Switching the DVD drive region code - Is there a workaround?

Hi - would appreciate a confirmation or helpful hints how to circumvent the regional settings.
I understand from the Apple doc, http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=60183, that the regional coding is set in the firmware of the drive and not linked to the player (as I had apparently incorrectly surmised). If this is the case, then installing an additional player such as the VLC media player for Mac OS X (http://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-macosx.html) to use for say Region 1 discs, and maintaining Apple's DVD Player set for Region 2 discs would not prevent the drive from freezing the 5th time a different region coded disc is slid into the drive.
Right?
If so, the only work around would be to install an external DVD drive to set to an alternative region, right? Or does somebody know a cute way to disable the firmware coding and set the drive to multiple regions. This must be possible because DVD players are available commercially which have been set to region code 0.
I have 2 changes left ... before the big freeze. Thanks

To Apple Discussions!
It has been reported that VLC overrides the 5 region code option. You will need to read their documention on their website. Otherwise................
You can change the computers region "only 5 times". Then it's locked in the 5th version/region (until you erase your HD & start all over.).

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