Need a cheap Microvision free or hacked DVD player

[compiler]

I have a DVD recorder. I want to back up my DVD Disney movies because my kids play the discs just like their toys. Is there any cheap Microvision free or hacked multi region DVD player in the US market? Thanks.

[yoda313]

Hello,
Just check out the dvd hack listing to the left side. Look up the ones with macro free hacks and compare prices . Also, if you have a pcdvd player and a tv out some have hacks on those. Just hook up the pc to the dvd recorder and go. Happy hunting.
Kevin

[Thwiipp]

It'll probably just be cheaper to get a PC DVD-burner and rip the disc to stripp out the macrovision and burn them, then they;'' play on any machine no problem. ive seen deals for about $50 for some burners

[handyguy]

Yep, much faster now to do that way. computergeeks has a white 8x dvd writer for $56! has software too. Some say its a liteon, which would make it a Sony 8x...

Dvd players: Apex 1500 is a favorite & are cheap & easy to find on nerd-out.com in the sales forums, macro free...but won't show closed captions.

[compiler]

What is minimum PC speed requirement for the use of 8x DVD writer? Mine is Pentium III at 800 MHz. It may be too slow to use the DVD burner, right?

Besides the Apex 1500, is there other Microvision free or hacked DVD player in the US market? Thanks.

[FulciLives]

What is minimum PC speed requirement for the use of 8x DVD writer? Mine is Pentium III at 800 MHz. It may be too slow to use the DVD burner, right?

I use a 4x DVD burner on a Pentium III 650 Mhz computer without any issues. So you won't have a problem with your computer. Just make sure you have the NTFS file system otherwise you will have issues since you won't be able to make a single file above 4.0GB and a DVD can hold up to about 4.37GB

WinXP uses NTFS as does Windows 2000

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[cd090580]

What is minimum PC speed requirement for the use of 8x DVD writer? Mine is Pentium III at 800 MHz. It may be too slow to use the DVD burner, right?

I have a 8x dvd burner (nec nd-2500) working fine on a PII 300 Mhz without hurting the CPU (when burning at 4x it only uses +/- 30% cpu).
I don't test it at 8x because I don't have 8x medias.

[handyguy]

I used a p4 2.4ghz & a 800mhz & they both wrote in the same time. Takes longer to decode on a 800mhz, of course.

[compiler]

Thank you guys. My Operating System is Windows Me. Do I have to upgrade to the Win XP for copy the DVD discs?

Also, my PC does not have a DVD drive but only the CD-RW factory installed. I think I need a DVD RW drive installed, right? Which one do you recommend and where I can get it? I saw some DVD-RW requires higher speed PC. Mine is only 800 MHz. Thank you for the info.

[FulciLives]

Thank you guys. My Operating System is Windows Me. Do I have to upgrade to the Win XP for copy the DVD discs?

Also, my PC does not have a DVD drive but only the CD-RW factory installed. I think I need a DVD RW drive installed, right? Which one do you recommend and where I can get it? I saw some DVD-RW requires higher speed PC. Mine is only 800 MHz. Thank you for the info.

I suggest you go with WinXP ... either edition (Home or Pro) would be fine. You can convert your current HDD to the NTFS file system without damaging your data.

As for a DVD burner well there are many to choose from.

The cheapest out now that can do DVD+R DL (Dual Layer) is the NEC ND-2510A but if you aren't worried about having DVD+R DL capability then I would go with the Pioneer A07/107

As always the best quality discs with the best compatibility are MADE IN JAPAN DVD-R discs such as Maxell and Taiyo Yuden.

I admit that DVD+R DL is interesting but so far unproved as the MEDIA is next to impossible to get a hold of.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[handyguy]

U don't need XP if you use shrink as it has the option to make 1 gig files instead of 4 gig, Iguess.

[FulciLives]

U don't need XP if you use shrink as it has the option to make 1 gig files instead of 4 gig, Iguess.

That means using NERO to burn though and NERO sucks as DVD burning. The best way to burn is to make an ISO IMAGE file and then burn with DVD Decrypter. However you then run into problems if you don't have the NTFS file system.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[wulf109]

The standard for all retail DVD's is 1Gb maximum file size. Windows 98/ME/SE work just fine. It's myth that the 4Gb limit is a problem. Even if you choose manual authoring the audio dile is going to be 400Mb's leaving 4Gb(the limit) for video. So the 4Gb file limit is not a limit in DVD creation.

