De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

Does anyone know how/where I can do it? It's the DVD software on my machine and assuming it isn't illegal, I'd really like to be able to play some American films on my machine.

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

It's not illegal Russ, I asked this a while ago:
http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=9098

The only slight problem is that Sharereactor no longer exists, you need a bit of software called "DVDidle" if you can find it.

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

Well, technically it is. Thats why the invented the region coding system, otherwise all disks would of been region 0. The following information is provided for entertainment purposes only. Author, or messenger assumes no liabiliy for actions commited therein. Any similiarites between persons alive or dead is purely coincidental. Now that's out the way :D

http://www.digital-digest.com/dvd/articles/region.html

Basically, it's a 3 step job.

1. Replace the firmware (the code on the chip inside your dvd drive), with a region free version.

2. Remove the region protection in Windows

3. Remove the region protection inside your DVD Software (download a patch)

I've never bothered. If I wanted to watch multi-region disks, I might of bought a region free DVD player, which might of cost me 80 quid from Amazon, which might also play DIVX and XVID files straight off the CD/DVD, which might be handy (If I owned one ;))

Edit: I suppose doing it isn't illegal, but playing a region 1 DVD in a region 2 area, must be?

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

You don't need to do any of those 3 steps though!
All you need is a program that runs in the tray - read the thread I linked to. ;)

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

dvd idle - http://www.afterdawn.com/software/vi...vdidle_pro.cfm

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

Blimey things have moved on since I last read about it. Thanx for the tip (For eductional purposes of course ;))

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

Does DVDidle work with WMP 9?

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

edit - so it does...I've installed DVDidle but WMP still won't accept the DVD :confused:

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

should work

From their site : -

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

Do you use a 5.1 speaker system or soundcard?
If so then forget about WMP9 - I used to use that until I realised that my DVDs were only running in stereo sound!
Configure PowerDVD to use SPDIF because then the signal will be passed to your soundcard for mixing and will sound much better. ;)

Does it work in PowerDVD BTW?

EDIT: Russ, it does that if you do not have the hardware or software decoder installed.
Is PowerDVD (software decoder) installed correctly?

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

Hang on...I thought I had PowerDVD but I don't. I'm using Soundblaster Live! and it looks like maybe you're right.

RealPlayer DVD won't take it either....I'm starting to get the impression I've been DVDiddled......

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

Have a look at the forum at DVDRhelp.com, lots of help and advice (just like here!) but DVD related ;-)

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

You could always rip it to your hard drive using DVD Decrypter and play it from there, DVDDecrypter removes region encoding, for backup purposes only of course, works a treat for me.

http://www.dvddecrypter.com/

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

The regional thing is just a marketing thing so they can spread the releases.
With VHS this was done because of the different technologies, like PAL/NTSC/SECAM but DVDs don't have that problem so they invented the regions.
IIRC the australian courts are dealing with this on behalf of consumers as over there the manufacturer has no right to dictate to the consumer how to use products.

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

Looks like that's the way to go, tbh.

I've had PMs from people advising me to look on Kazaa for a 'solution' but I'm not really comfortable with doing that.

Cheers Indy :)

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

If u install This the WMP9 should be able to play DVD's (and then dvd idle should work)

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

Tried that...and it's riddled with spyware!! But thanks anyway.

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

The best fix, is if there is "RPC2 Autoreset" hacked firmware for your drive - then the drive just eats as many region changes as you wan't - www.rpc1.org - spreading the region-free word.

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

I can understand that, I've found DVD Decrypter an excellent program, free of course, they have a reasonable support forum for decrypting, re authoring etc. should work fine with default settings.

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

Just to plug it again...

DVDIdle's "DVDRegionFree" works great for letting you play DVDs from other regions.

It works with several different DVD Player progs, & will work even if you have an RPC2 drive or try an RCE-encoded disc.

http://www.dvdidle.com/dvd-region-free.htm

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

I think this whole region lock thing is a load of bull. Its supposed to be a free market. I got my ex a DVD player from argos that was already unlocked

I think it only cost £29 too

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

What about Zoom Player . Got Some great reviews

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

Yeah, there's an electrical retailer who has a stall at my local market who sells Bush deregionalised DVD players for £38 - I might get one on the weekend...or maybe just get the old Xbox chipped :D

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

the latest update of dvdidlepro includes support for Ulead dvd player ;)

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

Actually, as far as I can understand, playing the discs is not illegal. It is illegal for companies to sell them over here though.

You'll probably find that any companies selling region 1 dvds by mail order will actually ship them from America or Canada (I know Play does), thus avoiding the law.

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

Actually the tool I use is free and works for ALL software and PC based hardware DVD players (the RealMagic cards for instance). It does need a region-free drive to work (you can either flash the firmware as above, or buy a hacked drive).

The way is works is actually quite simple. It does not rely on hacks to the software.

It works because most recent DVD playback software will ask the drive what region it is. If they don't get a reply, they'll use their own setting. DVD Reg Kill intercepts the request to the drive, and then reports the drive's region as whatever is needed by the disc.

The downside is that due to pressure from various companies, the orignal developer no longer supports or hosts it.

It is by Elaborate Bytes software (the company that used to do the brilliant CloneCD, the only CD copier that can crack most protection on CDs) (http://www.elby.de). It is called "Region Killer".

I found a download link. It says on the link that the program is for Window 98/ME only, but it works fine on 2000 and XP Pro (I use it on XP Pro). It also works with RCE discs.

The download link is http://www.dvdcopyworld.de/dvdcopyworld/regionfree.html

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

Not true - DVDs and DVD players still have the NTSC and PAL switch, because TVs are either NTSC or PAL. Although, that said, most dvd players (especially region free for obvious reasons), can switch between NTSC and PAL output.

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

Using the softwares changers is ok. but the best way to change regions is to flash the DVD rom drive making it totally region free then I use DVD genie to erase the windows region code and also to make power dvd region free. DVD genie also works on many other software dvd programs. That way you are asured that you will never be promted that the DVD is from the wrong region.

The USA uses NTSC the UK uses PAL. The regions were setup to restrict the sale of DVDs from other countries as the US get films before we do and same with other countries, it really has nothing to do with the TV frequency, as I have seen a few region 2 DVDs that are in NTSC and the same with region 0.

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

These any good ...

http://www.digital-digest.com/dvd/ar..._software.html

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

What about the VideoLan client ? www.videolan.org

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

here is the site I used to find the firmware flash for my Drive

http://forum.firmware-flash.com/portal.php

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

yeah this is excellent for playing DVD's Good quality as well.

Re: De-regionalising PowerDVD
 

I think he might have sorted it out now actually because I posted him a spare copy of WinDVD I had lying around and he's using DVDidle AFAIK.
Russ?