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Region-free Blu-Ray

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This is generally posted from other forums I visit, and I'm too lazy to edit it, but the whole idea is there:

 

OK, so while I was reticent to adopt Blu-Ray, all interesting special features seem to have been moved there, and I have thought about changing over. However, in doing some searching online, apparently the region-locking issue is significantly more complicated than with normal DVD players. Whereas my wonderful little Phillilps DVP player was a minor expense that I managed to make region-free with a few keystrokes on the remote, evidently region-hacking is a significantly more costly prospect on BR, and apparently, given that BR is updated repeatedly as well as what seem to be features designed by the manufacturers to prevent the consumer from becoming region-free are big stumbling blocks. Some research indicates that I might be well off with Oppo, whom I'm told are the Cadillac of BR players. However, quite apart from the significant expense of the players (The highly-regarded BDP-93 retails, before modding, already puts me back $500!), evidently region hacking is significantly complex, apparently requiring actual hardware modding. This is apparently usually done by an intermediary third party. I'm not particularly comfortable with that, especially since it further raises the price, but I'm unsure as to if I could undertake that extensive endeavor myself without sound damage and voiding the warrantee on a $500 player. There are various features associated with BR players that seem enticing, particularly Netflix streaming, but the region-coding is my prime interest. Exactly what options do I have? It sounds like I'm just SOL if I don't want to spend quite a significant amount of money, but is there any way to ensure a return on the investment? I was not hugely interested in upgrading as my TV and DVD player are still concocted by a coaxial splitter, for the love of Frith, so it seems like any upgrade at this point would he throwing he baby out with the bathwater, but given how fast BR seems to taking over, I though a rundown of how things are and a through understanding of these issues might make my purchase easier, whether I make the choice next week or next year, since both my interest in foreign discs of both SD and HD material, as well as the ones I already own, factor into the decision-making process, for the eventual building of my hopefully not imaginary future home theater system. Fully laid out, how does the whole issue look and what are my best options?

“What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.”

Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death

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I just did a google search of "region free blu ray" and got a bunch of hits that look promising.

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What region are you looking at trying to play?  Better: what movies are region locked that you want to play?

A vast majority of my BD are region free.  But I suppose when you get into other genres (Anime maybe, I don't know) it becomes an all new ballgame.

Inception is region free. :)

IT'S MY TRILOGY, AND I WANT IT NOW!

"[George Lucas] rebooted the franchise in 1997 without telling anyone." -skyjedi2005

"Yeah, well, George says a lot of things..." a young 1997 xhonzi on RASSM

"They're my movies." -George Lucas. 19 people won oscars for their work on Star Wars (1977) and George Lucas wasn't one of them.

Rewrite the Prequels!

 

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xhonzi said:

What region are you looking at trying to play?  Better: what movies are region locked that you want to play?

A vast majority of my BR are region free.  But I suppose when you get into other genres (Anime maybe, I don't know) it becomes an all new ballgame.

Inception is region free. :)

Fixed to try and drive Moth3r over the edge.

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xhonzi said:

Better: what movies are region locked that you want to play?

Human Centipede?

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xhonzi said:

What region are you looking at trying to play?  Better: what movies are region locked that you want to play?

A vast majority of my BD are region free.  But I suppose when you get into other genres (Anime maybe, I don't know) it becomes an all new ballgame.

Inception is region free. :)

 

Not 100% sure, things come down the pipe (as you say, anime, martial arts flicks, horror movies, etc.), I just want to be able to put whatever I want in and play it like I can do with DVD and VCD.

“What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.”

Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death

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Mike O said:

xhonzi said:

What region are you looking at trying to play?  Better: what movies are region locked that you want to play?

A vast majority of my BD are region free.  But I suppose when you get into other genres (Anime maybe, I don't know) it becomes an all new ballgame.

Inception is region free. :)

 

Not 100% sure, things come down the pipe (as you say, anime, martial arts flicks, horror movies, etc.), I just want to be able to put whatever I want in and play it

I'll bet you can't find one that plays centipedes.

