How to unlock DVD's region code??

Tonto Yoder · « **on:** 4 Jul 2004, 03:33 pm »

Found an interesting DVD that compiles several Austin City Limits segments but it's European. For those who have unlocked their DVD players, did you find the codes free online, have to pay for info or pay for the more extensive mods that one finds online????

bubba966 · « **Reply #1 on:** 4 Jul 2004, 05:00 pm »

Quote from: Tonto Yoder

Found an interesting DVD that compiles several Austin City Limits segments but it's European. For those who have unlocked their DVD players, did you find the codes free online, have to pay for info or pay for the more extensive mods that one finds online????

It all depends on the player.

Whatcha using?

Tonto Yoder · « **Reply #2 on:** 4 Jul 2004, 05:26 pm »

My earlier player was a Pioneer DV-525 and I recently bought a Panasonic recorder, DMR-E55. I tried a couple sites (like dvdexplorer.com) but haven't found those exact models. One eBay seller lists several Pioneer players on his/her list of codes, but not that exact model.

bubba966 · « **Reply #3 on:** 5 Jul 2004, 04:34 am »

From what I can see here, modding a DMR-E55 for region free playback is not something that's done easily. Looks to be fairly complicated if DVDUpgrades doesn't offer a DIY kit.

But even if you did get the DMR-E55 to play the disc, it'd play it back in PAL. Does your display have the capability to display a PAL signal?

Dean · « **Reply #4 on:** 9 Jul 2004, 10:41 am »

Damn region-coding, what a load of bollox

jermmd · « **Reply #5 on:** 9 Jul 2004, 01:02 pm »

If you have a DVD burner, just burn a copy using DVDShrink. Make sure settings are on "remove regional encoding." Then watch the burned copy.

Joe M.

Tonto Yoder · « **Reply #6 on:** 19 Jul 2004, 06:50 am »

Quote from: bubba966

From what I can see here, modding a DMR-E55 for region free playback is not something that's done easily. Looks to be fairly complicated if DVDUpgrades doesn't offer a DIY kit.

But even if you did get the DMR-E55 to play the disc, it'd play it back in PAL. Does your display have the capability to display a PAL signal?

Further research seems to suggest that it'd be cheaper to buy a NEW DVD player specifically for PAL discs--
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?j=1&CategoryID=cat03013&id=1069297420815&skuId=6100961&type=product

$37 at Best Buy and it has the PAL/NTSC conversion built in.

Red Dragon Audio · « **Reply #7 on:** 19 Jul 2004, 04:03 pm »

Quote from: Tonto Yoder

Further research seems to suggest that it'd be cheaper to buy a NEW DVD player specifically for PAL discs--
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?j=1&CategoryID=cat03013&id=1069297420815&skuId=6100961&type=product

$37 at Best Buy and it has the PAL/NTSC conversion built in.

But this player is still sold in North America and will probably only decode region 1 discs. Won't you still need to mod it out so it will play all regions? Or got the route of burning with the above mentioned program while removing the "region coding".

I guess I just think this player will do PAL region one movies or maybe I am missing something here.

bubba966 · « **Reply #8 on:** 20 Jul 2004, 06:05 am »

If you're going to go for built-in PAL transcoding, a cheapo player isn't going to do it right. They just drop lines of resotlution to get it down to 480 lines.

Also, most built-in PAL transcoders don't handle 16:9 discs properly. Depending on the player (and the particular disc), they'll do some really odd things with 16:9 discs.

One of the players that has built-in PAL transcoding that actually does it right, and handles 16:9 discs properly are the JVC decks.

Sure, the JVC is going to cost a little more than $37. But it'll at least handle PAL discs properly. And the JVC is still a good bit cheaper than one of these bad boys. While I'm quite happy with my TenLab TR-21, I realize it's a little extreme.

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #9 on:** 20 Jul 2004, 06:48 am »

Someday someone's gonna ask a question that stumps you, Brian.