[compiler]

Once the PC is installed the DVD burner, how to connect my DVD player (as a source) to the PC? Does the burner come with the edit software or I have to buy it additionally? BTW, where can I get the DVD burner you recommended? I want a cheap one but the quality should be not bad. Thanks.

[FulciLives]

The standard for all retail DVD's is 1Gb maximum file size. Windows 98/ME/SE work just fine. It's myth that the 4Gb limit is a problem. Even if you choose manual authoring the audio dile is going to be 400Mb's leaving 4Gb(the limit) for video. So the 4Gb file limit is not a limit in DVD creation.

Again if you wish to create an ISO IMAGE file then you WILL run into the 4GB limit since a DVD can be up to 4.37GB in size.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[sNoWy1998]

Again if you wish to create an ISO IMAGE file then you WILL run into the 4GB limit since a DVD can be up to 4.37GB in size.

Not necessarily so... most programs (i use dvd decrypter) make ISO files fine too, they just split into 2 files a 4gig + a .37 gig file, I use windows 98SE and have no problems. The only time it should ever really matter is if you want to extract say a RAR file where the file had been made as a 4gig+ image already

[handyguy]

" Does the burner come with the edit software or I have to buy it additionally? "

Now you see, you have to see if it comes with software or not. Look at the ad or the box you bought it with. Sonys usually come with a lot....

This one has a little bit of software, sold out, but shucks, $56 for an 8x?:
http://www.compgeeks.com/details.asp?invtid=dvrwdu-nb

[RottenFoxBreath]

ive never had any problems using my old pioneer106D,and my dads old duron(bout 900mhz) for ripping and burning dvds-he uses windows 98SE.
rip with dvddecrypter,run them through dvd2one,and burn with copytodvd.
no file is over the standard 1gig.
so i end up with bout 5 vobs,and they total about 4.29gig on average.(dvd2one is set to 4400 max size).

[compiler]

Hey guys! I visited the CompUSA. I saw all the DVD RW drives cost more than $100. I was told that the store only sells un-decrypted DVD ripping software. What ripping software do your guys recommend? It should filter the Microvision. Thanks.

[overloaded_ide]

Ok, first do a wee bit of studying here.

If you buy an OEM drive at saw Newegg.com you get a great price but normally no software, though they do have oem bulk packs with some OEM drives which is included software and drive at about $10 extra.

Almost everyone (including me) says the software that comes with a drive is normally crapp. There may be exceptions.

For what you want to do, back up the kids DVDs so they can watch the copies and save the real disks, all you need is an OEM drive without software and DVD shrink plus any burner program that works well with the drive you buy. Look in the tools section for free burning tools.

Install the OEM drive into your system, place DVD in drive and rip to hardrive with DVD Shrink. There is no need to connect your player to the pc as a source. When you rip to the drive there will be several files so the 4gig limit is not a problem. You can and I think you SHOULD shrink the DVD to 4gig or a little below when you rip it. MANY disks are reported to have problems near the outer edge durring play back, the kids will not know the difference!
Put blank disk in Burner and burn the folders AUDIO_TS and VIDEO_TS to the blank disk. If you created them manually, make sure they are spelled correctly and in all caps!

That's pretty much all there is to making a backup of a DVD like that, though you could get alot fancier or use other methods. The above is probaly the easiest and fastest and once you learn what your doing (pretty easy!) you should be cranking out backups of various disks pretty fast. A few DVDs a night till you get them all done.

I'm sure your system will work fine as is provided you have the drive space available. You should defrag the drive as it can help speed things up a bit, but is not nesasary. I have no estimate how fast or slow your system will do the job, but it should work just fine. Mine is fast, but also bigger! Burning at 4x should not be a problem, speed would be for ripping and compressing.

[handyguy]

"I was told that the store only sells un-decrypted DVD ripping software. "

dvd shrink & dvd decrypter are free on the net at their respective web sites.

e.g. dvdshrink.com

[overloaded_ide]

"I was told that the store only sells un-decrypted DVD ripping software. "

How the heck can ripping software be un-decrypted??? Then it is not ripping software any more than windows explorer!!! If the DVD is not encrypted just use windows explorer to move the files from disk to hard drive same as any other file transfer and it is just as usable as if it had been ripped, that's all ripping does other than decrypting and setting regions! If it was not in-crypted then it probaly has no regions either, so tell the store that was not RIPPING software at all!

They probably were wondering if you wanted fries with that also