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I import a lot of titles from the UK because it's often cheaper than buying domestically, and in some cases, you get superior content (Planet Earth in the original 1080i50 is a good example, assuming you have a compatible display).

I have the BDP-93 with the bluraychip.dk mod. Very pleased with its performance. It loads BDs as fast as--or faster than--my PS3, and it's the best universal player on the market (including DVD-A, SACD, and pretty much any media file format you can think of, even BD ISOs and BDMV folders via USB drives). Its DVD upscaling is excellent as well.

The region mod is very easy to install, with no soldering or any potentially warranty-voiding changes. You unplug a few cables from the mainboard, connect them to the mod, then connect the mod to the mainboard. If you ever need to send the 93 to Oppo for warranty service (which I did due to a faulty capacitor on the mainboard), simply remove the mod before sending it in. You can get a cheaper mod that connects to the rear USB port if you want, the downsides being the loss of that port and the need to boot the player twice (once to start it, then a reboot after you've switched the region). The internal mod lets you start the player in region A/B/C by pressing 1/2/3 on the remote to power it on.

The 93 is more expensive than most players on the market, but its video playback is reference and its build quality is solid. And Oppo's customer support is second to none. They had my 93 back to me in less than a week for that warranty repair. Good luck getting that from Sony or Samsung.

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Jay said:

I import a lot of titles from the UK because it's often cheaper than buying domestically, and in some cases, you get superior content

What percentage of the UK BDs you order are region free?  I ask because there are a few UK releases I've been tempted to order.

IT'S MY TRILOGY, AND I WANT IT NOW!

"[George Lucas] rebooted the franchise in 1997 without telling anyone." -skyjedi2005

"Yeah, well, George says a lot of things..." a young 1997 xhonzi on RASSM

"They're my movies." -George Lucas. 19 people won oscars for their work on Star Wars (1977) and George Lucas wasn't one of them.

Rewrite the Prequels!

 

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 (Edited)

Japan Anime is region A just like we have in the States.

The only reason i could see for having a modded player is if you wanted those same anime masters at cheaper prices, by buying the hong kong version or taiwan releases instead of paying the exorbitant prices in Japan.

Since you could pay as much as four hundred us dollars for a boxset of blu ray discs from Japan and the same could be had if released in the us for 90 dollars i think that is a very good reason to not import.

Depends on what series or movies are worth it to you and if they are true 1080P or shitty upscales as being animated only in 480 and not HD, of course anything animated on film is already good enough for HD.

Whether they toy with the colors or add dvnr.

 

“Always loved Vader’s wordless self sacrifice. Another shitty, clueless, revision like Greedo and young Anakin’s ghost. What a fucking shame.” -Simon Pegg.

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 (Edited)

It would depend on what's coming down the pipe. This is still fairly early in Blu's lifespan, so maybe something that I'll be geared up for but can't play will come along. Most of what I want on BR I can get in my own region, whereas I have a few out of region DVDs, but that could change.

 

Mr. Sylvester! I am honored!

The region mod is very easy to install, with no soldering or any potentially warranty-voiding changes.

 

Define "very easy." (You then do.)

 

You unplug a few cables from the mainboard, connect them to the mod, then connect the mod to the mainboard.

 

Does this require a screwdriver or any knowledge. I'm not a dummy when it comes to electronics, but I'm clumsy in general, and I just would want to be VERY, VERY careful with something that cost me $500 plus. I don't suppose there's an idiot-proof video that tell how or somesuch?

If you ever need to send the 93 to Oppo for warranty service (which I did due to a faulty capacitor on the mainboard), simply remove the mod before sending it in. You can get a cheaper mod that connects to the rear USB port if you want, the downsides being the loss of that port and the need to boot the player twice (once to start it, then a reboot after you've switched the region). The internal mod lets you start the player in region A/B/C by pressing 1/2/3 on the remote to power it on.

So unlike a DVD player, there isn't a "one size fits all" kind of thing you can do? Even with a mod, you've got to manually switch it? But it'll play all DVDs? Kind of annoying, but workable. Sounds like the Blu-Ray folks have made this a hard thing to circumvent :p. At least it sounds like it's fairly simple to change.

