How to Copy Region 2 DVD to Region 1
By Chad Anderson
DVD regions were developed by movie companies to protect the release of their films in various markets. Region settings allow them to control the release date of films in each of the regions. However, with the right software, most standalone and computer-based DVD drives can be set to read discs set for different regions, and many can be set to a region-free setting, allowing them to read any DVD. Alternatively, you can strip the region codes from your, for example, Region 2 DVDs and re-burn them so that they will play in Region 1 NTSC DVD players.
Copying DVDs with Software from SlySoft
Launch AnyDVD and then CloneDVD 2 from your applications menu. Wait for AnyDVD to start. An icon of a fox head should appear in your task bar. Insert your Region 2 DVD into the disc drive.
Click "Clone DVD" on the CloneDVD 2 startup menu. Click the button in the top-right hand corner that looks like a yellow circle with arrows. Select your DVD drive from the list to import your DVD data.
Check the "Preserve menus" button, as some forms of DVD security will break the copy if it is not preserved in its entirety.
Select the size of the burnable, unformatted DVD-R you will be burning your Region-free copy to. This is located in the drop-down box next to the Quality bar.
Click "Next" and choose your output option from the main screen. Choose "DVD Writer" if you are going to burn the movie to a DVD. Choose where you want to save the temporary, region-free DVD on your hard drive before burning. Click "Go!" to begin the conversion and eventual burning process.
Copying DVDs with MacTheRipper
Launch MacTheRipper from your Applications directory in Finder. Insert your Region 2 DVD into your DVD drive and wait while MacTheRipper scans the DVD.
Click "Save Location" and choose where you want to save the copy of your DVD on your hard drive. Click the button next to New Region and select "ALL" from the option list.
Press "Enter" to start the DVD extraction to your hard drive. Once completed, open the Disk Utility application from the Utilities sub-folder under Applications in Finder.
Drag and drop the copied DVD, from Finder, into the Disk Utility application. Insert a blank, unformatted DVD-R into your disc drive and click the "Burn" button to burn your new, region-free DVD.
Copying DVDs with DVDShrink
Insert your Region 2 DVD into your DVD drive. Launch DVDShrink from your applications menu. Click "Edit" and then "Preferences" to open the Preferences dialog box.
Select your target DVD Size from the drop-down menu. Most consumer, burnable DVDs are DVD5. Click the "Output Files" tab and make sure that the first four check-boxes are enabled. This will ensure that the region settings are stripped from your DVD. Close the Preferences dialog.
Click the "Open Disk" button and select your DVD drive from the drop-down list. Wait while DVDShrink analyzes your DVD. Click the "Backup!" button to choose an output source and save your DVD to your hard drive.
Launch your preferred disc authoring application and burn the backup copy of your DVD from the files saved to your hard drive. If you have Nero installed, DVDShrink will automatically send your backup copy to Nero for burning.
References
Tips
- Many commercial DVDs can be up to 9GBs, while consumer, burnable DVDs are 5GBs. You may need to use a compression program or purchase dual-layer DVDs if you want to burn these larger, commercial copies in their entirety.
- Another useful utility for making compressed copies of your DVD for storage on your hard drive is the free and open source cross-platform application HandBrake (see Resources).
Writer Bio
Chad Anderson began writing professionally in 2009. He primarily contributes articles on technology and outdoor topics for various websites. His areas of interest include Linux and open-source software along with cycling and other outdoor sports. Anderson holds a Bachelor of Arts in English literature from the University of Nevada in Reno.