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Making my DVD-Rom region free

post #1 of 19
1/9/03 at 1:06pm
Thread Starter 
I didn't know which forum to put this in, so I hope it's the right one. Anyway, I'm going to be investing in a DVD-drive for my PC soon, with the express purpose of using it to watch non-region 1 discs. So I was wondering if anyone could offer advice on the best brands of drive to buy with this goal in mind.

I'm not sure if there are any 16X drives stateside being manufactured without region specification--if you know of any please tell me--but I'm looking for one where the modification would be relatively easy and low on the "hardware-frying possibility" index.

Anything you could say to help would be...extremely... helpful...
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post #2 of 19
1/9/03 at 1:20pm
Okay this can be quite difficult. It also depends on what kind of DVD it is and a couple other things. I direct you here... <a href="http://www.digital-digest.com/dvd/articles/region_dvdrom.html" target="_blank">http://www.digital-digest.com/dvd/articles/region_dvdrom.html</a>

Let me tell you though that if you must flash your firmware (the place where the region info is kept) it has the possibility of screwing up your computer and nulling the warranty.

It goes into more detail at the Fireware page that you can fin the link for on the page above but it takes a bit of reading to figure out what you are doing.

Hope that helps whatever little it can.
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post #3 of 19
1/9/03 at 1:33pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks. I knew about flashing the firmware, and did some reading on it. Obviously before I try anything like that I'll do a lot of homework and try to make sure I know what I'm on about.

Has anyone here flashed the firmware on a drive before? Any cautions or encouragements?
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post #4 of 19
1/9/03 at 1:36pm
I've only flashed my apex set top player way back when. It wasn't painful...but you did have to do a lot of investigating (model #'s, serial #'s, firmware version #'s)...to know where you are, and plan out where you're going firmware wise.

I've yet to find any discs that would prompt me to upgrade my toshiba dvd-rom to region free...but here's a site that'll help.

<a href="http://forum.firmware-flash.com/dl_all.php" target="_blank">The Firmware Page</a>
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post #5 of 19
1/9/03 at 1:42pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks again. Mostly I want to do Region Free b/c of British and Japanese discs I'd like to see that aren't likely to become available stateside. Japanese horror especially.
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post #6 of 19
1/9/03 at 2:18pm
Before you start monkeying around inside your PC, try <a href="http://www.digital-digest.com/dvd/downloads/dvdgenie.html" target="_blank">DVD Genie</a> and see if that works. It's what I use for taking screen grabs of R1 discs on my R2 DVD-ROM drive.

You just boot up DVD Genie, select the region you want your drive to be (or pretend to be), hit Apply, then Run. It then starts up your DVD software, tricking the PC into thinking it's the correct region code.

It works for me, using Power DVD.
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post #7 of 19
1/9/03 at 2:29pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks, Dan, I'll try that. I was under the impression that this didn't work on firmware-locked drives, though.

I actually changed my region code setting on my pc at work to watch "Ghostwatch", which I had to break over two lunch hours. Well worth it, though. wink
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post #8 of 19
1/9/03 at 2:40pm
Quote:
Dan Whitehead:
Before you start monkeying around inside your PC, try <a href="http://www.digital-digest.com/dvd/downloads/dvdgenie.html" target="_blank">DVD Genie</a> and see if that works. It's what I use for taking screen grabs of R1 discs on my R2 DVD-ROM drive.

You just boot up DVD Genie, select the region you want your drive to be (or pretend to be), hit Apply, then Run. It then starts up your DVD software, tricking the PC into thinking it's the correct region code.

It works for me, using Power DVD.
Of course this one works only if you have a 1 version of your dvd rom (there is a program which sees if you have type 1 or type 2 dvd-drive). If you have type or version 2 of a dvd-drive (which most are now) it will not allow this program to work.

There is a program you can actually buyfor some $40 bucks or something that allows you to avoid flashing your drive or using any other kind of program to offset the region. It is either DVD Region Killer or something along those lines. Hope that helps a little more.
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post #9 of 19
1/10/03 at 6:32pm
I thought DVD-ROMs were already region-free. Mine is. I was also under the impression that all one need do is change their region in the preferences area of their DVD software.
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post #10 of 19
1/10/03 at 7:09pm
You must have the type 1 of DVD Drive then.
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post #11 of 19
1/11/03 at 4:46am
Scott - Why not get a region free DVD player rather then have to watch your films on your PC?

Just wondering.
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post #12 of 19
1/13/03 at 12:30pm
Thread Starter 
Mainly it's a domestic peace thing. It goes a little something like this:

Me: I need a new DVD player!
Wife: You've already got one! Doesn't it work?
Me: Yes, but not for Japanese and British movies.
Wife: But baby needs a new pair of shoes! You can't squander our money like that.
Me: You're right, what was I thinking?

... (later) ...
Me: I need a DVD-rom drive for my PC!
Wife: It's your computer, do what you want.



However, a coworker just alerted me to a region-free hackable dvd player available locally for around $100...so I might be changing my mind...
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post #13 of 19
1/15/03 at 9:50pm
Quote:
Scott Standridge Screams in Italian:
Mainly it's a domestic peace thing.
I can understand that.

Sometimes I feel like Watto from 'Phantom Menace' with the haggling with my wife.

"Eh? You want a $50 haircut, ehhh? Well, I want a threesome with Shmi but I will settle for the Re-Animator: Millenium Edition DVD. Ehhhh? DEAL!"
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post #14 of 19
1/16/03 at 10:16am
Quote:
Andrew Molinaro:
I thought DVD-ROMs were already region-free. Mine is. I was also under the impression that all one need do is change their region in the preferences area of their DVD software.
You can only do that so many times until it sticks with whatever you chose last. I think 5 or 10 times is the limit. It probably says what the limit is somewhere in your product documentation, or on the product's website.
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post #15 of 19
1/16/03 at 1:40pm
Actually the DVD Rom should tell you itself should tell you how many times you have left. as of right now I have like 2....but if I am right there is a program that resets the number of times. I have yet to try it but we'll see.

Actually I think the program is called RPC man or something.
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post #16 of 19
1/16/03 at 1:46pm
Thread Starter 
Okay, as a side note--does anybody know a relatively inexpensive DVD player (not rom) that's multi-region or region free? Is there such a thing in the US as an out-of-the-box region-free player? And if so, where can I look for one?

Thanks.

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post #17 of 19
1/17/03 at 2:20pm
The Malata DVP-520 receives fairly universal acclaim. It apparently plays everything and converts PAL to NTSC. It's even progressive scan. I don't know the best place to buy one, but I'm sure a simple google search will bring you several vendors willing to ship one to you.

I don't have one, but I've heard firsthand praise for it.

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post #18 of 19
1/17/03 at 2:21pm
BTW, you don't have to modify the Malata-- it's region-free out of the box. Apparently the company just ignores the licensing restrictions that other electronics manufacturers follow.
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post #19 of 19
1/17/03 at 2:26pm
Yeow. I just ran a search myself and found one place (hkflix) where they're asking $300 for it and another (http://www.goldenshop.com.hk/AI-trad/DVD/index.htm) where it's $132.

It's probably a good idea to check around.
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