Panasonic UB 9000P1K Region Free vs. OEM

Absolute newbie here, so please be gentle

Looking to get a region-free version from 220-electronics. Comparing the prices, it looks like there is approx. $400 price difference between the region-free vs. the OEM. Is it worth the price to buy region-free vs. DIY? Is the flashing just firmware or are there hardware changes involved?