But not anytime soon, I'm guessing!

Tonto Yoder · « **Reply #10 on:** 20 Jul 2004, 10:23 am »

Quote from: heavystarch

....I guess I just think this player will do PAL region one movies or maybe I am missing something here.

Some of these players are on eBay, claiming to be region-free or multi-region: unclear whether the players locally available are the same or not.
Maybe the eBay players have been tweaked????

My situation with the PAL conversion is that I can't justify spending much $$$: I haven't had any urge to play PAL discs up 'til now and only this one disc piqued my interest

http://dvd.netleih.de/singing_songwriters.asp

bubba966 · « **Reply #11 on:** 21 Jul 2004, 04:55 am »

Do you need the video on that disc?

What type of display are you using? And is it analog or digital?

NTSC Analog displays will usually display a PAL signal in B&W on S-Vid (and probably composite). You can get color using component. But the display won't catch the V-Sync, so the picture will roll.

But I once saw a Mits RPTV catch the V-Sync. But as it had no component vid inputs, so it was still in B&W.

NTSC Digital displays will act like there's no signal when fed a PAL signal in any manner. So you're most likely S.O.L. there...

Tonto Yoder · « **Reply #12 on:** 22 Jul 2004, 12:02 am »

Quote from: bubba966

Do you need the video on that disc?

What type of display are you using? And is it analog or digital?....

Video would certainly be a bonus, but the main objective is good quality music since it's a DVD of Austin City Limits. Even a picture in B&W would be acceptable, I guess.
Wonder if a local video duplicator would be willing to transfer the DVD on
better equipment?? Undoubtedly some legal issues involved, but a professional would certainly have better gear to make a proper transfer.

I just use an older Sony XBR TV, so nothing high-tech.

Tonto Yoder · « **Reply #13 on:** 8 Aug 2004, 11:53 pm »

An update: got the German DVD: it would play a split B&W picture ONLY if the disc was in a DVD player(Pioneer) connected to a DVD recorder (Panasonic). The Panasonic wouldn't play it at all; the Pioneer wouldn't play it directly into the TV.

Investigated transferring the disc to NTSC by professional, one was $25/disc, the other refunded my $20 after the copy wouldn't play. I ended up buying the cheapie Cyberhome ($35 after rebate) which played the PAL disc "fine."
The final video result was underwhelming--more like a good VHS than a DVD.
I suspect it was the result of a poor DVD than the fault of the Cyberhome unit (though I can't confirm that without another PAL disc).

Gordy · « **Reply #14 on:** 9 Aug 2004, 01:54 am »

TY, You have another PAL disc on its way

. Just to confirm, of course!

Gordy

Tonto Yoder · « **Reply #15 on:** 9 Aug 2004, 04:32 am »

Quote from: Gordy

TY, You have another PAL disc on its way . Just to confirm, of course!

Gordy

Cool! There's nothing quite like "European Girls Gone Wild." Did you get the hairy armpit version?

michael w · « **Reply #16 on:** 10 Aug 2004, 04:41 am »

Tonto:

You could always move downunder.

99.999% of all stand alone DVD players are region free here and dual PAL/NTSC output. Some even convert NTSC to pseudo PAL for display on older TV's.

One such popular model is sold in NZ supermarkets for less than $100USD.

witchdoctor · « **Reply #17 on:** 11 Aug 2004, 04:23 am »

If you use a computer to play your DVD's their are software programs available to decode.

Tonto Yoder · « **Reply #18 on:** 11 Aug 2004, 12:25 pm »

Quote from: witchdoctor

If you use a computer to play your DVD's their are software programs available to decode.

As bubba pointed out above, PAL vs. NTSC video format proved to be more of a problem than the region code. Someone tried to transfer the DVD to NTSC format on his computer, but was unsuccessful: he used a program that WOULD change regions, but the PAL/NTSC thing proved to be his downfall.
There MAY be a program that would do the trick, but we didn't find it.