Multi region dvd players (external)

Hi,
i have a lot of region 1 dvds, however my drive on my imac is locked to region 2. If i bought an external drive (eg... http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/3435234/Freecom-Lightscribe-Pro-20x-External-USB-2 -0-Firewire-DVD-RW-Drive/Product.html?cmmmc=Froogle-_-PC-_-Upgrades-_-Freecom%2BLightscribe%2BPro%2B20x%2BExternal%2BUSB %2B2.0%2BFirewire%2BDVD-RW%2BDrive&source=5066&engine=frooglepc&keyword=FreecomLightscribe+Pro+20x+External+USB+2.0+Firewire+DVD-RWDrive ) and locked that to region 1? will i be able to play region 2 on my imac, and region 1 on my external drive?
any help would be great, why can i play any dvd on a 9.99 dvd from asda and not on a computer that cost me over a grand is beyond me....

You can find region-free firmware hacks on the web for many DVD drives.
Google your Superdrive's manufacturer/model# + region-free + firmware.
AFAIK, it's perfectly legal to give your own DVD player a region-ectomy.
I've been meaning to neuter mine ...as soon as I get a round tuit.
Looby

Similar Messages

Multi-region DVD player?

I bought my white Macbook back in the States, as well as my collection of DVD's. However, I am currently studying abroad in the UK for well over a year, and am frustrated to no end that I cannot watch anything but region one on my computer, without switching over to region 2 (and thus, making myself unable to watch my own dvds) - other mac users in the halls have warned me that you can only switch back and forth between regions so many times before your computer is completely screwed up. Is there any way to fix your computer to be multi-region?

By licensing requirements of the owners of the DVD technology, computer DVD players and computer DVD drives limit you to five region changes before the drive locks to the region of the last DVD you use. Once the drive locks, you cannot play disks from any other region with the Apple DVD Player, and the drive itself may be locked as well; all current SuperDrives that I know of do indeed lock in the firmware.
I'm not aware of any hack that can remove the region lock in any current SuperDrive, so you'll have to look for an external DVD drive that lacks the region lock or can have it removed, and then use DVD playback software such as VLC Media Player that doesn't have a region lock included.
Message was edited by: Dave Sawyer

Multi Region DVD Please?

I've travelled around a bit and I must now have DVD from pretty much every DVD region there is. Just bought the Mac book Pro and realized that you have to select one region and are limited to just 4 region changes
Does anyone know (apple are you listening?) how to make it multi-region? Apple, do you have a upgrade? Is there software out there to help me (that does not invalidate my warranty). Or am I just destined to download TV and films from the pirate bay as it is the only way to ensure I can actually watch things rather than pay money for things and end up being locked out of watching them.
Thanks to all in advance
R

neuroanatomist wrote:
Mr-Richard wrote:
Is there software out there to help me (that does not invalidate my warranty).
No.
Buy an external optical drive, and use that to play your DVDs - those do not have the limitation in the drive firmware.
You can submit feedback to Apple: http://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookpro.htm
this isn't true! apple has to do this because they pay for the codec & this is a requirement from the hollywood goons put on it, per license agreement for putting it on the machine. buying external drive is silly!
Use VLC, it plays anything.
http://www.videolan.org/

Multi region DVD playback

I have a 27" iMac and it's set to Region 2 for it's DVD playback. I used to have a cheap DVD player that could play any DVD region, but that went the way of the dodo sometime early last year. Now I have a stack of Region 1 DVDs that I want to rip to my hard disk, but any application I try (even VLC and Handbrake) refuse to play or rip the disk. It either crashes or appears to have frozen before spitting the disk back out at me.
I was going to buy a cheap USB DVD drive in the hopes that it would play the DVDs, but I'm not sure if the region lock is part of the OS (therefore making the USB drive worthless) or part of the firmware on the internal drive (making the USB drive plausible).
Does anybody have a solution? Free if possible.
Thanks

I'm in the same boat, but a bit worse off. I'm a Canadian, with a Canadian-purchased late-2008 Aluminum MacBook. BEST laptop I've ever owned. Except for the Matshita DVD drive, which has now used up its 5 allowed region swaps. I made sure the last one was to Region 2 (Canada/USA). But since I've been living in a Region 4 region now for years, my MacBook can't play any media coded for this region. There is also no firmware flash available for this drive (MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-868).
There is no logical or commercial reason for region coding. It is particularly onerous for those of us with portable Macs who travel / live internationally....

