External DVD player/burner region free?

Hi there,
This kind of question has been posted before but the latest thread is from 2006 so I just wanted some up to date information.
My optical drive has been through its 5 changes and has settled on region 2. I want to watch and back up a region 1 dvd. If I were to buy an external DVD player would my mac force it to read only region 2 or would it be region free?
If it is region free does anyone have any recommendations on a good external DVD drive?
Thanks very much.

As I understand it, it is ultimately the DVD drive's firmware that determines that drive's region setting, not the Mac itself (although it's the Mac that initially lets you change the region stored in that firmware, up to five times). When you first connect an external DVD drive, its region encoding will be whatever the manufacturer set it to be.
If you want true region-free playback, you'll have to find a DVD drive whose firmware can be updated to make the drive region free. This process always used to be much easier on a PC than a Mac; I don't know if that's still the case.

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Hi V
Yes there are several possible origins to this:
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Am music teacher and need list of DVD players for region-free and burn/rip for exams. Thanks

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Pioneer Elite at top end.
Apex or Cyberhome at bottom
Sony or Toshiba in middle.
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<http://www.videolan.org>
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<http://www.macblurayplayer.com>
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<http://www.kanexlive.com/xd>
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That was the next question I was going to ask.
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~Lyssa

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**Click the KUDOS thumb up on the left to say 'Thanks'**
Make it easier for other people to find solutions by marking a Reply 'Accept as Solution' if it solves your problem.

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@mjg6300 ,
Hello and thank you for posting on the HP support forums. This is a good question you are posing. In most cases when you put your cd in this dvd player can you go and open the cd up in file mode so you can see all the files.
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Here is a link that may help you.
Run an old program on a new PC
Thank you again for posting and have a great day.
Please click the "Thumbs Up" on the bottom right of this post to say thank you if you appreciate the support I provide!
Also be sure to mark my post as “Accept as Solution" if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others who face the same challenge find the same solution.
D5GR
I work on behalf of HP

External DVD player/burner region free?

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