DVD player (hack) question.

[NLAlston]

Just yesterday I purchased my first DVD player (model XD-DV370 by Aiwa), and just learned that it is "Multi Region Hackable". I have absolutely no clue what this means, and hope that someone wouldn't mind informing me. Thanks.

NLA

 

[kristian]

basically when the movie makers got together and decided how they would influence the standards for DVDs they decided that they would make two region in the world. where normally one region of EVEs wont play on the other regions DVD palyers and vice versa. This was to help them make more money, despite their reasons. Most of this region encoding is just a simple signature at the begining at the DVD, which all players can read. Region 1 will read a region 2 DVD and realise that its not supposed to play this DVD even though it can. So the DVD player manufacturers just basically leave it very open for people to hack, because then more people will buy their player. This isnt the website for HOW to do that, they are all over the place.

And on a side note, i cant remember what manufacturer it was, but they had menu switches and hardware switches that let you switch which region they can read, but the movie industry soon was on their back and made them yank those players.

 

[NLAlston]

Thanks Kristian,

I had absolutely no idea, whatsoever, what that "hack" matter would translate into, so it was no a decisive factor when I made the purchase. I just wondered - after the fact - if it was something that might benefit me.

Apex is the manufacturer that I think you referred to in your reply. I remember a salesperson informing me (some time ago) that their model 600A series made short work of what now needs to be hacked. At the time, these models were on their shelves - but has since been pulled.

Thanks Kristian.

NLA

 

[Macca]

G'day Gentlemen,

Actually there are quite a few 'regions' in the world as far as DVD goes. Here in Australia we are region 4.

The 'multi region' DVD players (or the ones that have been 'hacked' as such) are an attempt to save a few bucks (read $millions) by the studio's.
If a film is released in the U.S.A., it usually takes anywhere up to 6 months before it is playing here.
Multi zone players allow you to buy a DVD disc from the 'States, or where ever, and be playing it in the comfort of your own home before it is released on the big screens of your home country.
Now with TV rights, video (sorry, DVD ) rentals and sales etc. at risk, the studios thought of a clever way to foil you!
The next thing is the coding of the DVD's themselves so that if a 'multizone' machine is detected, a disable signal will be sent to the machine and an "access denied" message will result. Don't ask me about the technical side of this, I haven't a clue, But this was reported in the Australian trade paper, "Cinema Papers" in February. Braveheart was the first title released in Aust. with this feature.
So, be careful out there, and play nice.
Big brother is watching!