DVD-Change my laptop's software region!
 

EDIT- I went through controll panel->system->hardware->DVD and changed the settings to Region 2. I'm still getting the same problems as stated below with Real One and WMP. Real One, while downloading a new decoder for free, wants me to install the original real one disk which we do not have. WMP says it needs a new decoder and links me to the Windows page and they only seem to have ones to buy, not to upgrade for free :\ Any ideas?

Well I'm here in an internet cafe in London on a friend's laptop. We've been partying like mad and really need something to do that will distract us from the pubs! :D
We were given a free DVD and we tried to play it, knowing that the difference in regions would make a conflict. We tried using Real One and Windows Media Player (all his laptop has) and both didn't work. Real One actually initiated some kind of download to try to get new decoders but something failed in the making.
What can I do to switch from Region 1 to Region 2? There is a great movie rental store right down the way and this laptop is really our only option right now (the tv here is tiny and really does suck)
Thanks for any help guys
-T

btw-london is great so far!

And the manufacturer of your drive is... ?

(and yeah london is great... just this hangover from yesterday's party is still killing me...)

Just went to Device Manager and it's called "QSI CD-RW/DVD"...yeah, it's a Sony Vaio....
So any ideas on what's up with the decoder problems?
Thanks guys
-T

Here you go than: region free firmware

From "The firmware Page"... :)

depending on the player, theres two region codes, one in the software, one in the firmware of the drive, changing one without the other, doesn't do anything.

powerdvd seems to not mind.

But anyway get dvd genie, i just went through this as i got some region 2 dvds from the UK on my region 1 player, league of gentlemen series and a few others.

http://www.inmatrix.com/files/dvdgenie_download.shtml

DVD Region Free. Brilliant program, no worries about flashing your firmware or the like.

Thanks guys. I'll check out Region Free first. Hopefully it's got a decent explanation as to what it does because none of you really explained it! If not, I'll check out dvd genie...
peace all
-T

I just found out that my firmware is SBW-241 which is shown on the Free Region download site. I don't know what to do once I download it though. I have no idea if it is a file to put in some folder or what! Anyone care to explain with a little more depth?
Thanks guys
-T

So I got my hands on a copy of DVDRegionFree and installed it. I set all the settings up and have it running in my system tray. I still get the same problem when I run windows media player, saying that the disc can't be read because of a decoder problem. I'm still guessing that this isn't a region problem...

dvds are region encoded, uk ones are region 2, usa is region 1., ie a DVD thats region 1 wont play on a region 2 dvd player.

a DVD player in a PC is a two part system, the DVD player hardware itself, and then the DVD MPEG decoder part, most commerical systems tend to have region encoding.

in order for you to watch a region 1 on a 2, you can either change the region on the dvd CD drive, usually you get 4 tries before it locks you in. This is done via the control panel/system/hardware/dvd driver/advanced normally.

once you've changed it 4 times, its locked, unless you crack it, which is in effect what the dvd region changer software does.

however to combat it a lot of dvd playback software detects the region the drive used when it was installed and locks to that, sometimes reinstalling after a switch is required, other times you'll need dvd genie or such

Installing the firmware might give you a region free drive, or it might give you a nice lump of metal and plastic, as the firmware has normally been cracked, and who knows what effects it may have, as well as that it has to be the exactly correct firmware, a lot of drives look and report alike, but require different firmware, and you'll still need a dvd player software update.

if the dvd boots up in the player and says it can't play it because its a region problem, then you need to change the drive and player, if you don't find dvd region software that is compatible with your dvd playing software, buy a new dvd player software

it sounds like your decoder isn't installed properly, so either reinstall your dvd player software, or get a new one.

exactly what I've been looking for. I was never prompted with region problems, just decoder problems.
Thanks guys. I'll look into reloading my friend's dvd software

Try VLC also. Its free and wont bother you about regions. http://www.videolan.org

Silly question here, but does DVD playback require the same codecs as AVI playback? Perhaps he is missing the proper codecs?

Using it to play DVDs is also in voilation of the DMCA's anti cicrumvention provision. Don't let that stop you though...

Interestingly, libdvdcss, which VLC uses, simply cracks the encryption key if you have mismatched regions. This only takes a few seconds.

The encryption on DVDs was never intended to prevent piracy or copying. It's job is to force manufactures of DVD players to sign a contract to use the decryption code. This contract requires that the DVD player respects Region codes, and "Prohibited User Operations" (Ads on the disc that cannot be skipped, a-la tarzan)