Do multiple DVD players permit different regions on Thinkpad

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blue2 · #31 Post by **blue2** » Fri May 23, 2008 2:42 am

Yes, right you are. It was just the phrase "run out of region code changes" that confused me, "out of" meaning run "without" region code changes or "run out of" meaning "exhaust"

Thanks for clarifying.

Beause many of these programs can conflict with each other (even some media players install codecs), I wouldn't recommend just installing software haphazardly.

ejr · #32 Post by **ejr** » Fri May 23, 2008 6:05 am

It is almost child's play to dezone effectively a dvd rom player in a computer. All one needs is a program that interecepts the rpc stuff, so that you never reach the maximum of 5 changes. Anydvd is the one I use, and it is highly regarded. There are others that will do the job; the choice is wide.

For a dvd player used on a tv the problem is far more difficult. You can't install a program, so you must have the code to enter using the remote, if such a code exists. It doesn't for many brands.

-er

lighthammer · #33 Post by **lighthammer** » Mon May 26, 2008 6:10 am

I do realize that you are talking about switching out drives per region, etc but I have a more simplified solution for you. If you have considered this already, then disregard this post.

Get AnyDVD (software from SlySoft). Its a very small, lightweight program. Run the program then insert your DVD in your drive. It takes about less than 10 seconds for it to decrypt and strip the protection out of the DVD and then just play your DVD. It doesn't matter what region.

Using this method, you could sell your other drives and have a few extra bucks?

blue2 · #34 Post by **blue2** » Tue May 27, 2008 4:39 pm

lighthammer wrote: Get AnyDVD (software from SlySoft). Its a very small, lightweight program. ... Using this method, you could sell your other drives and have a few extra bucks?

Thanks for that suggestion.

AnyDVD may be lightweight, but not its cost. I've followed this program for some time and find the cost of 49 euro (about $75) to be in a word, outrageous. If you want to add the ability to play HD movies as well, the cost rises to 79 euro (about $120).

Well for half this cost, one could easily buy 4 DVD drives on ebay, set each to a different region, and keep the other half to pay for a year's worth of popcorn. It may be a good program, but any downloadable program that has no packaging, shipping or distribution costs and sells for more than the usual retail software sold in store in just too greedy for my taste. I'm apparently not the only one to be of this opinion, as several posts on DVD forums suggest.

ejr · #35 Post by **ejr** » Tue May 27, 2008 5:09 pm

Though the price seems high it is important to note two things. First, you only pay once. No need to shell put money for new versions as they come out. Second, the program is very well maintained with updates once a month, if not more often.

Sure you can buy 4 drives, but you have to put them somewhere and not all systems have 4 extra front slots. Then you have to mark each one with its region.

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blue2 · #36 Post by **blue2** » Wed Jun 04, 2008 8:44 am

ejr wrote:Though the price seems high it is important to note two things.
-er

The price IS high, and suggests a greedy software writer. It's important to note that much independent software these days is freeware/shareware, and it's rare to find one that sells for more than average retail software.

Updating software has become a big business. Unless the structure of dvds change (e.g. moving to HD after twenty years), some of the older versions are often lighter, better written code.

You only pay once for four dvd players too.

Finding space to put dvds drives is not exactly what I'd call a big problem. I suspect most people only play dvds from two regions (region 1 and 2), so since one drive is in the Thinkpad, you only have to buy and store one extra drive.

Of course, that's just my point of view. But I see little reason to reward and encourage the software writer of AnyDVD for charging more than retail software.

ejr · #37 Post by **ejr** » Wed Jun 04, 2008 12:02 pm

It there was the perception by users that this program is too expensive, it wouldn't sell very well. In fact, it is very popular. Bear in mind that this program addresses a niche market. Pricing is based on cost and demand, as well as competition. You might as well call mercedes benz greedy, or gucci greedy, too. That's the way the market works, even here in paris, where I note you also live.

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blue2 · #38 Post by **blue2** » Wed Jun 04, 2008 4:50 pm

ejr wrote:It there was the perception by users that this program is too expensive, it wouldn't sell very well. In fact, it is very popular. Bear in mind that this program addresses a niche market. Pricing is based on cost and demand, as well as competition. You might as well call mercedes benz greedy, or gucci greedy, too. That's the way the market works, even here in paris, where I note you also live.
-er

Do you have recent sales figures?

I asked about changing the region settings on dvd players, you suggested this program, I thanked you but said no thank you. Why do you persist in trying to convince me or others reading this thread that this program is THE answer to their needs? Of course you are free to have your point of view, just don't hijack my thread to try to sell me what I've already told you I don't want.

