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Thread ID: 51534 2004-11-23 11:35:00 Flashing DVD player Raikyn (6293) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
295494 2004-11-23 11:35:00 Is it legal to do this to make it region-free? Raikyn (6293)
295495 2004-11-23 11:46:00 Well this is quite hard to say,

I write custom (hacked) BIOS mods for my motherboard and raid because it is no longer being maintained and it's done at a user risk (also I wanted to learn it). This is because I have to flash my motherboard bios with hacked in new bios for my raid just to update it, I doubt if it's illegal in my case, else if I ran the newest drivers in Windows with an older raid version, unexpected problems could arise and I can't ask the vendor to fix this because my motherboard is now a discontinued product and support has dropped on it.

A DVD Player however maybe different, and maybe illegal, although I see no reason why vendors are being persistant in this area, I think they have reasons to make sure sales of DVDs remain within the countries, else the ability to purchase cheaper DVDs overseas may show economical drops in sales, why CDs were never made like this is still questionable. I also wonder why they don't make that part of the ROM unwritable, so maybe they had similar intentions?

I would just bite the bullet and do it. It's a user risk thing, and you're at risk, if any problems arise after the flash, you've got no support from them anymore.


Kame
Kame (312)
295496 2004-11-23 12:06:00 I have already done it :)
I did it when they remastered The Good,The Bad and The Ugly. It came out in the States a couple of months before NZ, so I ordered it and flashed the DVD. :D

Just wondered if it was legal or not.
Raikyn (6293)
295497 2004-11-23 14:14:00 Bad form to reply to your own post I know :p but I've also been thinking about getting a DVD writer. I've read you can get a single layer writer from a certain company and flash it so it's a dual-layer DVD writer as all the lasers and mechanics are the same.
Surely a dim view is taken towords this?
Raikyn (6293)
295498 2004-11-23 14:31:00 > Bad form to reply to your own post I know :p but I've
> also been thinking about getting a DVD writer. I've
> read you can get a single layer writer from a certain
> company and flash it so it's a dual-layer DVD writer
> as all the lasers and mechanics are the same.
> Surely a dim view is taken towords this?


Towards this, Firmware upgrades are becoming commonplace even advised buy some manufacturers intherir supplied documents.

This also covers them for bugs. if dual layer capability is a firmware only issue, where is the problem, as to the reigon thing, Who the F do they think they are????????

I paid for it, I should be able to watch products from anywhere on the planet, any time, with no restrictions from arrogant controll freak manufacturers.

would you care to enlighten us as to the proceedure, Sandyb41 at Hotmail, would probably write an "idiots how to" for any body who wished to read it. she's a bit of a worry that girl, gets very proactive about things like this.

Dosen't post here bit to left of center.

D.
drb1 (4492)
295499 2004-11-23 14:46:00 I guess the issue is that programs are written by a third-party.
Essentially it's the same as a bios flash, and the fact that you lose your warranty.
The DVD writer I was refering to was a Lite-on DVD single-layer writer, I think :p
Raikyn (6293)
295500 2004-11-23 14:52:00 As I under stand it, it is a firmware for that, and its a good unit .

At $178-00 (up $6-00 form last week) for a dual, unless youve allready brought a single, why bother and void the warranty.

D.
drb1 (4492)
295501 2004-11-23 23:00:00 I was under the impression that you could get software to bypass the region check and this would avoid a flash.

DVDRegionFree? Never used it though...
HadO (796)
295502 2004-11-23 23:04:00 There are a few programs around that'll save u flashing a region-free update .

There's also 1 program that I know of that plays any zone dvd, but it isnt free, BUT does the trick .

Saves u loading any program beforehand, to play any dvd or any hacked region-free update, that could kill the dvd altogether .
Spacemannz (808)
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