The 93 is more expensive than most players on the market, but its video playback is reference and its build quality is solid. And Oppo's customer support is second to none. They had my 93 back to me in less than a week for that warranty repair. Good luck getting that from Sony or Samsung.

It's SIGNIFICANTLY more expensive. With the mod, that three or four weeks pay for me. It sounds like it's just about the baddest BR player on the market (though it doesn't look something that'll ever go on sale). If I'm sure that it's as good as its rep, I'd be willing to pay, but if it's that much, I'm hoping it'll do everything and a few things besides.

“What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.”

Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death

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twister111 said:

You could just buy one, no mod required. Amazon Link. Got two region free Blu-ray players right now. Still expensive but, it's cheaper then the other player you're mentioning.

I can't give you any feedback about how those work. I don't own either of them.


http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/7405/cooly.gif

I'm reticent to do that simply because I don't know how comfortable I am with buying something modded by someone else, unsure how how it'll work. I wanted to just wait until BR players went down in price, but that looks a ways away, and I don't think Oppo or region-free ones ever will.

“What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.”

Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death

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xhonzi said:

What percentage of the UK BDs you order are region free?  I ask because there are a few UK releases I've been tempted to order.

I don't really know because I don't pay attention to the region, I just buy them :)

Typically, if it's released by the same studio in the US and the UK, it's all-region.

Mike O said:

Does this require a screwdriver or any knowledge. I'm not a dummy when it comes to electronics, but I'm clumsy in general, and I just would want to be VERY, VERY careful with something that cost me $500 plus. I don't suppose there's an idiot-proof video that tell how or somesuch?

You need a screwdriver to take the top off the Oppo, but installing the mod requires no tools. The instructions provided with the mod (including pictures) take you through it step by step.

So unlike a DVD player, there isn't a "one size fits all" kind of thing you can do? Even with a mod, you've got to manually switch it? But it'll play all DVDs? Kind of annoying, but workable. Sounds like the Blu-Ray folks have made this a hard thing to circumvent :p. At least it sounds like it's fairly simple to change.

DVD has Region 0, and in most cases, DVDs from any region will play in a player set to Region 0. Blu-ray doesn't have a concept of Region 0. Instead, the disc is encoded as all regions (A/B/C) simultaneously if it's meant for worldwide use. Switching isn't a big deal on the Oppo, you just press a different button on the remote to turn on the power and have it start in the desired region.

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I don't really know because I don't pay attention to the region, I just buy them :)

That's what I'm shooting for.

You need a screwdriver to take the top off the Oppo, but installing the mod requires no tools. The instructions provided with the mod (including pictures) take you through it step by step.

Can I get the mod on eBay?

DVD has Region 0, and in most cases, DVDs from any region will play in a player set to Region 0. Blu-ray doesn't have a concept of Region 0. Instead, the disc is encoded as all regions (A/B/C) simultaneously if it's meant for worldwide use. Switching isn't a big deal on the Oppo, you just press a different button on the remote to turn on the power and have it start in the desired region.

Just out of curiosity, how does that work? You can't hack the firmware, so how does hardware allow this kind of thing? Not important, just curious. Anyway, will the player also handle things like streaming Netflix, software updates, Hulu, etc while still playing everything?

“What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.”

Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death

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Mike O said:

Can I get the mod on eBay?

I don't think bluraychip.dk sells their pro mod on ebay. You can get the USB mod there though. Personally, I'd go for the internal mod. It's cleaner and easier to use.

Just out of curiosity, how does that work? You can't hack the firmware, so how does hardware allow this kind of thing? Not important, just curious. Anyway, will the player also handle things like streaming Netflix, software updates, Hulu, etc while still playing everything?

I have no idea how the mod works, it just does. It doesn't interfere with any of the player's functions. The initial mod firmware did cause problems if the rear USB port had something plugged in, but they updated the firmware to take care of that.

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Jay said:

Mike O said:

Can I get the mod on eBay?

