Important information on our DVD and VCD discs

Region Codes

The DVD world is divided into six major geographical regions, with two additional regions reserved for special use. The official explanation is that region coding is a tool to protect copyright and film distribution rights. The reality is that movie studios reap maximum profits  from the theatrical release of movies but also from the DVD versions of the movies. What is certain is that consumers are unprotected from the greed of movie studios who have imposed this coding to manufactures of DVD players. It is a small comfort that certain countries, like Australia, New Zealand and the European Union have started to examine these methods and may take some action in an effort to protect consumers' rights.

Until action is hopefully taken, DVD players and DVDs are labeled for operation within a specific geographical region in the world. For example, the U.S.A. is in region 1 and DVD players sold in the U.S.A. are made to region 1 specifications. As a result, region 1 players can only play region 1 discs as the DVD discs are encoded for a specific region. On the back of each DVD package, you normally find a region number (1- 6 with region 7 being reserved for future use and region 8 being reserved for special venues like cruise ships, airlines, hotels etc). The geographical regions are as follows:

	Region 1: United States, Canada, Bermuda, U.S. Territories		Region 4: Mexico, Central and South America, Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand, Oceania
	Region 2: Europe (except Russia, Ukraine and Belarus), Middle East, Egypt, Japan, South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, French Overseas Territories, Greenland		Region 5: Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Africa (except Egypt, South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho and French Overseas Territories), Central and South Asia, Mongolia, North Korea
	Region 3: Southeast Asia, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau		Region 6: People's Republic of China, Hong Kong

All our DVD movies are suitable for European DVD players (zone 2). Some are also suitable for region 4 DVD players and some others for all zones. Description of all our movies includes region, language, subtitles, age rating and other information.

Please check carefully if a DVD is suitable for your region before buying. We shall not be able to accept returns if the wrong region is selected.

Video format

As if region coding wasn't enough, the world is divided into three video standards that are basically incompatible: NTSC (National Television Standards Committee) used mainly in the U.S.A., PAL (Phase Alternating Line) used in Europe and SECAM (Système Électronique pour Couleur avec Mèmoire) used in France. The reason for the three different standards is that, as television was "invented" at different times in various parts of the world, politics dictated at the time which system would be employed as the national standard in these countries

Things are not as bad as with region coding. Most television sets and DVD players in our days can cope with the various video standards, which will disappear anyway as all countries are switching to digital television broadcasting.

The video format of every DVD we sell is mentioned in the item description.

Quality

All our DVD or VCD movies have not been played more than 2-3 times and every disc is checked for playability before we list it for sale. We use the following symbols to rate our movies. 

	New: never opened.		Good: a DVD or VCD with clear external signs of wear, but one that continues to play perfectly. The DVD or VCD may have identification markings from its owner.
	Like New: a DVD or VCD in perfect condition. The box or jewel case is clean and vivid, with no signs of wear.		Acceptable: a DVD or VCD with extensive external signs of wear, but one that continues to play perfectly. The box or jewel case may be damaged, and the notes or other inclusions may be marked but remain complete and legible. All our DVD or VCD discs are of 3+ star quality
	Very Good: a well-cared-for DVD or VCD that has been seen, but remains in great condition. The film is complete, without interruption, and does not skip. The box may show limited signs of wear, as may the liner notes.

DVD players

We are not selling DVD players. However, if you live in U.S.A., Canada or another country and want to buy a region 2 (or region free) DVD player, we shall be happy to buy one for you from the local market and ship it to your country. Due to the high competition between large electronics chains, prices of DVD players (and most electronic items) are sometimes significantly lower in Greece than in most European or American countries.

Country information

The following table indicates the video format and region code for each of the countries we ship to. This information was correct at the time of listing but, as some countries switch from one video format to another, please let us know if you find any mistake.