It depends on whether you need DVD + BR multiregion, or just DVD. Bear in mind that 4K discs are region free (something that I learnt only recently, I hasten to add). If it’s just DVD, then a standard Panasonic player can be hacked easily with a remote control bought off eBay, which is what I did with my new Pannie player. Bear in mind too that if you go for a fully-modded device then your warranty will be with the modder, not Panasonic or Sony. Future firmware updates may also cause issues.
There aren’t too many differences between regions nowadays when it comes to BRs, in my experience, which was certainly not the case when DVDs were king.
Clem