I don't think bluraychip.dk sells their pro mod on ebay. You can get the USB mod there though. Personally, I'd go for the internal mod. It's cleaner and easier to use.

Just out of curiosity, how does that work? You can't hack the firmware, so how does hardware allow this kind of thing? Not important, just curious. Anyway, will the player also handle things like streaming Netflix, software updates, Hulu, etc while still playing everything?

I have no idea how the mod works, it just does. It doesn't interfere with any of the player's functions. The initial mod firmware did cause problems if the rear USB port had something plugged in, but they updated the firmware to take care of that.

I've got a thing about ordering stuff online, especially from places other than the big retailers, but it does sound like the best option.... Obviously, you're vouching for it. Do they take PayPal?

It looks like this'll set me back almost $700. Wish there was a cheaper option like there was for my DVD player, but doesn't like like it.

*Is doing something like this legal? I wouldn't want to be caught trying to pick up something that wasn't within the law just to play DVDs....

“What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.”

Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death

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bluraychip.dk is reputable. I don't remember if they take PayPal or not.

There are cheaper multiregion Blu-ray options if you're worried about doing the mod yourself or dumping $700 into it. I went with the Oppo because I have a serious consumer electronics addiction and spend way too much on this stuff :) 

As far as I know, there are no laws that prevent you from modifying a Blu-ray player to switch its region. I don't think this is a violation of the DMCA because you're not subverting copyright in any way by breaking the encryption on the disc. Mods and modified players are available all over the place and lots of foreign retailers ship Region B and C discs to the US, including my primary source, Amazon UK. It's been going on since the first modified DVD player hit the market. Nothing to worry about.

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Mike O said:

It looks like this'll set me back almost $700. Wish there was a cheaper option like there was for my DVD player, but doesn't like like it.

 I'm just here to be your reality check- let's say a decent region locked BD player is $100.  Is it worth the $600 difference to play BDs you haven't even identified yet?  What if you just got the $100 BD player and crossed the bridge of "region free" when you actually want it?  Perhaps that's so far in the future that prices will have come down much further than the $100 sunk cost of this option.

IT'S MY TRILOGY, AND I WANT IT NOW!

"[George Lucas] rebooted the franchise in 1997 without telling anyone." -skyjedi2005

"Yeah, well, George says a lot of things..." a young 1997 xhonzi on RASSM

"They're my movies." -George Lucas. 19 people won oscars for their work on Star Wars (1977) and George Lucas wasn't one of them.

Rewrite the Prequels!

 

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Sunk cost...look who thinks he's an economist,lol.

Oh, and luca$ is the megahsuk

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xhonzi said:

Mike O said:

It looks like this'll set me back almost $700. Wish there was a cheaper option like there was for my DVD player, but doesn't like like it.

 I'm just here to be your reality check- let's say a decent region locked BD player is $100.  Is it worth the $600 difference to play BDs you haven't even identified yet?  What if you just got the $100 BD player and crossed the bridge of "region free" when you actually want it?  Perhaps that's so far in the future that prices will have come down much further than the $100 sunk cost of this option.

This has most certainly occurred to me. The problem with that is that I have a number of DVDs that it wouldn't be able to play and switching the players depending on what I want to play would be annoying and I'd like to just kill the whole problem in one fell swoop. Now, if the Oppo is as good as Mr. Sylvester and others have told me, then after all of this sunk money, I'd at hopefully have it and future BR problems permanently solved. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as it was with DVD where I could just pick up almost any player and modify it. It's a question of patience: what could come down the pipe and when. Still, you're right. It's worth thinking about. But patience has never been my strong suit :P.

“What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.”

Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death

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I thought this said "Religion-free Blu-Ray" for a bit. Didn't know the Vatican pressed discs.

Keep Circulating the Tapes.

END OF LINE

(It hasn’t happened yet)

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When I first saw it, I thought it was going to be a spam thread.

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What's a good home theater-based forum? I've been thinking about just looking on eBay for someone who's selling a fairly cheap one, but I don't know if that's a good idea or not.

“What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one.”

Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death