Page 1 of Everyone Read This Please!!

Hello all, i`ve read quite a few of the hack requests on here and have realised that alot of the complaints of hacks not working stems from lack of experience with dvd systems.
I have worked for several dvd system manufacturers and you might say i have a personal axe to grind.So because i`m in a good mood i`ll let you in on a few secrets that i`ve aquired along the way.

1. There are currently 3 types of "Region testing" (hacks) these include the responsive, the denial command and the non response error. They sound complicated but their not.
The "resonse hack" displays numbers and symbols on the tv screen as you press the various buttons on the remote to access the RT menu (hack screen,secret menu,alladins cave) call it wot you like! this is where you can re-asign the region.This is the earliest example of region protection when dvd players first arrived and is very rarely seen in most new models.

The "denial command" is when you go through the motions of your hack but the player seems unresponsive and when you press the buttons on the remote a hand (the hand of denial) appears on screen.It`s purpose is to make you think that wot you are doing or trying to do is having no affect on you system but as most of you have found out it does!!
So as i`ve read on here so many times when the hand comes up it doesn`t mean that your being denied anything just carry on with the hack and you`ll be rewarded!!

The latest region protection is the much talked about (by boaring bigwigs in suits) The "non response error".This is when you get nothing at all from the tv display (not even a hand or an X) and nothing from your dvd system except the little light that flashes when your dvd player receives any signal from your remote.Once again if all else fails and this seems to be happening to you when you press the codes etc..,carry on with the hack as described and you will get what you want! This region protection is now becoming the norm because of it affectiveness to confuse people in the hope that they will give up and just play the dvd`s that the system was intended to play.

A couple of other things to note are>>>You do not need to buy a programmable remote to hack a dvd player that is hackable.If a dvd system can be hacked (and 99% can be) it can be done with the remote supplied, it`s just a matter of finding the hack online or elsewhere.How do you think the region is set when they leave the factory???? it`s not with an "all for one"!!
If you mess up the dvd firmware by getting the hack wrong, it is impossible for the manufacturer to identify if you messed with it or it messed it`s self up,just don`t tell the engineer anything!!

Anyways thats enough info for now i`m gonna play with my newly hacked dvd system!

REGION CODING IS A PRICE FIXING RIPOFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Very interesting posting indeed, Jammy.

Just a couple of points (not a criticism, just my understanding) :

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This is the earliest example of region protection when dvd players first arrived and is very rarely seen in most new models.

Disagree - most of the new MediaTek chipset powered players still have access to a specific region menu, with the exception of a dodgy batch of MT1379s built around Summer 2003 where, due to a change to a new OSD system, access to change the code on screen was removed accidentally. This has now been reinstated on affected players (by a firmware upgrade - see Ronin, Yamada, Yamakawa players), and reactivated on chips installed on newer players.

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How do you think the region is set when they leave the factory????

Er, it`s written into the firmware code stored on the player`s EPROM/EEPROM....You don`t honestly think people sit there pointing zappers at each and every DVD player that leaves the factory do you ?! That`s what most remote hacks are - a back-door entry into the firmware code to alter a setting. I really do not think that Sony, Pioneer, Philips, Panasonic, Toshiba players can be hacked by the remote that comes with the player (some have to be hacked with service remotes or, as luck should have it, with OFA or Palm Pilot remotes) - remember these companies are founder members of the DVD Forum, and they have to be seen to be whiter than white :D

The one area you have not mentioned are dirty firmware hacks and hardware modifications. The Toshiba SD230 is one example of a "region-free" firmware that has been released, probably unofficially. Also, how the heck do you explain the CD-R text hack we discovered for players made by Sampo (using ESS chipsets) during 2001 see here - there is no way on this green earth to render these players region-free with the remote control, mainly because the components used in those players were also used on the Sharp DV740, which Sampo also made - and to date no other Sharp player has ever been hacked :)



