DVD region playback

[burgerkingdiamond]

I'm trying to figure out how to play Japanese DVD's on my PC. I've read that you can only change the region on your drive 5 times and after that it will be stuck in whatever region it's in.

Is there anywork around for this situation that somebody can recommend?

[Ganelon]

A media player that doesn't suck. Media Player Classic is a solid, lightweight app to play all-region movies.

[burgerkingdiamond]

A media player that doesn't suck. Media Player Classic is a solid, lightweight app to play all-region movies.

Ok. I usually use VLC Media Player. I was reading the FAQ and it said that with newer drives there is something called rpc2 that stops the program from being able to play all region DVD's. The problem is that I don't have any DVD's to test my system with. And I don't want to buy a $65 superplay and find out I can't watch it.

Do you know if this is an issue with the program you're suggesting?

In the end I know I can buy a cheap multi region DVD player on ebay, (I see some up there right now for like $30) but I don't need another piece of electronic equipment to clutter up my living room if you know what I mean.

[gct]

If you don't mind doing a little work, you can rip the files or disc image using DVD Decrypter, and just use Media Player Classic to play the IFO file. If you want to play it on a standalone player later, it wouldn't hurt to re-burn a region-free disc of your ripped content.

[burgerkingdiamond]

If you don't mind doing a little work, you can rip the files or disc image using DVD Decrypter, and just use Media Player Classic to play the IFO file. If you want to play it on a standalone player later, it wouldn't hurt to re-burn a region-free disc of your ripped content.

Ok. I use DVD decryptor all the time to rip/burn DVD's. I wasn't aware that you could rip any region DVD to .ISO with that program. I guess I can live with that.

[drauch]

Do you not have a DVD player? Lots of DVD players can be region unlocked very easily...

[flux]

A media player that doesn't suck. Media Player Classic is a solid, lightweight app to play all-region movies.

Ok. I usually use VLC Media Player. I was reading the FAQ and it said that with newer drives there is something called rpc2 that stops the program from being able to play all region DVD's. The problem is that I don't have any DVD's to test my system with. And I don't want to buy a $65 superplay and find out I can't watch it.

Do you know if this is an issue with the program you're suggesting?

In the end I know I can buy a cheap multi region DVD player on ebay, (I see some up there right now for like $30) but I don't need another piece of electronic equipment to clutter up my living room if you know what I mean.

If the region encoding is in the hardware/firmware of the drive, I doubt the playback program is going to help with that. I normally use Media Player Classic. I've heard the same thing about new drives, but I got mine a little under 2 years ago and I can watch any region on MPC, but it probably depends on the drive. You could look up the model to see if there is protection on the drive you have and/or if there's a way around it.

[StarCreator]

It's largely moot at this point as most of the region protection is on the OS side of things these days (Media Player Classic or others might bypass this), but a lot of drives have hacked firmware to remove the hardware region check - rpc1.org used to be my go-to for this sort of thing. But if DVD Decrypter works for you already, I'd go with that. This is what DVD Decrypter was made for.

[burgerkingdiamond]

Do you not have a DVD player? Lots of DVD players can be region unlocked very easily...

I don't have a standalone DVD player. I have my PS3, laptop, and a desktop. I may just go out on a limb and get the DVD and hope that I can use DVD decryptor to rip it.

[speedlolita]

Why not just set your DVD drive to region 2 and use your PS3/laptop for region 1 stuff?

I do this in reverse.

[E. Randy Dupre]

One thing I've always wondered about this: what happens if the fifth DVD you play is Region 0? Does it fix it at that - making it region-free - or does it just ignore that one?

[nZero]

One thing I've always wondered about this: what happens if the fifth DVD you play is Region 0? Does it fix it at that - making it region-free - or does it just ignore that one?

Nothing would prompt you to change the drive region to play a Region 0 disc, so I guess in the context of your question, it would "just ignore that one."

[neorichieb1971]

Are superplays region locked? Seems like a pointless exercise imo.

with so many consoles that plays DVD's these days I've never had to worry about region locking.

[StarCreator]

Most of the discs have the region 2 marker on them, but I've found they're not actually locked when I try playing them. This would have to confirmed on a case by case basis though.

[burgerkingdiamond]

Are superplays region locked? Seems like a pointless exercise imo.

with so many consoles that plays DVD's these days I've never had to worry about region locking.

I'm just assuming that this Raiden IV superplay I want will be region locked since it's Japanese.

[speedlolita]

Are superplays region locked? Seems like a pointless exercise imo.

with so many consoles that plays DVD's these days I've never had to worry about region locking.

Well, we're in the UK. We share the same region of DVDs as Japan so we're lucky in that respect. America is region 1. America shares their Blu-Ray region with Japan though, which peeves me a bit.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Most of the discs have the region 2 marker on them, but I've found they're not actually locked when I try playing them. This would have to confirmed on a case by case basis though.

I tried playing the cool Region 2 based Success' Reverse Babel Label release of Psyvariar Apperciate DVD Vol. 1 on a USA region dedicated DVD player setbox and it was no cigar. However, upon using another 3rd-party DVD utility program and removing the region locking, it was playable if it was encoded as a Region "0" DVD-R.

What's interesting is that some of those doujin self-produced VHS superplays have Macrovision anti-copying protection scheme in place if hooking up a VHS player to a dedicated DVD recorder setbox. There're ways to circumvent the Macrovision scheme indeed.

On the PS2 platform, there's a nifty DVD hack device that allows any region DVD to be played...goes by the name of "DVD Region X" -- which is a PS2 memory card dongle and a PS2 CD-Rom disc. The later PS2 Pro Action Replay cheat devices already have the above DVD Region X included as a very useful bonus. The only thing is that if you use a PS2 console with a DVD Region X setup, it'll still display the "dreaded" green screen if using a JPN RGB or Scart cable setup. Again, there are ways to work around that "green" screen issue as well.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~