I have this problem so many times. Since I'm in a region 2 area, I prefer to get my US TV-series such as Ironside, McCloud region 2. That way I can play them on any regular region 2 player and don't have to go for a low end region free player. When checkin on Amazon for DVDs, I always compare Amazon UK with Amazon US for both availability and price of DVDs or box sets. Problem is that I always end up comparing title A from US company x VS the same title from European company y. Example the "Six million dollar man" box set. Is the region 2 release the same in content and quality as the US region 1 release? For one thing the packaging is different (The US version is far more attractive).
THen there are the different companies within a release of a same franchise. Example "Ironside".
Finally there is the situation where a series is released in one region but not in another but the release that is available has bad editing, missing parts episodes intros or extros. Some series are released in a region that is not of the country of the series origin (I can understand that has connection to copy rights but it's more fog on the radar). Examples "Kojak" and "McCloud"
It is so incredibly confusing. I want to buy a good DVD, not waste a whole afternoon comparing all kinds of rates and components. Had that been my entertainment I'd have sold my soul and would have become a stock broker.
Any hints in general are welcome as are any hints on the releases above