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Moderator
DVD Reviewer

Webmaster of Area 450 - independent Sampo DVD site

This item was edited on Tuesday, 30th December 2003, 03:36

There`s loads i could write here on the points you`ve raised but i didn`t want to go deep into dvd`s on here cause most people just want the hack and to hell with everything else.;)
All i was trying to get accross is no dvd player is unhackable,with the right equip and knowhow all can be rendered region free.I have just bought a Philips MX5800SA and it is now region free thanks to the trusty remote supplied and the hack:)

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There`s loads i could write here on the points you`ve raised but i didn`t want to go deep into dvd`s on here cause most people just want the hack and to hell with everything else

I`m sure I`m not alone in wanting as much info as possible - however, I do take your point and am happy to take it off forum if you wish (styalc[at]moc.054aera). Area 450 has discovered more non-remote hacks that we can shake a stick at, mainly due to the fantastic underground work that had been done on understanding the MiPS coding used on ESS chips. Now MediaTek chips - that`s a whole different ball-game :(

===========
Moderator
DVD Reviewer

Webmaster of Area 450 - independent Sampo DVD site

Leave it `on`....I`m sure there`s others like me interested.

Read it.
Very interesting and informative.
So I went back and tried both hacks listed on this site for the Goodmans GTV14DVD combination unit and one other found on www.adl528.com.
Entered everything regardless of no response and then tried a region 1 DVD after every attempt.

Still nothing. Apart from earache from my son as he can`t watch his DVD`s in his room.

If it`s me being an idiot then some kind soul please walk me through it or has something changed in this machine very recently which requires a different approach.

Sorry Clayts, I see how you`re reading this, but I`m gonna be a helluva lot more cynical than you were:

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I have worked for several dvd system manufacturers and you might say i have a personal axe to grind.So because i`m in a good mood i`ll let you in on a few secrets that i`ve aquired along the way.

OK, this got my attention and I continued to read;

Quote:
1. There are currently 3 types of "Region testing" (hacks) these include the responsive, the denial command and the non response error. They sound complicated but their not.
The "resonse hack" displays numbers and symbols on the tv screen as you press the various buttons on the remote to access the RT menu (hack screen,secret menu,alladins cave) call it wot you like! this is where you can re-asign the region.This is the earliest example of region protection when dvd players first arrived and is very rarely seen in most new models.

Perhaps in cheaper branded units, but certainly not in the "big name" players. Otherwise, Sony, Panasonic, Pioneer,Toshiba etc would not have required hardware modifications to their early models.

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So as i`ve read on here so many times when the hand comes up it doesn`t mean that your being denied anything just carry on with the hack and you`ll be rewarded!!

I know what you mean by this, but personally I haven`t seen a player that has a "hand" icon. What you are actually referring to is the UOP symbol (User Operation Prohibit), usually looks like a number 0 (with the diagonal line through) on most or the "x", and can usually be seen by inserting an original disc and then attempting to fast forward the copyright notice etc.

Quote:
The latest region protection is the much talked about (by boaring bigwigs in suits) The "non response error".This is when you get nothing at all from the tv display (not even a hand or an X) and nothing from your dvd system except the little light that flashes when your dvd player receives any signal from your remote.Once again if all else fails and this seems to be happening to you when you press the codes etc..,carry on with the hack as described and you will get what you want! This region protection is now becoming the norm because of it affectiveness to confuse people in the hope that they will give up and just play the dvd`s that the system was intended to play.

OK, I can see the logic in this, but being in the Retail trade myself, *and* having a few Reps who know my background on DVD (Aiwa 370 anyone? <grin>), I know that manufacturers are now *more* inclined to release players that CAN be hacked to MR, due to the fact it is NOT illegal, NOT circumventing copyright and therefore doing NOTHING wrong, and INCREASING sales of that paricular model!!

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A couple of other things to note are>>>You do not need to buy a programmable remote to hack a dvd player that is hackable.If a dvd system can be hacked (and 99% can be) it can be done with the remote supplied, it`s just a matter of finding the hack online or elsewhere.How do you think the region is set when they leave the factory???? it`s not with an "all for one"!!