If I buy Quicktime pro will it be a multi region DVD player?

I am looking into buying a region free dvd player - if i upgrade to Quicktime Pro does it mean it will be able to play any DVDs? Otherwise does anyone know of another??

I am looking into buying a region free dvd player - if i upgrade to Quicktime Pro does it mean it will be able to play any DVDs?
No, QT is not a DVD playing app whether keyed for pro use or not.
Otherwise does anyone know of another?
DVD player apps play DVDs for whichever region your DVD hardware device is set.

Multi Region DVD...how?

I have edited my video in Final Cut Pro and its NTSC format. I want to burn it to DVD but I wasn't sure how to make the DVD multiregion so that no only a person from the USA can see it but a person from the UK can see it as well?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
thanks

FWIW you may need to make a PAL DVD to be most assured of success (though many people in Europe have NTSC set ups, at least more than here in the U.S. who have PAL)
So the video, menus and the DVD itself will need to be changed to PAL.
The menus need to be laid out in the PAL size, the DVD SP project set to PAL and the footage made to PAL. (FWIW Compressor has some built in conversions but there are other tools, such as plug ins for FCP out there which probably give better results.)

Is the HP G6x laptop a regional dvd player?

there is a dvd i want that requires a " multi-regional" dvd player. Does the HP G6x have a Multi regional dvd player??

hotlife12 wrote: there is a dvd i want that requires a " multi-regional" dvd player. Does the HP G6x have a Multi regional dvd player??
Hello hotlife12, All of the CD\DVD drives have the capability to bet set to a specific region.
You can only change the settings a maximum of 5 times and then the 5 time locks the CD\DVD drive in the last region you select.
This approach allows those that have these CD\DVD drives that may move form one location(country) to another, for example Europe to the United States, to change the location to the United States.
Please click the White Kudos star on the left, to say thanks.
Please mark Accept As Solution if it solves your problem.

Will a multi-region (Region 0) PAL DVD play on my MBP?

I have a 2009 unibody MBP (15", 2.66GHz model). Purchased in the USA, located in the USA.
The MBP has a Matsushita DVD-R drive, model UJ-868, rev KB19. System Profiler does not show any region code for the drive, and I do not recall ever having to enter a preferred region code. It plays NTSC DVDs just fine.
Will it play a PAL DVD, coded as multi-region (Region 0)?
Any tips on how I could verify this (that is, without purchasing a PAL DVD just to find out)?

There is no real 'Region 0' - Region 0 is not an official setting; discs that bear the region 0 symbol either have no flag set or have region 1–6 flags set.
So, yes, it should play (either NTCS or PAL).

DVD Player: multi-region or not?

I have just had my original ailing CD/DVD drive replaced by a new one: Pioneer DVD-RW DVR-107D. I inserted a new DVD to watch — a definitely European one — and a message came up, showing Region 1 (which is, I believe, North America), asking me to select a region and warning me that I would only be able to change the region four more times. I was alarmed: my old drive never asked me and was obviously multi-regional. So I ejected the DVD without selecting a region and without playing the DVD and inserted a DVD (again a European one) that I had played before on my old drive. It played with no questions asked. I then went back to the first DVD, and it, too, now played with no questions asked.
I am confused and worried. Has the drive and/or DVD software set itself to a particular region? Presumably not Region 1, because I can now play European DVDs.
Or is my drive (details as above) in fact multi-regional and was the message asking me to choose a region a red herring? I should be very grateful for any information or guidance.

I now realize that this region business is a matter of the DVD player included in my computer, not anything specific to the optical drive. The fact that I received a message that this was the first time I was opening the player and asking me to choose a region must have been because, in trying to sort out earlier computer problems, I had used first Onyx and then DiskWarrior to optimize my hard disk, which may have created new links between the player, the optical drive and other components. I also now realize that VLC will play DVDs and is, apparently, non-regional. So my problem has been solved even if, in the future, I may want to play DVDs from other regions.

Am music teacher and need list of DVD players for region-free and burn/rip for exams. Thanks

Am music teacher and need list of DVD players for region-free and burn/rip for exams. Thanks

Pioneer Elite at top end.
Apex or Cyberhome at bottom
Sony or Toshiba in middle.
However, I don't see a relationship between price and compatibility

DVD stalls or hesitates on playback on external DVD players

When I play a DVD created in iDVD on DVD players (tried three) it stalls for about 5 seconds in two different places. When I play it on my computer it plays perfectly.The movies on this DVD were created in iMovie. When I play them in Quicktime player they perform perfectly.
What could be causing this?

