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Thread ID: 123078 2012-02-02 00:05:00 Make Windows Media Player Region Free? Winston001 (3612) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
1256966 2012-02-02 00:05:00 Hi Guys

My daughters new Windows 7 Toshiba laptop using Windows Media Player objected to a couple of DVDs she bought at the Warehouse because they were Zone 2.

I told her to allow the zone change but now WMP is insisting it won't go back to Zone 4 next time she uses it.

Can't find anything helpful through google.

Any ideas please?
Winston001 (3612)
1256967 2012-02-02 00:23:00 You can get region free tools such as DVD genie and AnyDVD that sit in memory and make DVD's all appear region free. That's one option. there may be free ones around, both of those are paid programs.

You need to be careful with Zone changes, there is a firmware one built into most drives which is limited to 4 changes then it locks, and then there are software ones associated with player software. The firmware lock can be reset on some drives a limited number of times, you'd need to google it for the specific laptop model and it could be tricky to find. Another risky option is to look for hacked firmware for the DVD drive.
dugimodo (138)
1256968 2012-02-02 00:41:00 VLC is a region free player as has been mentioned on this forum.Here. (www.videolan.org)
:)
Trev (427)
1256969 2012-02-02 02:28:00 Persuant to my recent thread Here (pressf1.pcworld.co.nz) Does the region setting in the software trump the setting in the firmware, or do both software and firmware region settings have to match or be 'compatible' by whatever means may be used?

I'm a little confused because with the exception of just one DVD (so far), using VLC my system now plays disks from all regions. So, under what circumstances would you need to change the firmware drivers?

There seemed to be a learning/auto-config process going on when I first launched VLC because they didn't auto-start and I had to do some manual fiddling, so there were difficulties and hangups at first, then they gradually melted away and finally every disk I tried autoplayed just fine.

Cheers

Billy 8-{) :confused:
Billy T (70)
1256970 2012-02-02 02:45:00 VLC is a region free player as has been mentioned on this forum.Here. (www.videolan.org)
:)

Yes but VLC needs a good cpu to deinterlace them (which is a must if you want to watch videotaped marterial in it's original frame/feild rate).
goodiesguy (15316)
1256971 2012-02-02 04:14:00 I'm just the messenger.
:)
Trev (427)
1256972 2012-02-02 05:09:00 Hey mate,

This stuff is legit, easy as, and "just works":
www.dvdidle.com

:)
Chilling_Silence (9)
1256973 2012-02-02 07:02:00 Thanks guys, appreciated.



You need to be careful with Zone changes, there is a firmware one built into most drives which is limited to 4 changes then it locks.....

Yes I think that is what is happening. I'll select Zone 4 to be safe and then try Chill's suggestion and/or VLC which I seem to already have on my own laptop dating from a time when WMP refused to play DVDs of The Wire.
Winston001 (3612)
1256974 2012-02-02 08:18:00 Yeah you can use DVD Region & CSS Free, even if its been zone-locked to any zone :) It's one of the few things I'd recommend paying for over open-source alternatives Chilling_Silence (9)
1256975 2012-02-02 20:47:00 I wish the RIAA etc could give me one good reason apart from ripping us off to have zones anyway. mikebartnz (21)
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