How to Play Region B Blu-Ray in Two Ways

Blu-ray discs have region codes that restrict playback to specific geographic regions. In this guide, we will explain how to play Region B Blu-rays, which are encoded for Europe, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

While region coding is intended to control distribution, there are several methods to bypass these restrictions and enjoy imported discs from Region B on your player. We'll cover region B Blu ray player, firmware hacks, manual region code changing, and software solutions to get the most out of your Blu-ray collection.

Part 1: What are Blu-Ray Region Codes?

Blu-ray discs utilize region coding, a type of Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology, to control distribution and prevent unauthorized playback in certain parts of the world. Blu ray region codes are divided into three main regions - Region A, Region B, and Region C.

Region A covers North America, South America, U.S. Territories, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia. Region B includes Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand. Region C encompasses Asia, excluding Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia.

If you purchase a Blu-ray disc encoded for a specific region, it will be locked to playback only in that region or Blu ray zones. For example, a Region B Blu-ray from Europe will not play on a standard Region A North American Blu-ray player.

The purpose of region codes Blu ray is to stagger release dates and control pricing across different markets. However, it can be frustrating if you import discs or travel abroad and want to watch Blu-rays from other parts of the world.

Part 2: Two Ways to Play Region B Blu-Ray Discs

1.Use A Region B Blu-Ray Player

The simplest way to play Region B Blu-rays is to use a Blu ray player region B. Region B players sold in Europe, Africa, Australia, and other parts of that region will play Region B discs without issue.

• 1.To use a region B Blu ray player, purchase one while traveling abroad or from an electronics importer online that stocks the region you want.

• 2.Make sure the player specifically states it is Region B or region free, as many only support Region A or C.

  

• 3.Set up the region B Blue ray player with your TV and home theater system as normal. It should automatically read and play Region B Blu-rays in their original quality without alterations.

• 4. A Region B player gives you an easy, plug-and-play way to enjoy your imported movie collection. Just be aware that it will likely only play Region B discs, not other regions.

2.Use A Region-Free Blu-Ray Player

VideoByte Blu-ray Player is a software program that allows region-free Blu ray region ABC playback on your computer. It bypasses region coding restrictions and detects content from any Blu-ray disc region.

VideoByte provides a simple navigation bar to control Blu-ray playback. It detects chapter information and preserves original 4K Ultra HD video quality with DTS or Dolby Digital audio when streaming. This gives a theater-like viewing experience at home.

Here are the steps to use VideoByte Blu-ray Player for region-free Blu-ray streaming:

• 1.Insert your Blu-ray disc into your computer and open the VideoByte software. It can also load discs directly.

  

• 2. Once the Blu-ray loads, adjust settings like audio, subtitles, and chapter selection in the menu. Configure as desired.

• 3. Press the "Play" button to begin streaming the Blu-ray movie. VideoByte will play the disc in high quality regardless of its region code.

  

Bonus tips: Use HitPaw Video Converter to Convert Blu-Ray to Digital

HitPaw Video Converter is a versatile program that can rip and convert Blu-ray discs to digital file formats. This provides an easy way to back up your discs and play them on more devices. With HitPaw Video Converter, you won’t have to worry about any region code for Blu ray.

The advantage of HitPaw Video Converter is keeping pristine video and audio quality. It also unlocks your Blu-ray collection for more convenient mobile and online viewing. The trade-off is the conversion process can be slow depending on your computer's resources. But for flexibility, the HitPaw Video Converter is a superb option for digitizing Blu-rays.

Here are steps for converting a Blu-ray to MP4 with HitPaw Video Converter

• 1.Download and Install the HitPaw Video Convert from the official website of HitPaw Video Converter. Then, launch the program.

  
  

• 2.Insert your Blu-ray disc into your computer and open the HitPaw Video Converter. Click the "Load DVD Folder” option from the list.

  

• 3.Select your Blu-ray from the list of detected discs. Choose MP4 as the output format.

  

• 4.Customize encoding settings like video resolution if desired.

  

• 5.Click "Convert" to start ripping the Blu-ray to an MP4 video file.

  

• 6.Once completed, you can find the converted MP4 in the "Converted" files tab or the destination folder. The MP4 can now be played on media players and mobile devices and uploaded online without Blu-ray region restrictions.

FAQs of Playing Region B Blu-Ray

Conclusion

With the world of Blu-ray being divided into regional formats, playing discs from outside your region can pose a challenge. Region coding means most standard players are locked to either Region A or Region B, limiting the movies you can enjoy.

To unlock your Blu-ray collection and play discs from any region, using a dedicated Region B or region-free player is the optimal solution. Alternatively, ripping your Blu-rays to a digital file format with HitPaw Video Converter provides complete region freedom.