Is Ripped DVD Region Free ?

[wee haggis]

Are all ripped DVD's region free?
or
Do they retain region setting?

[Jeddie]

I think i can assit here.

If you have copied a full disc.No Although it depends on what software you use.

If you have just ripped the film file yes.
I just found this out the other day.

[wee haggis]

So...if you just rip the film (but not the extras and menus etc) then it will be region free?
And this would apply to films that have been converted to AVI ?

[duhmez]

the DVD rippers can make them region free.
dvddecryptor , by default, makes the disk region free.
Smartripper does too, i believe.

DVDxcopy PROBABLY does not for fear of legal action... I can't confirm this but I bet it's true.....

[jimmalenko]

I don't think the rippers make them region free - all they do is remove the encryption on the files themselves. Programs like DVDShrink can patch the appropriate areas to make DVDs region free but it is in the authoring stage, not the ripping stage.

I should also mention that the region stuff only applies to DVD files in the IFO, BUP and VOB formats. You talk about AVI - there is no region limitations on AVIS or MPEGS or any other format you can store on your computer.

[handyguy]

"So...if you just rip the film (but not the extras and menus etc) then it will be region free? "

I don't know what software you are talking about but if you want that be sure there is a region free selection for the copy you create.

[wee haggis]

So...does that then mean that a ripped DVD to AVI remains region intact?
Whereas an ripped/authored DVD can be set to anything (most likely 0 region)?

[jimmalenko]

Sorry I mustn't have been clear....If you convert DVD to anything (AVI, MPEG etc) there are no region settings carried through because it is impossible to impose a region on these types of file. If you simply rip an entire DVD to your Hard drive then it will retain the region code.

[noki]

If you have just ripped the film file yes.

that's right. i recently ripped a movie only w_3.1.7.0 and worked on it with IFOEdit before turning it over to Shrink for transcoding w_region free checked. burned the file and guess what...cannot play it on PC or Set-top. guess i could use a region-free utility to play it on the PC, but what really puzzles me is that my Apex set-top has been hacked to be region-free so why can't i play this disc? what's funnier is that my original dvd is region 1
any takers

[Wetmonkey]

dvddecrypter and smartripper both can remove the region settings in the video_ts file and appropriate ifo files

[wee haggis]

Sorry I mustn't have been clear....If you convert DVD to anything (AVI, MPEG etc) there are no region settings carried through because it is impossible to impose a region on these types of file. If you simply rip an entire DVD to your Hard drive then it will retain the region code.

OK..thanks jimmalenko!
(As per Jeddie)So ,the key words in DVD to hard drive ripping is "entire" or "partial" (the first being region intact and the latter being optional region free)

[jimmalenko]

The region setting must be in VIDEO_TS.IFO I would assume. Therefore if you rip the main movie only and create your own VIDEO_TS.IFO using IFOEDIT it will be region free whereas if you retain the ripped VIDEO_TS.IFO file the regional settings would still apply.

[jimmalenko]

How could I forget ?

Smartripper does make entire rips region free - I think one of the options is patch video_ts (region free) or something like that. So if you rip with Smartripper and have that option enabled you should never have any problems with regions.

My apologies for saying otherwise in previous posts.

[wee haggis]

I also noticed in DVDSHRINK,that in the Re-Author stage you get the Region Free check box choice.

[noki]

The region setting must be in VIDEO_TS.IFO I would assume. Therefore if you rip the main movie only and create your own VIDEO_TS.IFO using IFOEDIT it will be region free whereas if you retain the ripped VIDEO_TS.IFO file the regional settings would still apply.

i did create my own VIDEO_TS.IFO with IFOEdit, and as i mentioned my dvd is region 1 to begin with. PowerDVD and my set-top says "...player is not the same region as the disc..."

[wee haggis]

So...I guess the answer to my original question is........
"YES" ...lol
(at least when you use Smartripper of DVD shrink)

[jimmalenko]

i did create my own VIDEO_TS.IFO with IFOEdit, and as i mentioned my dvd is region 1 to begin with.

I'd be interested to know what software you ripped with Noki. IFOEdit has a "Region Free" button which you should press as the very last step. This should patch the appropriate files and give you a message "Enjoy your region free DVD!"