DVD Guide for German
Watching German Movies on DVD
A scene from the German movie
"Lola rennt" shows Lola (Franka
Potente) running through the streets
of Berlin. The DVD version is one of
the best you'll find in German.
Foto: Bernd Spauke/Sony Pictures
The Digital Revolution
ALSO SEE: DVD Regional Code Solutions
The digital video revolution was supposed to make life easier for those of us who wanted to enjoy foreign-language films on video. With the impending arrival of digital video, we had hoped we would no longer have to worry about the world's three different television formats (NTSC, PAL, SECAM), a problem that has plagued the analog video format since the three competing TV standards came into existence. Such video freedom, alas, proved to be elusive.
Regional Codes and Subcodes
Hollywood and the video industry, with marketing concerns at the top of their priority list, threw a Regional Codes monkey wrench into the new DVD format. Ostensibly to protect various world markets and to allow the continuation of staggered movie release dates around the globe, the digital DVD format that could have been truly universal was instead divided up into six different regions. This means that a DVD released in Germany (Region 2) cannot be played on a DVD player in the US (Region 1) or vice versa. By the same token, a DVD disk intended for Australia or New Zealand (Region 4) won't play in any of the other five regions. Thus, a movie released in the US earlier than in Europe may be available on DVD and video in Region 1 (the US and Canada) prior to its release in Region 2 (Europe, Japan). So, theoretically at least, this means a German can't buy the US DVD of a movie and view it before the film even appears in German cinemas. In addition, DVD has the same NTSC vs. PAL problems as the older analog videotape and laserdisc systems. Although the video information is stored in MPEG digital form, European DVD players are set to play in 625-line PAL or SECAM mode (similar systems in many ways), and sometimes in a pseudo-NTSC mode, but standard US DVD players function only in the 525-line NTSC video mode. DVD playback on computers avoids this problem by displaying on the computer's monitor, but the problem of regional coding may remain.
So now, instead of only three video systems, DVD has introduced an even worse hodgepodge of six regional differences around the world, in addition to the PAL vs. NTSC problems. In fact, each world region may be further divided into "subregions." For example, Region 2 DVDs (Europe, Japan) may be subcoded D1 through D4. A "D1" code identifies a UK-only release. "D2" and "D3" identify European DVDs that are not sold in the UK and Ireland. "D4" identifies DVDs that are distributed throughout Europe. (This may be because the German PAL standard is slightly different than the UK PAL format.) In some ways, the six regional codes for DVD are like the VHS vs. Beta wars of old, only three times as bad!
But help is at hand!
NEXT > DVD Code Solutions DVD PAGE: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
FILM INDEX: German Movie Index - An alphabetical list of films and DVDs in German
ALSO SEE: DVD/Video Sources
Video Highlights | Switching Region Codes | DVD Sources
Related Pages
DVD Details
Why German-learners should switch from VHS to DVD. An article from your Guide.
DVD Codes
What are the six regional codes for DVD? Why do they exist?
German Movie Guide: Introduction
The starting point for learning about movies and DVDs in German.
How To Switch Region Codes
A detailed how-to by your Guide, based on his personal experience in switching the region codes on a laptop DVD drive.
DVD/Video Sources
We help you find online vendors of German video.
German Cinema
Articles and links for movies in German.
German Video Highlights
A look at some of the best offerings in German.
Lola's Running on Video
More about the movie and the DVD.
Videostore
More German videos selected by your Guide.
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German Chat
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