Region Free DVD players
Category None
If you're like me, you may have travelled a bit and during your travels purchased DVDs in other countries. Now due to the morons at movie studios they came up with an artificial way of restricting the DVD market by introducing Region codes on DVDs. So for example if you buy a DVD in Europe it is region 2 and won't play on a US Region DVD player, even though you have the DVD, it's been purchased and you own it, you can only play it on a corresponding regional DVD player. So in other words, it's stupid. Overtime, Region free DVD players became available, in fact outside the US, pretty much any DVD player you buy is region free, in that it will play any regions DVDs. I believe in Australia it is illegal to sell DVD players that are not region free, smart people those Australians. However in the US, most people don't even know about regions and very few have ever come across DVDs from other regions so you will hardly if ever see a DVD in a shop advertised as region free. It's the same with DVD players that refuse to play PAL on NTSC DVD players. It's digital, my TV no longer cares if it's PAL or NTSC, it's just 1s and 0s.
Anyway, with my recent upgrade to my TV, my old $30 colby DVD player that very happily could be set to region free and play PAL DVDs could no longer cut it as it doesn't have HDMI output. So I had been hoping my PS3 could be hacked for region free, or the Toshiba HD player I recently acquired could be hacked to be region free, sadly neither of them currently have a hack. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I was in Walmart last night, and they had a PHILIPS DVP3960 for $38, which is a regular DVD player that has an HDMI output and upconverts. Now PHILIPS are normally pretty good about having hacks available to make their DVD players region free, so I did a quick search on the cell pone for DVP3960 and there it was, some simple steps to make it a region free player. So if you're looking for a cheap region free DVD player that can output 1080i over HDMI to your TV, it's a pretty cheap solution. So now I can watch the family DVDs of my nieces and nephews and my DVDs that I have collected from around the world on my big screen TV.
And if you should need them, here are the steps to make the DVP3960 region free:
That's it you now have an upconverting region free DVD player.
If you're like me, you may have travelled a bit and during your travels purchased DVDs in other countries. Now due to the morons at movie studios they came up with an artificial way of restricting the DVD market by introducing Region codes on DVDs. So for example if you buy a DVD in Europe it is region 2 and won't play on a US Region DVD player, even though you have the DVD, it's been purchased and you own it, you can only play it on a corresponding regional DVD player. So in other words, it's stupid. Overtime, Region free DVD players became available, in fact outside the US, pretty much any DVD player you buy is region free, in that it will play any regions DVDs. I believe in Australia it is illegal to sell DVD players that are not region free, smart people those Australians. However in the US, most people don't even know about regions and very few have ever come across DVDs from other regions so you will hardly if ever see a DVD in a shop advertised as region free. It's the same with DVD players that refuse to play PAL on NTSC DVD players. It's digital, my TV no longer cares if it's PAL or NTSC, it's just 1s and 0s.
Anyway, with my recent upgrade to my TV, my old $30 colby DVD player that very happily could be set to region free and play PAL DVDs could no longer cut it as it doesn't have HDMI output. So I had been hoping my PS3 could be hacked for region free, or the Toshiba HD player I recently acquired could be hacked to be region free, sadly neither of them currently have a hack. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I was in Walmart last night, and they had a PHILIPS DVP3960 for $38, which is a regular DVD player that has an HDMI output and upconverts. Now PHILIPS are normally pretty good about having hacks available to make their DVD players region free, so I did a quick search on the cell pone for DVP3960 and there it was, some simple steps to make it a region free player. So if you're looking for a cheap region free DVD player that can output 1080i over HDMI to your TV, it's a pretty cheap solution. So now I can watch the family DVDs of my nieces and nephews and my DVDs that I have collected from around the world on my big screen TV.
And if you should need them, here are the steps to make the DVP3960 region free:
- Power Up the unit with NO Disc in the tray.
- Open the tray
- Press the SETUP Button on the remote control
- Navigate to the PREFERENCES page using the Right Arrow Key
- Press the DOWN ARROW one time to select
- Press the 1 on the remote
- Press the 3 on the remote
- Press the 8 on the remote
- Press the 9 on the remote
- Press the 3 on the remote
- Press the 1 on the remote
- The current Region Code Setting will display, use the UP/DOWN Arrow Keys on the remote to select '0' for Region Free
- Press the PLAY Button on the remote control
That's it you now have an upconverting region free DVD player.
| Permalink | 
Comments
Posted by Kerr At 12:26:30 PM On 01/04/2008 | - Website - |
Posted by Lisa At 01:40:07 PM On 01/05/2008 | - Website - |
I had a similar one... when I bought my 2005 Camry (generic car) the one thing that irritated me was the seat belt warning tones, that go on for about a minute, then get real urgent for another couple minutes before going silent. Incredibly annoying.
I always wear a seatbelt, but sometimes I don't actually buckle until I'm at the end of my driveway. Furthermore, if I have my notebook bag on the passenger seat, it thinks there's a person there too.
After about a month of this crap I went online and did a search and, sure enough, there's a code to make it normal. Someone found it and shared it.
To me, THAT'S the value of the Internet.. things like that and CDDB, which makes it easy for someone with useful information to share it for the greater good.
Posted by Arthur Fontaine At 07:52:06 PM On 01/05/2008 | - Website - |
I wonder if its voltage sensing.
Posted by Dad At 05:44:22 AM On 01/07/2008 | - Website - |
Posted by Carl Tyler At 08:46:30 AM On 01/07/2008 | - Website - |
Not agreeing with that (polar opposite actually), just observing.
Posted by Craig Wiseman At 10:17:48 AM On 01/09/2008 | - Website - |
I legally own the DVDs from other regions, not bootlegs, or copies etc. legitimate purchased DVD.
I suppose it depends on how Region Locking is interpreted.
Posted by Carl Tyler At 10:21:47 AM On 01/09/2008 | - Website - |
{ Link }
"1. I want to watch an Egyptian movie for my Middle Eastern studies class. But it is region coded not to play on my DVD player, in an effort to stop piracy. Now I have to hack my DVD player and break the law to get it to play. The movie isn't released in the U.S. This is the only version that was ever published. Since it isn't published in the US, and it's for academic purposes, I can rip it make copies for my classmates. That's fair use. But since I have to break the DRM to copy it -- I've broken the law anyway.
Posted by Craig Wiseman At 12:28:31 PM On 01/09/2008 | - Website - |
Posted by Carl Tyler At 12:32:08 PM On 01/09/2008 | - Website - |
Movie Studios Sue Samsung Over Hack-Friendly DVD Player { Link }
The whole thing's stupid. I just want you to be able to hang around the US as long as you want...
Posted by Craig Wiseman At 12:41:06 PM On 01/09/2008 | - Website - |
And you're applying logic here - there be lawyers here, logic will NOT be involved.
Posted by Craig Wiseman At 12:45:22 PM On 01/09/2008 | - Website - |
I travel to the US and play that Region 2 DVD on my Laptop, is that bypassing DRM but in a physical way?
You're totally right I am applying logic and RIAA or whoever seem to be missing much of that.
Posted by Carl Tyler At 12:48:33 PM On 01/09/2008 | - Website - |