Err...wrong.
Sony, Panasonic and definitely older Philips models require a special "service" remote to access the service menu, which in turn leads to the region change area.

In the case of Panasonic, I HAVE a DMRE 50 which I can access the service menu on, have spoken to one of my mates who is one of our engineers and he`s told me I need the Panasonic SERVICE remote to enter the commands to make changes.
So in some cases, YES, you DO have to buy another remote or pay someone to do the work for you.

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If you mess up the dvd firmware by getting the hack wrong, it is impossible for the manufacturer to identify if you messed with it or it messed it`s self up,just don`t tell the engineer anything!!

Again, wrong. And in this case, I`ll use the SCAN2000/Logix 300/TYT clone models to show why;
Bottom part of the firmware screen has a number. That number records the amount of differences the player has from the factory set norm. This would then allow an engineer to know changes have been made to the player, and by simple deduction (check the parental control setting etc) he can deduce whether you did or didn`t change the region coding. Although, as I said, most of them don`t give a stuff anymore unless you open the players casing!

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Anyways thats enough info for now i`m gonna play with my newly hacked dvd system!

Hope if it`s a Philips you aint done one of the "25" change settings ;)

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REGION CODING IS A PRICE FIXING RIPOFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eh? -£40 for MULTI REGION? -£40 for REGION 2? How in the hell can region coding be a price fixing rip off? The only time that comment would apply is with Retailers who sell two models of a unit, one with, one without MR, and charge to do it. Why shouldn`t they? They then have to pay a guy to sit there , as Clayts says, "Zapping their MR DVD players with a OFA or other remote" or firing in a firmware CD to update.

That guy has to be paid, and the shop has to still make profit. Thats business, not price fixing.

Anyways, I`m gonna shurrup now <grin> Don`t take any of this personally, it`s just my opinion on what ya wrote :)

PS: Happy New Year all

Jimbo : oÞ

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Quote:
REGION CODING IS A PRICE FIXING RIPOFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Eh? -£40 for MULTI REGION? -£40 for REGION 2? How in the hell can region coding be a price fixing rip off? The only time that comment would apply is with Retailers who sell two models of a unit, one with, one without MR, and charge to do it. Why shouldn`t they? They then have to pay a guy to sit there , as Clayts says, "Zapping their MR DVD players with a OFA or other remote" or firing in a firmware CD to update.

That guy has to be paid, and the shop has to still make profit. Thats business, not price fixing.

Well region coding is a price fixing rip off. If it where not for region coding, we could all buy cheap DVDs and not be forced to stay with the same region. It is a marketing Tool used by the studios and DVD player manufacturers to try force poeple to buy their own region DVDs hence make more money!

Just my view, but other people my have different ideas.

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Regards, John72.

OK gonna reply to all this when i get a spare 1/2 hour.

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It is a marketing Tool used by the studios and DVD player manufacturers to try force poeple to buy their own region DVDs hence make more money!

It is a marketing tool, yes, but not for price fixing.

The *original* (I stress original) intent of Region coding was to allow the staggered release of titles throughout the world.

eg: A film is released in the states in the cinemas. It`s had it`s run. Now, it`s onto DVD. Roughly the same time, the same film is released in Australia or the UK etc.

If all DVD players had no region checking, no one in any other country would go watch the movie in a cinema as they could buy it on a DVD and watch it at home, except the original "release" country.

btw, I aint saying I agree with Region coding (gawd knows I`ve done enough on some players to get round it <grin>), but I can see the logic the studios had on release.

Just, as I said, the only way I could see someone referring to region coding as price fixing, is with retailers who charge different prices for the same player with or without a region lock.

And let`s be honest...how many of us don`t have a multi region player now? ;)

Jimbo : oÞ
(over 300+ titles now and about 90 are R1! Lol)