Confused with DVD Region Free

[Cunhambebe]

I've just bought an LG DVD Rom Recorder. I'm planning to watch and burn my dvds.Since it's Region Protected, I was planning to download a new hacked firmware for it (unsafe procedure!) to make it region free, that means: playing (there would still be the need for DVD Region Free Software) and recording region free home dvds.
Yesterday, I red in Sony's Vegas forum that DVD Architect (and probably all the similar software) is able to burn home region free dvds without the need of changing the firmware.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. WOULD U ALL RECOMMEND ME CHANGE THE FIRMWARE OR KEEP THE WAY IT IS, SET MY REGION (IT'S 4) AND START BURNING MY HOME DVDS BECAUSE THESE ONES ARE ALWAYS BURNED AS REGION FREE?
THANKS IN ADVANCE!

[adam]

The only reason you ever need to make your dvd-rom/burner region free is if you want to play/rip import DVDs. For instance if you wanted to rip a region 1 DVD on your now region 4 dvd rom you'd have to change your region via firmware, or on some drives you can just make it region free.

For just making your own DVDs from your footage, there is no reason to change your region from what it is currently set to. You can make your own region free DVD using just about any DVD authoring software and any dvd burner...regardless of what region it is set to.

[Cunhambebe]

Thanks Adam, for taking time to respond.
As a matter of fact, since I am a newbie, I welcome all possible help and advice. Thank u very much for such an enlightening response. Now, I'd like to know your opinion: what whould u do? Would u flash your new drive as region free?
-One more question: After setting my region, I'll still be able to flash my drive with a new firmware??????
Thanks in advance.

[tweedledee]

Don't flash your drive to get region free. Simply install AnyDVD and your DVD's will be "region free" ( and also copy protection free)

[adam]

I'm personally just not in the market for import DVDs, so I would never need to make my drive region free. Everything I deal with is region 1, or if it isn't I make it. I didn't realize AnyDVD could bypass region protection like that. If that is the case then there is truly no need to ever flash your pc dvd-rom/burner to be region free.

[Cunhambebe]

Thanks again to everyone who took time to respond. I haven't set my dvd drive to any region yet, but it works: I have installed DVD x Ghost to bypass rpc1/2 problems. Even without setting a specific region, a commercial region 4 dvd title (The Big Blue) plays well. Only one thing: I cannot play one of the movies from the main menu (I've already tried the same dvd media with another dvd player and it worked fine). Still don't know if this problem is due to my drive itself or the fact of non setting a specific region.
One ore thing: is there any possibility of rippind a dvd file and later convert the whole thing to avi so as to open it on Vegas timeline for editing purposes?
Thanks in advance.

[tweedledee]

You can open VOB's in Virtual dub mod and edit or save to AVI.

[Cunhambebe]

Thanks, but how about opening these files with Vegas or Premiere....will it work out?
Thks in advance.