Thank you J. and all for the great advice on DVD writing.
I have again rendered the two movies that stall in one place for 2 or 3 seconds. (Five others previously processed without error.)
I then burned the I-DVD file at 2x on single-sided Verbatim DVD-R media.
I then played the DVD on a number of different players. Some played through without error. Other DVD players still had the stalling problem for a couple of seconds.
Since I will be publishing this DVD, with no control over the player people will use, I need to clear up this problem. I have gone back repeatedly to my source file and find no errors there. I will pursue this problem further with the Boinx, the creators of FotoMagico which I am using to author the videos. Perhaps they will know of others who encountered similar problems.
Thanks all again for your helpful input.
Len Sroka

Ripping DVDs using external optical drive with MacBook

Quick and possibly ridiculously silly question here. I have a collection of about 475 Region-2 DVDs (i.e., playable in the UK, not in the US) I purchased many years ago that are just taking up space. What I would like to do is rip them and store the files on an external drive.
The problem is that the optical drive on my MacBook is broken (no, I’m not happy about it -- see the dozens of pages of complaints in these Forum on the issue) and I don’t want to spend $1000 right now buying a new one.
This means I need to purchase an external optical drive. Unfortunately, I’m pretty confused about whether these things (by LaCie or Samsung, for instance) can actually rip anything, let alone Region 2 DVDs. I know they can write DVDs, but ripping—that I’m not sure about. Logically, they should be able to but I'm wondering whether their ripping capability has been disabled.
So, does anyone happen to know whether an external Superdrive can rip Region-2 DVDs? And if so, can you recommend any good ones for the Mac?
*Incidentally, I should add that these files are for my personal use, won’t be shared/uploaded, and will serve only as backups to my purchased DVDs. Basically, all I really want to do is clear out my cramped apartment and stick all the DVD boxes in a storage unit once and for all.*
Thanks for your help

I have a collection of about 475 Region-2 DVDs (i.e., playable in the UK, not in the US)
You must have one of those old-fashioned DVD players that looks for region codes.
Most better DVD players are now region free and will play NTSC or PAL DVDs.

Imovie iDVD finished but DVD does not Play in ALL DVD players?

I have made several DVD movies over the years and sometimes when i go from imovie> idvd> finished DVD
1. it does not play in ALL dvd players? why?
2. or sometimes plays in some DVD players?
3. sometimes plays in computer( apple) dvd but not always?
Is there something i have to due before, after or during rendering so that the finished DVD plays in all DVD players
thanks

