UHD Blu-ray regional zones?

[_voyager_]

I am from Europe and purchased UDP-203 few weeks ago. I am interested if I need "multiregion kit" to watch 4K UHD Blu-ray discs from Zone A?

Are UHD disk in fact zone-free?

[Cook]

All UHD discs are region free.

[Crimsoncleaver]

As stated all region-free. You just have to be wary of the blu-rays included (bonus features etc), depending on the distributer they can be region-locked.

[_voyager_]

Excellent. Thanks!!!

[BluRayHiDef]

Aren't the specifications of BDs and UHD-BDs as formats certified by the same organization? If so, why did said organization not remove region locks as a requirement for the former when they decided not to require them for the latter?

[Geoff D]

Region locking isn't a "requirement" on BD but an option, it's there if the content providers decide to use it. Some content providers who've willingly embraced UHD's boundary-free outlook are still locking their BD output e.g. Lionsgate because their rights situation is complicated, they don't distribute their product in a lot of places overseas so locking will ensure that their local partners aren't affected by importing. "Doesn't the exact same logic apply to the UHD then?" Yes and no, because most smaller local distributors aren't producing UHDs yet, you can't lose a sale for something that you don't yet produce yourself. Sure, the UHD has supplanted a local BD purchase but if that person has gone to the trouble of importing the UHD then there's a good chance they'd have imported the US BD anyway.

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Region locking isn't a "requirement" on BD but an option, it's there if the content providers decide to use it. Some content providers who've willingly embraced UHD's boundary-free outlook are still locking their BD output e.g. Lionsgate because their rights situation is complicated, they don't distribute their product in a lot of places overseas so locking will ensure that their local partners aren't affected by importing. "Doesn't the exact same logic apply to the UHD then?" Yes and no, because most smaller local distributors aren't producing UHDs yet, you can't lose a sale for something that you don't yet produce yourself. Sure, the UHD has supplanted a local BD purchase but if that person has gone to the trouble of importing the UHD then there's a good chance they'd have imported the US BD anyway.

but 'can' regional coding be enacted or is not possible? I ask because I wonder if a company like Criterion which seems to be hiding behind region locking it's titles because it doesn't cross into European region exclusivity

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Dubstar

but 'can' regional coding be enacted or is not possible? I ask because I wonder if a company like Criterion which seems to be hiding behind region locking it's titles because it doesn't cross into European region exclusivity

The spectre of online verification loomed large over UHD disc while it was still in its development stage. Although that seems to have quietly been pushed to the background it may yet be required in order for places like Criterion to commit to UHD, their licences are built around region locking (same for Kino, Shout, and the like).

The point with Lionsgate is that they basically own that content in a North American context so their laissez faire attitude to the unlocked UHDs is their decision to make, as it is for the major studios who are involved with the format. But for the likes of Criterion they're routinely releasing someone else's property so they have to abide by those rules, and even when they're releasing stuff on BD licensed from a 'region free' studio like Warners they still lock it, e.g. Lyndon.

We know from the Kino insider that MGM granted them UHD rights as well as BD for TGTBATU so that in itself implies that MGM aren't too concerned about a region-free UHD cutting into sales of the movie elsewhere, they own it almost the world over so what do they care? But the more obscure arty stuff that Criterion specialise in means that it may come with tighter regional restrictions, so they may seek further information from the BDA about enacting online verification before getting into UHD. Or it may come down to something like with MGM mentioned above, that if the UHD disc rights are already built into the licence then that's obviously an explicit approval of such a 'region free' release.

[StingingVelvet]

Criterion putting online based DRM on their UHD discs would kill their sales, just like it hurt the Xbox One despite them changing their plans at the last minute. The people still buying discs are the people who care about that stuff, they'd be idiots to do it. A much better plan would simply be to accept a worldwide market and pass on stuff that has a good version elsewhere, something some label insiders around here (like Kino's MisterLime) say they do already anyway.

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

Criterion putting online based DRM on their UHD discs would kill their sales, just like it hurt the Xbox One despite them changing their plans at the last minute. The people still buying discs are the people who care about that stuff, they'd be idiots to do it. A much better plan would simply be to accept a worldwide market and pass on stuff that has a good version elsewhere, something some label insiders around here (like Kino's MisterLime) say they do already anyway.

granted that cross parallel importing already exists, it's not like the market is hurting from it, but, smaller boutique home video studios would be hurt financially if Criterion's were to release their product on UHD if the transfer/extra supplements were superior.

Secondly, I know folk on this board go absolutely batty when a UHD is not undergone the HDR process, but I'd bet you if Criterion were to enter the UHD market, you can sure as hell expect them to not boost the colors just for the sake of what is expected. Once their transfers are done in 4K, that's it ... they'll then encode it as such.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

Criterion putting online based DRM on their UHD discs would kill their sales, just like it hurt the Xbox One despite them changing their plans at the last minute. The people still buying discs are the people who care about that stuff, they'd be idiots to do it. A much better plan would simply be to accept a worldwide market and pass on stuff that has a good version elsewhere, something some label insiders around here (like Kino's MisterLime) say they do already anyway.

Don't Kino lock their stuff as a matter of course though? Or is on a title by title basis? Don't really buy a lot of their gear.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by Dubstar

granted that cross parallel importing already exists, it's not like the market is hurting from it, but, smaller boutique home video studios would be hurt financially if Criterion's were to release their product on UHD if the transfer/extra supplements were superior.

Secondly, I know folk on this board go absolutely batty when a UHD is not undergone the HDR process, but I'd bet you if Criterion were to enter the UHD market, you can sure as hell expect them to not boost the colors just for the sake of what is expected. Once their transfers are done in 4K, that's it ... they'll then encode it as such.

Call me a capitalist but I don't think anyone is owed an artificial advantage. If a smaller label can't compete with a larger one who has overseas rights then maybe they should pass on the license, rather than expect a gimmie.

As for Criterion and HDR, I think a lot of catalog discs have shown HDR can be used very subtly on older films and not revisionist. Film naturally has a higher range than BDs, so as long as it's not overdone it will enhance the experience quite well. A lot of my favorite UHDs are catalog releases with HDR.

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Don't Kino lock their stuff as a matter of course though? Or is on a title by title basis? Don't really buy a lot of their gear.

I think MisterLime has been blunt before and said they lock everything so they don't have to do overseas customer support. That's definitely an issue to think about if the future is labels with no region-locks, though in my experience every other label does do overseas support. Arrow and Indicator have both sent me disc replacements for Shivers and Sinbad, respectively.