How to Play Region 2 DVDs in US: 3 Simple Methods

You bought a rare DVD in London, but back home in US, your DVD player refuses to read it. This isn't due to scratches; it's a Region Code restriction. Discs from Europe, Japan, the Middle East, and South Africa are classified as Region 2 DVDs, which are not compatible with a standard U.S. (Region 1) player. But what exactly does it mean by "Region 2", and more importantly, how to play region 2 DVDs in the US? This article will introduce 3 effective methods to help you play Region 2 DVDs in America smoothly.

What is the Region 2 DVD?

A Region 2 DVD is a DVD-Video disc encoded with Region Code 2, a form of region-based playback control used by the DVD industry to manage licensing, release timing, and distribution across different markets. In practical terms, a Region 2 disc is intended for playback on DVD players and DVD drives set to Region 2. Region coding is separate from the disc format itself, so the same movie title may exist as Region 1, Region 2, or Region 0/All depending on where it was sold.

🌏Region 2 generally includes: Japan, most of Europe, South Africa, the Middle East (including Egypt), and Greenland.

Will Region 2 DVD Play in US?

In theory, no. A typical DVD player sold in the United States is coded for Region 1, which means it generally cannot play discs labeled Region 2.

However, there are workarounds. If you want to play a Region 2 DVD in the USA, you can choose a DVD player (software or hardware) that supports Region 2, change your DVD drive's region setting to Region 2, or convert your Region 2 DVD into a digital video format such as MP4 or MKV.

In the next section, I will lay out the specific methods and explain when each one makes the most sense. 

How to Play Region 2 DVDs in US

To watch Region 2 DVDs in US, the most effective solution is a region-free player. Unlike standard hardware, these players are compatible with discs from any country, providing a permanent fix for regional lockouts. You can choose between two main types: hardware players for your TV or software players for your computer. While hardware offers a traditional living room experience, software is typically the most budget-friendly alternative.

Method 1: Use a Region 2 Compatible DVD Player

The best solution on how to Play Region 2 DVD in U.S. is to invest in a region-free DVD player. Rather than just tackling Region 2, a region-free player is compatible with discs from every corner of the globe. These players generally fall into two categories: hardware players and software players. While hardware units tend to be more expensive, software solutions are often much more budget-friendly. 

PlayerFab DVD Player

PlayerFab DVD Player is a desktop media player designed for DVD playback, including discs with different region codes.It isn't just limited to Region 2 DVDs; it supports playing DVD discs from any region, and it can also open DVD ISO image files and DVD folders for playback. On Windows, it provides DVD navigation menu support for discs, ISO files, and folders, so you can browse titles and control playback in a familiar DVD-style interface. The player also uses GPU acceleration technology to help reduce CPU usage during playback.

Based on my evaluation, the most standout feature of this Region 2 DVD player is its ability to not only support multi-region discs but also bypass advanced DRM, such as CSS, Sony DADC, and Disney protections. Furthermore, it offers dual UI modes for both PC and TV. Even if you connect your computer screen to a television, the interface adapts perfectly for a seamless, high-quality viewing experience.

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KMPlayer 

KMPlayer is a media player for Windows that supports many common video containers, including DVD (and related files such as MPEG-2/VOB). When using a PC DVD drive, KMPlayer can be used to play DVD video content, but DVD region restrictions are typically enforced by the drive and the system settings, not just the player software. So you need to follow Method 2 to modify the optical drive's region settings before using KMPlayer for playback.

VLC Media Player

While VLC is a free, open-source favorite, it often struggles with Region 2 DVDs on modern computers. Most current RPC-2 drives use hardware-level locks that VLC cannot bypass on its own. To make it work, you'll typically need to manually switch your drive's region setting to Region 2 (see Method 2) before the player can access the disc.

