How to make a DVD player region free

[jaydeg]

Does anyone know how to make a Panasonic DVD-S29 region-free?

[october262]

not all dvd players can be made region free

[jaydeg]

Unfortunately mine may be one of those. Thanks for the response.

[Noahtuck]

Did you try GOOGLE

Click the google link to see how it's done.....

If you can't find one there or in our DVD Hacks section you are probably out of luck

[jaydeg]

Thanks for the response, Noahtuck. I did check out DVD Hacks and my DVD player was not listed. I also went to AVForums and there too I learned that there is no free fix. I will have to find another way to watch the videos I brought home from Australia.

[Noahtuck]

Do you realize that "region free" and "format" are not the same thing ?

You can rip the region 4 (australia) dvd's to your PC and burn them back to DVDR's which will remove the region coding.

But then your player needs to be able to convert the PAL video to NTSC or your TV needs to be able to display PAL video.

You can check the format of your DVD's video with something like MediaInfo and then do a test disc to see how it works.
If it works, do the rest of them and keep the original's safely stored.

One more thing, are these commercial/retail pressed disc's or home made burned/recorded disc's ?

[jaydeg]

I did know that they aren't the same thing but I don't know that it makes much difference to me. Once I remove the region code by ripping/burning I still have PAL discs that I'm not sure I can use. I don't think I understand how it works. My TV is only a few months old but isn't the DVD player the problem?
BTW the discs are commercial ones, a whole Australian television series that consists of approximately 50 discs so ripping/burning them would take a while. The other option I may have is getting a DVD player from Australia - I have family there - and use it here with a power converter. Would that work?

[hech54]

I did know that they aren't the same thing but I don't know that it makes much difference to me. Once I remove the region code by ripping/burning I still have PAL discs that I'm not sure I can use. I don't think I understand how it works. My TV is only a few months old but isn't the DVD player the problem?
BTW the discs are commercial ones, a whole Australian television series that consists of approximately 50 discs so ripping/burning them would take a while. The other option I may have is getting a DVD player from Australia - I have family there - and use it here with a power converter. Would that work?

An australian player will not work either if your television is not able to view PAL video.
If you are willing to get another player.....look into Philips players. Many of them can be hacked to ignore the region code AND have a menu setting to convert PAL to NTSC "on the fly" for you.....but you still need to do some research BEFORE you buy anything.

[jaydeg]

How do I find out if my TV can view PAL DVDs? Do I Google the model? But you're right, getting a player from Australia would be useless if my TV won't cooperate. I may have no other choice but to invest in another player. Any suggestions? I live in Canada thus in region 1 if that makes a difference. Thanks for weighing in, hech54.

[em-t-wallitt]

From what I've heard, Philips dvd players will play PAL discs. You can try one out and also make it region free using the remote.

I have an LG LDA-831 that also play PAL discs. See this post to make the player region free and in particular, pay attention to posts made by Chris and fildor. You'll need to burn a CD with a file on it to do this. Although the post is for the LG LDA-530, this worked for my 831. The LG LDA-830 is the same as the 831 minus the USB and HDMI connectors.

I also have a Pioneer DV-420V-K that can handle PAL discs too. To make it region free, visit http://www.pioneerfaq.info for more details. A link to the 420 firmware page. You can check the dvd hack in this forum:

https://www.videohelp.com/dvdhacks/pioneer-dv-420v-k-s/10203

I also created a guide to perform the region free procedure using ImgBurn to create the firmware CD.

The Pioneer DV-410V-K player will also play PAL discs. I picked up a used one for $10.

The LGs and Pioneers are no longer available new in local stores, so you have to buy them used on Craig's List, Kijiji, or eBay. You can get them from $0 to $30 if you look carefully. Buying them secondhand is probably way cheaper and faster than shipping a player from Australia.

The usual disclaimer, you risk damaging the player using the hacks mentioned. If you find creating data CDs to make your player region free is too much hassle, get a new Philips player and search for a remote control hack for it.

[jman98]

How do I find out if my TV can view PAL DVDs? Do I Google the model? But you're right, getting a player from Australia would be useless if my TV won't cooperate. I may have no other choice but to invest in another player. Any suggestions? I live in Canada thus in region 1 if that makes a difference. Thanks for weighing in, hech54.

If you have an old tube TV the odds of it being able to play PAL video is just about zero unless you specifically bought a multi-standard TV (you would have had to go to a special shop to do this). If you have an HDTV then some do and some don't support PAL. Samsung rather infamously does NOT support PAL video, but they are not alone. To find out if your TV supports PAL you have to either read the manual that came with the TV as it will tell or you have to connect a PAL signal to it and see what happens.

[jaydeg]

em-t-wallitt, thanks for all the information you shared. Creating data CDs is out of my league but I will look on Kiijii for a used model. I wouldn't have to get a player shipped from Australia as my family would bring it when they visit next month.

jman98, the manual that came with my TV doesn't say anything about PAL video. The TV was new this month and I will check online for information. Thanks for the information, jman98.