Quick question - are blu-ray players multi-region for dvd playback by default, or do I need to ask the question when buying? Should I expect to have to pay extra for (dvd) multi-region capability?
Not by default, but most of the popular ones can be made multi-region by the retailer without any price increase, so just ask. I got my DVD multiregion Sony BDP-S550 from Richer Sounds.