Hi
*I do put paper labes on discs --*
NEVER DO THAT - The ability to get them perfectly centered is near to impossibly
DVDs are many tims more sencitive to missaligmement by 1/100 or 1/1000 of a millimeter.
CDs often can handle this - but still not advicably.
I do.
• Use only Verbatim (Taiyo Yuden - also recommended by many - no own experience)
• DVD-R (no +R or +/-RW)
• Burn at an as slow speed possibly eg x1 with iDVD08 or higher or Roxio Toast™
or Apple Disk Util tool
• NEVER under 25Gb free space on internal boot hard disk (others not important)
• I use a Cleaning-DVD from time to time
• I burn max 3 DVD at a time then cool for 20min
• I use the Cleaning DVD on my other players as well
On Quality.
*DVD quality*
1. iDVD 8 has three levels of qualities.
iDVD 6 has the two last ones
• Professional Quality (movies up to 120 min.) - BEST
• Best Performances (movies less than 60 min.) - High quality on final DVD
• High Quality (in iDVD08) / Best Quality (in iDVD6) (movies up to 120 min.) - slightly lower quality than above
2. From
• FCE/P - Export out as full quality QuickTime.mov (not selfcontaining, no conversion)
• iMovie x-6 - Don't use ”Share/Export to iDVD” = destructive even to movie project and especially so
when the movie includes photos. Instead just drop or import the iMovie movie project icon (with a Star on it) into iDVD theme window.
• iMovie’08 not meant to go to iDVD. Go via Media Browser or rather use iMovie HD 6 from start.
3. I use Roxio Toast™ to make an as slow burn as possibly eg x1 (in iDVD’08 this can also be set)
This can also be done with (Apple) Disk Util tool.
4. There has to be about or more than 25Gb free space on internal (start-up) hard disk. iDVD can't
use an external one as scratch disk (if it is not start-up disc).
5. Verbatim ( also recommended by many - Taiyo Yuden DVDs - I can’t get hold of it to test )
6. DVD-R (no +R or +/-RW)
7. Keep NTSC to NTSC - or - PAL to PAL when going from iMovie to iDVD
8. Don’t burn more than three DVD at a time - but let the laser cool off for a while befor next batch.
iDVD quality also depends on:
• HOW much free space is there on Your internal (start-up) hard disk. Go for approx 25Gb.
less than 5Gb and Your result will most probably not play.
• What kind of movie project You drop into it. MPEG4 seems to be a bad choice.
other strange formats are .avi, .wmv, .flash etc. Convert to streamingDV first
Also audio formats matters. I use only .aiff or from miniDV tape Camera 16-bit
strange formats often problematic are .avi, .wmv, audio from iTunes, .mp3 etc
Convert to .aiff first and use this in movie project
• What kind of standard - NTSC movie and NTSC DVD or PAL to PAL - no mix.
(If You need to change to do a NTSC DVD from PAL material let JESDeinterlacer3.2.2 do the conversion)
(Dropping a PAL movie into a NTSC iDVD project
(US) NTSC DVDs most often are playable in EU
(EU) PAL DVDs most often needs to be converted to play in US
UNLESS: They are plabacked by a Mac - then You need not to care
• What kind of DVDs You are using. I use Verbatim DVD-R (this brand AND no +R or +/-RW)
• How You encode and burn it. Two settings prior iDVD08
Pro Quality (only in iDVD08)
Best / High Quality (not always - most often not)
Best / High Performances (most often my choise)
1. go to iDVD pref. menu and select tab far right and set burn speed to x1 (less errors = plays better) - only in iDVD08
2. Project info: Select Professional Encoding - only in iDVD08.
Region codes:
iDVD - only burn Region = 0 - meaning - DVDs are playable everywhere
DVD Studio pro can set Region codes:
1 = US
2 = EU
Yours Bengt W

Need advise - multi-region LCD 52-55"

Please help me! Witch model of LCD TV 52'' or 55'' I can buy in US Bestbuy.com and to be sure 100% it support multi - region TV broadcast standards. I need PAL standard to use in Europe.Thanks a lot for an answer.

monako10 wrote:
Please help me! Witch model of LCD TV 52'' or 55'' I can buy in US Bestbuy.com and to be sure 100% it support multi - region TV broadcast standards. I need PAL standard to use in Europe.Thanks a lot for an answer.
There are very few (if any) TVs that support both ATSC (US digital) and DVB-T (European digital).
If you use it with an external tuner (cable box, DVR, etc), then there are no compatibility problems if it's a high definition tuner with HDMI outputs - PAL and NTSC only apply to standard definition interlaced analog formats. For high def formats with digital connections (such as carried by HDMI), there are no regional differences.
*disclaimer* I am not now, nor have I ever been, an employee of Best Buy, Geek Squad, nor of any of their affiliate, parent, or subsidiary companies.

NTSC All regions DVD on Region 2 player?

I seem to recall that many (maybe most or even all?) PAL DVD players are able to play NTSC discs, if an NTSC DVD was created with all of the region options enabled would a region 2 player be able to play it?

HI Wes - not really a coincidence, more of a marketing process to carve up the world into the different regions.
Yes, Region 2 (Europe (except Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus), Middle East, Egypt, Japan, South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, French overseas territories, Greenland) countries often also use PAL, but so do others not in Region 2 ( PAL covers most of Europe, most of Africa, China, India, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, North Korea to name a few). For example, New Zealand use PAL and are in region 4.
The TV standard is the key, IMO - make sure your footage can actually be seen in those countries, and then make the disc region free (tick ALL of the boxes and make sure it has a region code mask of 0).
My rather jaded view is that the regions simply helped ensure sales were optimised and have nothing to do with whether the disc will play back! But you are also correct in saying a lot of DVD players can play both standards these days, however I wouldn't rely on that when creating a disc.
Finally, if your disc is being burnt in your mac (or PC), make sure that you tick all of the regions in the build/format dialogue as if you don't there will be a conflict between what you are asking and what is hard coded into the DVD-R you are writing to. Region codes really only come into play if you are using a replication process.

Multi region dvd players (external)

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for