Watching Region 2 DVDs

[Aramis]

Hey guys,

A question for you: what program do you use to watch region 2 DVDs? I've recently moved to the UK, and would like to watch region 2 DVDs on my computer, without officially changing my region to region 2, as I would still like to be able to watch the region 1 DVDs I brought with me.

In the past I have used VLC to watch region 2. When I downloaded it recently, it has not been able to play region 2 DVDs (although it's played region 1 beautifully), and there has been no clear error message as to why it cannot play region 2. I also have downloaded Media Player Classic - Home Cinema, as it was recommended as a region 2 player. It has also not worked, and says I need the most recent version of DivX. I've checked, and I am using the most recent version of DivX.

So, any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[Jadzia]

I think region is a firmware thing, that is part of the drive. I believe some software can attempt to work around that, but I know nothing about that!

If it were me, I'd have two optical drives, and set them to different regions.

 

[Switch]

The corporations responsible for DVD region coding can go fuck themselves. If there's one positive thing to be said for Blu-Ray, it's that at least it only divides the world in three instead of seven. More fool them: now I can often import Blu-Rays from Europe cheaper than I can buy DVDs locally.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

AnyDVD or AnyDVD HD from Slysoft -- cost money 'though. I think you get a trial period to evaluate the software. There are probably free alternatives that just remove the region code.

One benefit of the largely defunct HD-DVD format, apart from the much faster load times, was no regions.

 

[judge alba]

I think region is a firmware thing, that is part of the drive. I believe some software can attempt to work around that, but I know nothing about that!

If it were me, I'd have two optical drives, and set them to different regions.

didnt know you could do that. is that a hard thing? or can it be done through a setting menu somewhere?

 

[Jadzia]

It'll be part of your drive's configuration somewhere. I expect I got to it by right clicking the drive icon and selecting properties... it was some time ago so I can't remember.

My drive said I could change region 5 times. I changed it once to see what it did and then changed it back again. So it reads 3 times left now. I've reinstalled the OS since then, and it still says the same so 'region' is presumably handled within the drive's own firmware and doesn't spill out into the OS... meaning you could have 2 drives set for 2 regions.

I own so few DVDs, and own no foreign ones that I've never needed to experiment with it more than that.

Different operating systems may differ.

 

[thestrangequark]

Here are some options:

-If you want to try using software you can try VLC. What you need to do is disable your computer's dvd application from automatically launching when a dvd is inserted. Then, open VLC and choose file>open disc to open the dvd to play a region 2 without resetting the drive. This is hit and miss, however, and works only for about half of my region 2 dvds. Try this first because it is free!
-For hardware you can either flash your drive to make it region free (this can ruin the drive, though, and make any warrantee void). You can also buy an external disc drive that's set to region 2.

 

[Amaris]

Remote Selector is freeware and will let you play your DVDs, no matter what region, without affecting your firmware.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Some DVD drive manufacturers provide a special utility to reset the firmware counter back to 5 -- but not Sony, of course -- they just want to replace your brain with an automaton that buys nothing but their products.

 

[PKTrekGirl]

I'm not even sure I'd muck about with my computer. I think what I would do (and actually have done) is buy a cheap DVD player where you can get the code online to make it regoin-free. Then watch R2 DVDs on TV instead of on my computer.

 

[Aramis]

Here are some options:

-If you want to try using software you can try VLC. What you need to do is disable your computer's dvd application from automatically launching when a dvd is inserted. Then, open VLC and choose file>open disc to open the dvd to play a region 2 without resetting the drive. This is hit and miss, however, and works only for about half of my region 2 dvds. Try this first because it is free!
-For hardware you can either flash your drive to make it region free (this can ruin the drive, though, and make any warrantee void). You can also buy an external disc drive that's set to region 2.

Thanks! This is quite helpful. I'll try your first suggestion...but how do I disable my computer's DVD application? I'm using Windows 7 OS.

 

[Aramis]

Thanks, all. I'm going to try a few software options/tweaks and see what sort of results I get. If anybody is interested, I'll post any successes I have here.

Fingers crosses, someday we'll get region-less DVDs. Until then, intrepid movie watchers will find a way.

 

[thestrangequark]

Here are some options:

-If you want to try using software you can try VLC. What you need to do is disable your computer's dvd application from automatically launching when a dvd is inserted. Then, open VLC and choose file>open disc to open the dvd to play a region 2 without resetting the drive. This is hit and miss, however, and works only for about half of my region 2 dvds. Try this first because it is free!
-For hardware you can either flash your drive to make it region free (this can ruin the drive, though, and make any warrantee void). You can also buy an external disc drive that's set to region 2.

Thanks! This is quite helpful. I'll try your first suggestion...but how do I disable my computer's DVD application? I'm using Windows 7 OS.

Can't help you there -- I'm on a Mac. It's possibly in your system preferences somewhere?

 

[Vulcan Princess]

<snip> but how do I disable my computer's DVD application? I'm using Windows 7 OS.

Go to the control panel, then select hardware and sound. Then select auto play. Under "DVD movie", select "take no action" from the drop-down menu.