Question about DVD region protection

[Sillycon]

Do computer DVD drives have region protection like their standalone counterparts?

[coleslaw]

The drives themselves do not have region protection, but the software used to play the DVDs will. All of the major DVD software packages (such as PowerDVD, WinDVD, DVD Station, etc) should allow you to choose your region. Sometimes the software will place a limit on the number of times that you can change your region, but there are easy ways around that.

[Sillycon]

Ah, gotcha!

*wink* *wink*

heh

[brainsmile]

yup yup

[Grimm]

Actualy I think that it is in flash ram in the firmware. So thechnicaly it is in the hardware. You would have to reflash the firmware if you exceeded the limit for changing the region code. (it is my understanding that it is common practice to allow you to change the region code a limited number of times, 3 times on my pioneer DVD for example).

I'm no expert so I could be wrong...

[Sillycon]

So what's the definitive word on this? Any recommendations for a cheap dvd player?

[yippiekiyeh]

ALL DVD drives for computers are hardware region protected. But this protection is easily defeated if you flash the rom out of the drive.

This website tells you about the DVD drives that have a region free rom that you can flash in place of the stock rom

Do so at your own risk!

http://perso.club-internet.fr/farzeno/firmware/dvd/dvdfi.htm

hope this helps!

[coleslaw]

Well, it looks like I've got my foot in my mouth now... :hmm: