Panasonic DVD-F87S owners or users

[JGDragov]

Hi.

I had a question for any Panasonic DVD-F87S owners or users. I know this player lacks a PAL to NTSC converter, or at least that seems to be my understanding. My question is:

If I have a multisystem display, is a region hack needed to play region 2 DVDs?

I ask this question because in a post I had seen a user/owner claimed that this unit does play region 2 discs on his TV but he needs a converter to view it in it's proper display.

Has any owner or user tried playing multi region DVDs with any auccess? If so was your unit region hacked?

Any response would be great!

[splash1955]

I don't understand the cmment about a converter.

We get a lot of disks from Europe.

I always do backup rip so I have never bothered to look for a region hack. but the backed up pal disks play just fine on my hdtvs.

I had a problem on one hdtv where I had the set hooked up to the f87 initially with s-video. once I switched to component out fromt he panny the pal disks played fine. (via s-video the reds were gone and the picture was shifted down for some reason)

BTW, I have two panny f87's. They are both 3.5 years old, have been through a huge amount of use and all kinds of abuse and they play every type and brand of burned disk I have ever used (many).

[JGDragov]

Thanks for the quick response splash. Converters from what I'm told are present in most multi region players as to convert PAL to NTSC and vice versa if you don't have a multisystem set. If a player doesn't have one you are suppose to get a poor image on your NTSC or PAL TV when viewing the different standard.

I'm told if your dvd player or TV doesn't have one you could get an external converter box to rectify this problem. As I said my set isn't a problem but if this unit can't play different region DVDs that would be a problem for me as I have a lot.

Just to clarify, you say you get a lot of discs from Europe but I didn't see that you tried playing them on your Panny. Did you try playing these discs on this unit or is that why you have to make bak up rips?

[splash1955]

well we have so many players including portables we use in the car, playing off of laptops et that I find making a backup without the region code is something I always do as soon as I get the disk. so I have not bothered to find any region code hacks including on the paniess

[peepcharron]

I too am trying to make my Panasonic DVD F87 region free. I have a daughter who is learning german and I'd love to be able to watch the region 2 DVDs that were given to her. Sorry for my ignorance, I have never done any kind of hacking, I'm just a mom trying to help her daughter. You said you just make backups and they are region free-- Do you have to do anything special when you make copies or is it just a straight forward copy?
Thanks!

[Krispy Kritter]

OK. A "multisystem" display, usually means that the TV (display) can accept a NTSC or PAL input signal. What the TV can display has no effect on what the DVD player can read/process.

To make a region free disc, all you are doing is copying the disc. Covered in this forum numerous time. RIP the dvd using a program such as DVDFabDecrypter. Open the ripped dvd in a program such as DVDShrink, choose full disc or movie only, and click the burn icon. One of the tabs for the burn settings allows you to remove region coding. Then burn.

Keep in mind however, that removing the region setting of the dvd, does not make the disc playable in all DVD players. For example, removing the region code from a region 2 PAL disc, will not make the disc playable in a DVD player that can't read PAL format. United States - Region 1 - NTSC / Europe - Region 2 - PAL

[mighty mint]

That is really handy info for getting around the region play problems - I believe that the original question had more to do with making the Panny region free. Does anyone know if a code has been found yet? (I too have the same model so I am looking as well).

Thanks in advance for your help

(I must try that reburn strategy...thanks! )

[mighty mint]

Sorry, I checked the hack list and there is no found region code yet. Man this site rocks!

[Krispy Kritter]

If the first post is correct, the player cannot read PAL. In which case there would be no region free code. Why have a region free code to play a region 2 PAL disc, when the player cannot read PAL?

Aside from that, I was giving an option if no region code could be found. Not all players are region free capable (meaning they don't have codes), usually because they can't read both formats (NTSC/PAL).