problem burning region 1 DVDs

[biggied]

I do a lot of DVD authoring, mainly from divx/xvid files I download and convert to DVD using DivxToDVD, my DVD player is very versatile and has no issues, however my playstation 2 is extremely picky and I am having a hard time specifying the DVDs I burn as Region 1 so my playstation will play them.

Out of 4 DVDs burned, one works and I did the same thing for each of them. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Software used: DivxtoDVD; DVD Decrypter; DVD Shrink, Nero

Thank you!

[guns1inger]

DivxtoDVD does not have a region option, so it probably sets the disk to all regions. You can load the results into Shrink and simply set the region to region 1 in the back-up dialogue

[biggied]

That is exactly what I did. My PS2 disagreed.

[guns1inger]

I believe there are two places that the region can be set. One is available to burning software, the other is available only to disks that have been pressed. The PS2 may only see regions set in this latter area, in which case you need to either get a region free disk that you play before you play your movie, or get your PS2 chipped so region is no longer an issue (Or get a real DVD player).

[biggied]

I would agree with your theory about the two instances of region codes except that I've done the same thing with four DVDs in a single 24 hour period and only one of them worked.

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "pressed".

My DVD player plays anything, including region free DVDs. But since I share my DVDs I need to nail this down since some of my friends are having difficulites playing what I can watch very easily.

Thank you.

[guns1inger]

Pressed disks - commercial disks. Commercial disks are not burned by laser, but etched into the playback surface which is pressed bewteen the poly outers. There is a section of the disk that only accessable on pressed disks. This is where the keys are stored for CSS encryption, amongst other things. I believe that region code can also be set here.

If you believe you set the region code on one disk, then you must (therefore, be doing something different (and wrong) on the others.

If you open the successful disk in DVD Decrypter, what region does it show ?

If you then do the same to one of the unsuccessful disks, what region does it show ?

[biggied]

Thanks for the clarification on pressed disks. I had no idea that's how the commercial guys were doing it.

I used DVD Shrink to set the region codes after I created the DVD files with DivxtoDVD. When I put those DVDs in and open DVD Decrypter it tells me Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 RCE Protection - No. And that's the one that works, too.

DVD Shrink is region free by default. I always change it to Region 1 so they will work across the board.

Let me know if you can think of anything else.

Thanks again.

[Noahtuck]

First off, i have yet to see any software be able to set a dvdr to any ONE specific region, it may have the option, like DVD Shrink, but it it still shows as more regions in any program i have checked them with, i have tried everyway thought of with not one being able to do it, it was a year long obsession 8)

And PS2's are notorious for being picky about media, i remember everyone used to say only use -R as +R don't work worth a crap and i used to have better luck with +R's in it. but for a long time i have always used +R now booked to DVD-ROM (so it is basically read the same as a pressed dvd)
and have not had a problem ever with movies or games, or along the lines of what guns1inger stated, the PS2 is FAR from my first choice for a DVD player i have only tested various dvdr movies in my PS2 just to see if they worked in them okay, never actually used it for a dvd player to sit and watch a movie.

EDIT:
P.S.
I have never used this DivxtoDVD so i really don't know anything about it, what type of files does it output when it converts ?
EDIT AGAIN:
I just looked at it and see what it does...

[guns1inger]

Theoretically, all players carrying the DVD logo (and therefore compliant) can play region free DVDs. A region free DVD should be set to Region 0 (no region), however most software, such as shrink, take an alternate approach. They set the disk to ALL Regions (as you have seen - tick every box). Both should work with any compliant playback device.

If you want to make sure it will play back in friends' machines with the least amount of extra effort on your part, tell 'em to spend $30 or $40 on a cheap player. For that they will get region free playback, and probably PAL playback as well.

[biggied]

First off, i have yet to see any software be able to set a dvdr to any ONE specific region, it may have the option, like DVD Shrink, but it it still shows as more regions in any program i have checked them with, i have tried everyway thought of with not one being able to do it, it was a year long obsession 8)

And PS2's are notorious for being picky about media, i remember everyone used to say only use -R as +R don't work worth a crap and i used to have better luck with +R's in it. but for a long time i have always used +R now booked to DVD-ROM (so it is basically read the same as a pressed dvd)
and have not had a problem ever with movies or games, or along the lines of what guns1inger stated, the PS2 is FAR from my first choice for a DVD player i have only tested various dvdr movies in my PS2 just to see if they worked in them okay, never actually used it for a dvd player to sit and watch a movie.

EDIT:
P.S.
I have never used this DivxtoDVD so i really don't know anything about it, what type of files does it output when it converts ?
EDIT AGAIN:
I just looked at it and see what it does...

One of my stumps is being in Korea DVD/movie piracy is a way of life for some people over here. There are literally stands on the side of the street that have bootleg DVDs for sale at about 5 bucks a pop. Those work fine! For some reason they have region coding DVDs to Region 1 down to a science... it's just not fair. those will work in my friends DVD players/PS2s but mine won't.

One things I have noticed with DVD Shrink, if you create an image file instead of the normal folders on the harddrive (AUDIO_TS/VIDEO_TS) the region code 1 tends to stick and it will work in my PS2.

And I've found a few extemely picky DVD players that wont even play those but the ones you buy bootleg will! It is just beyond me.

Well, thanks for all your input.

[Noahtuck]

Okay, but there is one main diff., as guns1inger explained about the diff. in DVD R media and PRESSED dvd's.
bootlegs (also called "silvers" because of them being pressed but bootlegs none the less) from over there and other places, which i have bought years ago, are PRESSED, not dvdr media, as far as my experince from years ago goes.

I still think the biggest problem might be the dvdr media, as all recordable dvd media varies in quality among other spec's, as i stated before, PS2's are notorious for being picky with certain DVDR media.

One things I have noticed with DVD Shrink, if you create an image file instead of the normal folders on the harddrive (AUDIO_TS/VIDEO_TS) the region code 1 tends to stick and it will work in my PS2.

And how are you determining that they are "Sticking" to region 1 this way ? or are in fact only region 1 ?

And I've found a few extemely picky DVD players that wont even play those but the ones you buy bootleg will! It is just beyond me.

And again, that could be that those players are just picky about that certain media or any dvdr.
I have a dvd player from 2001/2 that is mutli-region-PAL to NTSC and it will not play ANYTHING but pressed dvd's, it wont play -R, +R or +R booktyped to DVD-ROM (which is what a pressed dvd is and show's up as)

[biggied]

I have noticed that and that's why I stick with Imation DVD-R. I was using Memorex DVD+R for a while my DVD Player didnt mind but PS2 didn't like em at all. The cheap DVD-Rs same thing, PS2 wouldnt play them.

[Noahtuck]

One more question, when you create an ISO image with shrink, what do you use to burn it with ? nero or DVD Decrypter & do you let shrink burn the image with either program or do you just make the image file then open one of the others and load the image into it ?

And i don't like imation or memorex really, i've actually had problems with both for games on the PS2, i usually always use fuji +R's (TY) or prodisc +R.
+ just for the fact that i always change the booktype to dvd-rom.

[biggied]

For images I use DVD Decrypter exclusively. If it were just the DVD folders I'd use Nero.

[Noahtuck]

For images I use DVD Decrypter exclusively. If it were just the DVD folders I'd use Nero.

But do you let shirnk burn the image with DVD Decrypter as one step or do you shut down shrink then open DVD Decrypter and load the image ?
I don't think it matters much one way or the other but i'm curious.

[biggied]

Once the image is created I close out Shrink completely and open the ISO in DVD Decrytper. I have .iso files associated with Decrytper so I just have to double-click it. 8)