DVD Regions

[Guest]

I imagine this topic probably has been aired before; if so please indulge me patiently.

During the many years I lived abroad, I locally acquired many DVDs specific to that region. I have a multi-region player attached to my gramophone and a dedicated TV set, all American. This arrangement works well but I now have a need to view one of these on my computer and the wretched thing won't play the disc. Despite both laptop and disc being purchased in the USA, the machine tells me that the disc is not compatible with my region and refuses to have anything to do with it.

How does it know I'm now somewhere else? And how can I see this stuff on the computer without having to replace my library? I understand the copyright considerations and so on but this scheme seems infantile.

Anything I can do, please?

[Bryn]

It's some years since I looked into such things, but you might need to combine a bit of Googling with the use of an external DVD drive, say one from the LiteOn range. Check via Google whether such a drive can be software switched between regions. Many can, though the number of switches permitted may be limited to 5. However, there may also be software patches which can be used to reset the counter. Sorry, but it does tend to be not only manufacturer but model specific so you will have to do your own Googling to find what meed to be done with which DVD drive.

Best of luck.

[Frances_iom]

simple - install Linux eg Mint - the region coding is yet another example of rip-off company tactics as eg extension of copyrights etc etc

[Richard Tarleton]

I'm no expert but....I have a few American DVDs, and a basic Toshiba DVD player. To play the American DVDs, I open the tray, place the DVD on it, tap in the 5-digit "cheat" code specific to that player on the remote, close the tray and play. This converts the player into a multi-region code for the duration of that disc. An expert friend taught me this, and found the code for my machine on the intranet. A Google search for multi-region codes plus the name and number of your machine should do it.

PS as Bryn says, above . I hope the number of switches is not limited!

Having read the OP again, I realise this does not solve the computer problem

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Maybe if the Americans didn't insist on showing their films in their own country, several weeks before allowing the rest to the world to have a peek, all this ridiculous coding would be unnecessary.
A global market? I don't think so.

The Blu-ray release of Skyfall is one of those infuriating "triple play" releases, wit Blue-ray, DVD and (here we go again) a "digital copy". (Has anyone bought any analogue DVDs recently?)

[Deckerd]

The vast majority of Blu-ray is region free.

[Richard Tarleton]

Maybe if the Americans didn't insist on showing their films in their own country, several weeks before allowing the rest to the world to have a peek, all this ridiculous coding would be unnecessary.

The equally ridiculous thing is, my American DVDs are of films from the 1930's, 40s and 50s.

[johnb]

Cornet,

If you google on pc DVD multiregion you will find a number of software options that will enable your PC to play any region DVDs.

e.g. this is one link that came up: http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/forums/2/...ke-laptop-dvd/

It's worth mentioning that AnyDVD (the commercial product mentioned in that link) has a 21 day free trial so you could test it out and uninstall it after the 21 days if you didn't want to pay the 39 Euro. There are many other software products though - the best thing to do is to google and see what is recommended by other people.

(I tested out AnyDVD-HD last year and it worked fine at the time when I was ripping some Blu-Ray audio.)

[Cornet IV]

Thank you all for your courtesy.

I have been dragooned into singing in a local production of Messiah and in reacquainting myself, wish to add some audio to the bass line which I have managed to download from the score. Curious that I have instant access to George Fredric's original but none whatever to a performance of only five years ago.

I have tried to follow some of the suggestions but fear that I am unequal to the challenge posed by all this digistuff. However, I'm determined not to be beaten by what seems to me yet another frustrating impediment to the peaceful enjoyment of a simple life so have engaged my youngest grandson; he speaks in tongues wholly unintelligible to me and therefore must know all about these things. "Cool, Grandpa. No probs."

We'll see . . . .