Region Protection on Panasonic Drives D521/D310

[KaptinK]

Just trying to run DVDDecrypter on the main movie files of the Simpsons Series 1 (R1) on a R2 PC drive. Does a few short IFO files ok and then starts on a 1GB vob. It comes up with an eror dialog box:

SCSI Status: x02
Interpretation: Check Condition

Sense Area: .....
Interpretation: Media Region Code is Mismatched to logical unit region.

Which makes sense as this is a R2 Panasonic D521 drive. However I am running DVDRegionFree, so how do i get over this ?

[garryheather]

I haven't used that program - I flash the cheapest DVD-ROM I can get my hands on to make it all region - but since they do a trial, I'm guessing it doesn't work with every drive / setup ?

Maybe DVD Devrypter isn't reading the drive properly, or DVDRegionFree isn't supplying the right code. If it is the latter, try SmartRipper or the decrypt function in DVD Shrink instead. You might find it's just a quirk and a simple workaround like that is all that is required.

[KaptinK]

Thanks, I tried all the decrypting programs and they all fail. This appears to be 'low-level' region protection. Maybe it's my Panasonic drives ! (Also happens on the LF-D310). In desperation I changed the actual region on that drive to R1. And it now decrypts fine ! So, anyone know how to get over this 'region lock-down' ?
(happens on other R1 titles, not just Simpsons)

[watty252]

Hey kaptink

have you made sure you have switched dvd decrypter to region 1?

Dvd Decrypter
Tools
RCE Protection 1

[KaptinK]

Thanks, yes i tried that too ! (And i just tried it again on the unaltered D521 drive). DVDDecrypter comes up with a CSS cracking.... window and then the error dialog box is shown on top of it.

[garryheather]

If this is the sort of thing you are likely to be doing on a regular basis, it looks like some sort of firmware hack to make it all region is in order.

If you're not comfortable with the idea, do a search with Google or the forums search finction here to find a DVD-ROM drive that's got a region hack available for it and that you can buy locally for not much money. I got a Lite-on for about £25 that was a doddle to make all region, and its ripping speed is close to phenominal.

Then use that drive for all your ripping needs and leave the other one alone if you don't want to run the risk of flashing that.