Region Free DVD Player Question

[notridgid]

I`m buying a region free dvd for a friend and I have this question. Does any manufacturer actually make a region free dvd player or have all the region free players been hacked by whoever is selling them? Also I`ve noticed wildly different prices for the Pioneer DV-420V-K Region Free DVD Player and in fact sometimes it is sold as DV-420-KWC and even more confusing on the same site it is sold as both models. Which is it?. Can somebody clue me in to all this .
Thanks in advance

[guns1inger]

It depends on the country and the reseller. In Australia, region free DVD players are easy to find, and most retailers carry them. However some of the more expensive chains that deal only with brand names tend to carry only the region locked versions of those players, while other retailers carry the same model, region free (and usually for a cheaper price).

It does appear that for BD players, region-locked is the more coomon format, including the DVD component. However again, it is possible to find region free BD players without too much effort.

I don't know what the situation is like in the US, however I get the impression, from posts here, that you have to look harder for region free players, especially branded ones, although cheaper models seem to suffer less from this (think Philips)

[notridgid]

Thanks for your reply Gunslinger. I can find them online here in Calif. no problem. There just seems to be a huge variance in cost. But I have been doing my research and am beginning to understand how this all shakes out. thanks for your input.