Region-Free DVD Players (Hardware)

Jinhoo DVD Player ($25 – $30): This DVD player is an all-region free DVD player, and can play DVDs from Region 1–6 (with an exception note for some Japan CPRM discs), and it lists broad disc compatibility such as DVD, DVD-R/+R, DVD-/+RW, CD-R/-RW, VCD, and SVCD. It also highlights HDMI and AV connectivity.

Majority HDMI DVD Player for TV ($30 – $48): Majority's HDMI DVD players are multi-region/region-free, with emphasizing 1080P HDMI output plus support for DVD formats, CDs, and USB video formats.

LG DP132H Region Free DVD Player ($40 – $65): The LG DP132H is a compact DVD player with a small footprint. Some retailers offer region-free variants capable of playing discs from any region (typically listed as Regions 0–9) and handling both PAL and NTSC video standards. If you specifically purchase one of these region-free versions, it serves as a highly practical solution for watching Region 2 DVDs in the US.

Method 2. Change DVD Player/Drive to Region 2

If you want to play Region 2 DVDs in the US using your existing hardware or a computer drive with free software (like VLC or KMPlayer), you may need to manually change the drive's region setting. The primary advantage of this method is that it's completely free.

However, there is a major catch: modern drives are RPC-2 drives, which enforces region coding at the hardware firmware level. This means most DVD drives only allow you to change the region a maximum of five times. Once the fifth change is made, the drive becomes permanently locked to that final region.

How to Change a Hardware DVD Player to Region 2

Step 1. Turn on your DVD player but do not insert a disc.

Step 2. Press the Setup, Info, or System button on your remote (the button varies depending on your brand).

Step 3. Navigate the menu to look for an option labeled "Region" or "Country Code." If available, select Region 2.

How to Change Computer's DVD Drive to Region 2

If you want to use free media players like VLC or KMPlayer to play Region 2 DVDs in the U.S., you must first change your DVD drive's region setting to Region 2. Without this adjustment, these software programs will be unable to access or open the disc.

Below are the steps to modify your DVD drive's region:

Step 1. Right-click the Start menu and select Device Manager.

Step 2. Expand the DVD/CD-ROM drives section.

Step 3. Right-click your specific DVD drive and select Properties.

Step 4. Switch to the DVD Region tab. Scroll through the list and select a Region 2 country (e.g., United Kingdom, Japan, or Germany).

Step 5. Click OK.

Method 3. Convert Region 2 DVD to Region-Free Digital Files

If you want to play Region 2 DVDs on any device in the US without worrying about player or drive region settings, a practical approach is converting the disc into a standard digital format like MP4 or MKV with DVD rippers. One reliable choice is DVDFab DVD Ripper. It supports loading physical DVD discs, ISO files, or folders and converting them into over 1,000 video formats, including MP4, MKV, and MOV. Most importantly, it is specifically designed to handle any DVD region code or copy protection, making your media truly region-free. Here is how to make your region 2 DVD playable in USA with this DVD ripper.

Step 1. Insert the Region 2 DVD into your computer's DVD drive.

Step 2. Open DVDFab and choose the Ripper module. 

Step 3. Click Add to load the source (DVD disc, ISO, or folder). 

Step 4. Select an output profile. The most popular options are MP4 and MKV.

• MP4 if you want broad compatibility across phones, tablets, TVs, and media players.
• MKV if you want to keep more tracks (for example, multiple audio/subtitle tracks) in one file. 

Step 5. Choose the destination folder, then click Start to begin the conversion. 

Conclusion

There are several simple ways to play Region 2 DVDs in the US, and the best choice depends on your budget, equipment, and technical comfort level. If you prefer to avoid the hassle of manually changing region codes—or if your device simply doesn't allow it—investing in a region-free DVD player is your best bet. A professional software solution like PlayerFab DVD Player is a great choice for computer users. For those who are more tech-savvy, you can follow the steps in this guide to manually switch your device to Region 2. Alternatively, you can use a DVD ripper to convert your Region 2 discs into MP4 files, removing all region restrictions forever.