You'll find other critics of this software's pricing on the VidHelp forum: http://www.videohelp.com/tools/AnyDVD

By the way, it's probably best to save your marketing analogies for your thread. Cars cost money to produce, to market and distribute. To produce and distribute two cars costs more than to market one...and so on. Downloadable software costs the exact same amount to produce and distribute, whether you sell one copy or a thousand The cost is in writing the code, not in its marketing or distribution. That's why it's supposed to be cheaper. But what do I know, I'm only an author in the area of internet marketing, have lived in four countries and worked in many more.

kiwimeat · #39 Post by **kiwimeat** » Wed Jun 04, 2008 7:45 pm

blue2,

I think NathanA explained things pretty well.

You can either go for a Hardware (i.e. firmware "hacked" to RPC-1) + Software solution (required to defeat the incremental region change counter found in the majority of media playback software - certainly most commercial software).

Or you can go for a Software solution that intercepts the both the hardware region flag and the incremental software counter. This is incresingly harder as DRM is embedded at many more levels.

Prior to my T41p (who drive never got a RPC1 hack) and Vista, I used the former method - but improvements in RPC enforcement and DRM have meant that now I have choosen the latter.

I happen to use AnyDVDHD. I bought prior to the change to Euro's for purchase and using one of the regular discounts offered. It is maintained and updated regularly (important in the constant struggle with the DRM heavy media companies).
It's not the cheapest software I've bought but it's by no means anywhere near the most expensive software I've purchased. I use it on my Thinkpad, and on my Media Centre PC which has Blu-Ray & HD-DVD readers.
Incidentally AnyDVDHD is the only region free solution to allow me to play my Blu-Ray disks on a single piece of hardware regardless of which Region Code they come from when I purchased them. It can also strip out HDCP protection allowing output without the need for a digital video path to your display device.

Personally, I think you may have slightly overreacted to some posters attempts to be helpful. I don't believe they were trying to hijack your thread - simply offering a solution for you to consider.

blue2 · #40 Post by **blue2** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 4:45 am

kiwimeat wrote:blue2,
I think NathanA explained things pretty well.

You can either go for a Hardware (i.e. firmware "hacked" to RPC-1) + Software solution ...

Or you can go for a Software solution ...

Personally, I think you may have slightly overreacted to some posters attempts to be helpful. I don't believe they were trying to hijack your thread - simply offering a solution for you to consider.

I think NathanA explained things very well, and it was much appreciated.

There are actually three options, including the one I originally asked about, which was just a hardware solution of using different DVD players set to different regions. I asked if those players are RPC2, then would the software of the OS or the player NOT come into play, since the hardware check supercedes it.

And I did NOT overeact to helpful suggestions. I objected to one poster giving REPEATED marketing lessons on why I should buy a software solution I'm not interested in. That is thread hijacking just as it would be if someone kept posting the repeated "solution" to just buy a Mac. When you say it once, you can say you are being helpful. When you say it repeatedly, you have an agenda.

#41 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 9:59 am

I'm surprised nobody mentioned RPCMAN
http://www.rpc1.org/~farzeno/xom2/rpcman.htm
works great on LG and Hitachi drives. Might work on others too.
Unlimited Region changes with that little gem!

#42 Post by **BillMorrow** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 5:33 pm

this thread belongs in: GENERAL ThinkPad News/Comments & Questions, not so much in Off Topic..

so i am/have moved this informative thread, there..

crashnburn · #43 Post by **crashnburn** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 9:56 pm

What about this DVD RW Drive?

T61 with the Sony NEC Optiarc AD-7910A -

DVD Region Unlock or Hack?

Do I / we need to unlock / Region Free this DVD Drive? Is there firmware for it?

PS: I already know of the software solutions: AnyDVD, DVD Region Free etc

#44 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 4:57 am

How about this website? I's more geared for HomeDVDs, but...
http://www.dvdchips.co.uk/

I had my Sony Home Theater player 'chipped' by some outfit in the UK.
When it came back it was region-free, and Macrovision did no longer exist, i.e. I could copy any DVD onto tape or CD-R or DVD-R without any special software.
Unfortunately this machine is too old to play HDTV or BlueRay.
(But we have a neighbor with a library of over 5,000 DVDs)

kc7gr · #45 Post by **kc7gr** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 5:26 pm

Thanks to NathanA's very helpful post on where to find the firmware, and a very reasonable seller on That Evyl Auction Place, I have obtained a Hitachi-LG multiburner and made it region-free. My copy of AnyDVD should take care of any residual region issues.

I would urge others looking for this hardware on Ebay to search on the IBM FRU number (39T2679) instead of searching on GSA-4083N. I rapidly found, during my own searches, that the GSA number is rarely available used, and the new ones listed are pretty pricey ($150 or so).

Searching on the FRU, I found a lightly-used unit for around $60. It works perfectly, and the seller (Netway-2000) was great to deal with.

Happy hunting (and tweaking).

Do multiple DVD players permit different regions on Thinkpad

Ha! Worked for me, too...

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