( at ▁the ▁very ▁least , ▁in ▁black ▁and ▁white ), ▁means ▁that ▁consum ers ▁in ▁these ▁regions ▁have ▁a ▁huge ▁choice ▁of ▁disc s . ▁Con tr ary ▁to ▁popular ▁belief , ▁this ▁practice ▁is ▁not ▁illegal ▁and ▁in ▁some ▁countries ▁that ▁strongly ▁support ▁free ▁trade ▁it ▁is ▁encourag ed . ▁ ▁A ▁normal ▁DVD ▁player ▁can ▁only ▁play ▁region - coded ▁disc s ▁designated ▁for ▁the ▁player ' s ▁own ▁particular ▁region . ▁However , ▁a ▁code - free ▁or ▁region - free ▁DVD ▁player ▁is ▁capable ▁of ▁playing ▁DVD s ▁from ▁any ▁of ▁the ▁six ▁regions ▁around ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁The ▁CSS ▁license ▁prohib its ▁manufact uring ▁of ▁DVD ▁players ▁that ▁are ▁not ▁set ▁to ▁a ▁single ▁region ▁by ▁default . ▁While ▁the ▁same ▁license ▁prohib its ▁manufact ur ers ▁from ▁including ▁prominent ▁interfaces ▁to ▁change ▁the ▁region ▁setting ▁it ▁does ▁not ▁clearly ▁prevent ▁them ▁from ▁including ▁" hidden " ▁men us ▁that ▁enable ▁the ▁player ' s ▁region ▁to ▁be ▁changed ; ▁as ▁such , ▁many ▁high - end ▁models ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁include ▁password - protected ▁or ▁otherwise ▁hidden ▁methods ▁to ▁enable ▁multi - region ▁play back . ▁Con vers ely ▁in ▁the ▁UK ▁and ▁Ireland ▁many ▁cheap ▁DVD ▁players ▁are ▁multi - region ▁while ▁more ▁expensive ▁systems ,