Multi-region DVD player question.

DynamiteKid

The DVD/VHS player I bought - the one thing I forgot about when I bought it - is only Region 2, and as such cannot play the 20-disc box set I ordered from America recently. This is no biggie in the short term because I can play it on the DVD player downstairs for the minute. However, my dad said that when he asked for a multi-region DVD player, he simply paid an extra £10 and they gave him some instructions to make his player into a multi-region.

So, some questions:
1 - Is this possible on any single-region DVD player?
2 - Is it legal for you guys to tell me how to do this or am I supposed to ask somewhere?
3 - Will it being a DVD and VHS player in one be an issue?

Apothe0sis

It depends on the model. I know there's a website which details the various exploits required to region free-er-ise various dvd models. It really depends on the model as to whether or not there's a quick an easy way to do it. You could try the direct approach and ring up the manufacturer, talk to them. IN Australia at least, if the player isn't region free already they have to give you the unlock code.

Corrosive Monkey

I don't think it is illegal as the ability to make it region free was built in by the manafacturer

There are quite a few sites out there which have codes for baasically all DVD players to make them region free.

blincoln

A lot of players have codes you can enter on the remote to make them region-free until they're turned off and back on.

I paid a little extra and got one that was permanently configured to be region-free.

Either way, if you do go that route, make sure it's a model that can play and convert the video signal to the one your TV uses (PAL in your case, I think?). I believe most newer players can do this, but part of the reason I bought a new one was that my older player could be made region-free with the remote, but didn't have the ability to decode the PAL video signal, let alone convert it to NTSC so my TV would display it properly.

embrik

This site has a good searchable list of players. Try here first.

Mordrack

Corrosive Monkey wrote: »

I don't think it is illegal as the ability to make it region free was built in by the manafacturer

In the U.S. it is illegal , thanks to chapter 12 section 1 of the DMCA. It is legal in almost every other country.

sirSolarius

While reburning a 20-disc set sucks balls, you can make backup copies that are region 2 or region-free.

blincoln

Mordrack wrote: »

In the U.S. it is illegal , thanks to chapter 12 section 1 of the DMCA. It is legal in almost every other country.

I'm pretty sure that bypassing the region coding is not covered by the DMCA, just the copy protection. I don't see anything in common summaries of the DMCA about region coding at least. Also, if it were illegal in the US, why were e.g. Datel able to legally sell PS2 boot discs that bypassed the region coding?

poshniallo

I thought it was legal but that the big companies (Sony, I'm looking at you - oh you don't care oh well I'll stop) try to criminalise it by acting as if it is illegal.

Senjutsu

blincoln wrote: »

Mordrack wrote: »

In the U.S. it is illegal , thanks to chapter 12 section 1 of the DMCA. It is legal in almost every other country.

I'm pretty sure that bypassing the region coding is not covered by the DMCA, just the copy protection. I don't see anything in common summaries of the DMCA about region coding at least. Also, if it were illegal in the US, why were e.g. Datel able to legally sell PS2 boot discs that bypassed the region coding?

USC Title 17 wrote:

§ 1201. Circumvention of copyright protection systems
(a) Violations Regarding Circumvention of Technological Measures.—
(1)
(A) No person shall circumvent a technological measure that effectively controls access to a work protected under this title.

Where "a work protected under this title" means a "copyrighted work". It's illegal in the US.

DynamiteKid

Well lucky me, I live in Britain, so that doesn't matter - quite apart from which my dad paid money at a regular shop in order to get the instructions to make his multi-region, so that suggests quite strongly that it's all okay...

blincoln

Senjutsu wrote: »

blincoln wrote: »

I'm pretty sure that bypassing the region coding is not covered by the DMCA, just the copy protection. I don't see anything in common summaries of the DMCA about region coding at least. Also, if it were illegal in the US, why were e.g. Datel able to legally sell PS2 boot discs that bypassed the region coding?

USC Title 17 wrote:

§ 1201. Circumvention of copyright protection systems
(a) Violations Regarding Circumvention of Technological Measures.—
(1)
(A) No person shall circumvent a technological measure that effectively controls access to a work protected under this title.

Where "a work protected under this title" means a "copyrighted work". It's illegal in the US.

Please reread what I wrote. That section is all about copyright protection, not region coding. There is a huge difference, both technologically and practically.

nexuscrawler

The bigger problem is the American DVDs are going to be in NTSC format. your player is likely PAL. Chances are decent but not 100% that your player wil be able to play NTSC. Many PAL players can fake it but some cannot and it does not always look perfect.

DynamiteKid

It would appear that my DVD player has no hacks. It's not even listed on that website. Does anyone else have any suggestions?