Re: Region-free DVD drives

From: Jim Richardson (warlock_at_eskimo.com)
Date: 01/07/04 

Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2004 20:34:35 -0800

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

On 05 Jan 2004 22:01:25 +0100,
 LEE Sau Dan <danlee@informatik.uni-freiburg.de> wrote:
>>>>>> "Steve" == Steve <ADDRESS_MUNGED_TO_PREVENT_SPAM_PLEASE_REPLY_TO_GROUPstevesusenet@yahwho.com> writes:
>
> Steve> A few months back I was on the Xine list to get xine
> Steve> working. Someone sent me a gpl c program to change the
> Steve> regions on my dvd. I sent it to Xine and they said they
> Steve> would archive it.
>
> Can't the region code setting on the drive be changed for at most 5
> times?
>
>
>

Funny thing about that. When I was using W98 to view DVDs (prior to
setting it up under Linux the first time) I was reading the docs for
PowerDVD (ick, what a shitty app, but I digress)

Turns out, that the "5 times and that's it" bit, is software driven...
after changing the region 5 times, the DVD player *software* triggers
the firmware fuse to pop, fixing the region at whatever it was the last
time.

Needless to say, if you never trigger that fuse, you can change as many
times as you want. PowerDVD would let you buy a new copy, that would
allow you to change the region 4 more times w/o burning the firmware.

Of course, if you could extract the crap it put in the registry, then
you didn't need to buy a new copy.

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.2.4 (GNU/Linux)

iD8DBQE/+4xad90bcYOAWPYRAt/ZAJ9Ts5H5vD0q2hBbIjWPS0mc0oLY8wCg3Qow
1LdYG8zoJLFkiJZ6/bOcSVI=
=dyuL
-----END PGP SIGNATURE----- 

-- 
Jim Richardson     http://www.eskimo.com/~warlock
Cheer up!  Things may be getting worse at a slower rate!

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Region-free DVD drives
    ... Someone sent me a gpl c program to change the ... Steve> regions on my dvd. ... I sent it to Xine and they said they ...
    (comp.os.linux.misc)
  • Re: Are there high quality DVDs or Videos of Layouts?
    ... > Steve W wrote: ... There are also machines that ignore the region code, ... Copyright Act) as it applies in the USA is that all copying of commercial ... entertainment DVD's is illegal, manufacturing or distributing an uncoded DVD ...
    (uk.rec.models.rail)
  • Re: programs for restoring video
    ... Steve S. wrote: ... This was shot on an ancient format and has been ... late now that it's on DVD?), and the other has artifacts, dropouts, etc. ... will automatically remove dropout from video without having to work with it ...
    (rec.video.production)
  • Re: Suggestions for connecting MCE PC to HDTV
    ... Steve, when you hook that up, I assume via DVI, post back with the results. ... > in the living room upstairs on a wired ethernet connection. ... > the DVD drive in the PC (instead of the standalone DVD player currently in ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.mediacenter)
  • Re: Playing DVD via TV
    ... "Steve" wrote: ... > have a formatted DVD. ... That's why it won't play in the home player. ... >> Intervideo WinDVD and not WMP, but you cannot do that with a stand alone DVD ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.moviemaker)