When buying imported videos and DVDs you should carefully check the format of the disc or tape because there are regional variations which may stop you viewing your purchase.
DVDs are encoded with a regional code (also known as a "country code", "zone lock") so that they can only be played in a particular part of the world. This annoying restriction has been put in place by DVD manufacturers so they can control the release of discs in different countries (because, for example, a movie might be released on DVD in America as it is only just hitting cinemas in Europe). The implications of this is that you may not be able to play DVDs imported from abroad.
When buying a sitcom DVD you should therefore ensure you are buying a disc with the correct region code. The map and key below will show you which region discs you should buy...
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| America & Canada | UK & Rest of Europe | Asia |
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| Australia, NZ, South America | Russia, Africa | China |
| [a complete breakdown of regions is at the bottom of this page] | ||
Some DVDs are free of a region lock (also known as Region 0 DVDs), these can be played on any player.
Also some DVD players and most PCs with a DVD drive are 'unlocked' and can play discs from any region. These are known as multi-region players or multi-zone players - if you have one of these you can ignore this advice.
If you are unsure of what region(s) your DVD player will run we suggest you check on the back or bottom of the unit for one of the globe symbols above (if it shows "All" or "0" then it is a multi-region player).
If your player does not appear to accept the region DVD you wish to buy we suggest you look for a copy of the DVD with the correct region code. Alternatively you could get your player chipped so that it ignores region codes however it is probably less complicated, less hassle and cheaper to buy a fairly basic multi-region player; your local Amazon website will have some multi-region units for sale.
American and Canadian TV signals use a different frequency than European broadcasts hence VHS tapes come in different formats. Videos recorded in Europe will not normally play the other side of the Atlantic and visa-versa.
As a general rule:
Europe and Asia: VHS PAL
America / Canada: NTSC
Before buying a video check that it is the same format as your player reads - if you try and play a PAL tape on an NTSC machine the picture quality will be very poor. The good news is that many modern machines can play both formats so if your video is multi-format you should have no worries importing tapes.
If your player can't take PAL you will either need to look for an NTSC version of the video, upgrade your machine (a cheap multi-format player can be bought for under $150) or get the PAL video copied into NTSC format (professional equipment is required for this - your local video shop might offer such a service).
You may find this DVD FAQs 
site of some help.
Region 01: Canada, U.S., U.S. Territories. Region 02: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, European Union, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, France, Georgia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Iran (Islamic Republic of) Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia (the Former Yugoslav Republic), Malta, Moldova, Principality of Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia,South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Kingdom (Channel Islands) Vatican City State, Yemen, Yugoslavia Region 03: Southeast Asia, East Asia (including Hong Kong) Region 04: Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Central America, Mexico, South America, Caribbean Region 05: Former Soviet Union, Indian Subcontinent, Africa (also North Korea, Mongolia) Region 06: China Region 07: Reserved Region 08: Special international venues (airplanes, cruise ships, etc.)