Region free - any new programs? Is RPC1.org abandoned?

[semmel]

Hi.

I have two questions:

I have a cheap Lite-On iHAS224 DVD drive, and I had hoped to make it region free like I did with another (now dead) drive. But the forum on rpc1.org so far has ignored three registration attempts from three different email providers, so I have no idea how to get in there... Anyone willing to contact an admin and ask if registration is closed or what else I can do to get in? (The drive I have was not listed there, but I was hoping to post details of my drive there to have a developer look at it...).

On the other hand, if there are any new free and reliable tools out there (like AnyDVD, but free) that work on Windows 8 64bit, that might make my first question kinda obsolete
I checked this forum and the tools section first, but some of the information is quite outdated, and I don't want to risk killing my new computer with an incompatible program that digs deeply into Windows...

Thanks!

[jagabo]

VLC

[semmel]

Maybe I'm missing something, but in what way is VLC like AnyDVD?

[[_chef_]]

Hi.

I have two questions:

I have a cheap Lite-On iHAS224 DVD drive, and I had hoped to make it region free like I did with another (now dead) drive. But the forum on rpc1.org so far has ignored three registration attempts from three different email providers, so I have no idea how to get in there... Anyone willing to contact an admin and ask if registration is closed or what else I can do to get in? (The drive I have was not listed there, but I was hoping to post details of my drive there to have a developer look at it...).

On the other hand, if there are any new free and reliable tools out there (like AnyDVD, but free) that work on Windows 8 64bit, that might make my first question kinda obsolete
I checked this forum and the tools section first, but some of the information is quite outdated, and I don't want to risk killing my new computer with an incompatible program that digs deeply into Windows...

Thanks!

Hi Schrippe, ehrm, Semmel,

rpc1.org is up & running. If you have reg problems send me an PM. I'll fix it.

Your question regarding a FREE software similar to AnyDVD isn't really honest, or?!?
IF that would exist, what would be the purpose of AnyDVD then??

As an owner of a Liteon DVD drive you should know that it was never easier to make a dvd drive regionfree, just use LtnRPC and its done.

[jagabo]

Maybe I'm missing something, but in what way is VLC like AnyDVD?

VLC is a media player. It has built in DVD decryption. It doesn't care about region codecs.

[DB83]

Maybe I'm missing something, but in what way is VLC like AnyDVD?

Have you tried to play a Region 2 DVD with VLC ? (Assuming your drive is Region 1 locked)

[jman98]

When I built my most recent PC a couple of years ago, I too looked at rpc1.org for firmware. I discovered that many current models simply don't have region free firmware. However, between buying AnyDVD HD and just using VLC, I no longer have any need for this so it's not a big deal. My impression is that it's either gotten more difficult to crack firmware (perhaps due to pressure from Hollywood) or there is less interest in doing so by those with the ability to do it.

VLC is not guaranteed for BD playback, so if it can't meet your needs for free, you are SOL.

[jagabo]

Maybe I'm missing something, but in what way is VLC like AnyDVD?

Have you tried to play a Region 2 DVD with VLC ? (Assuming your drive is Region 1 locked)

Yes. No problems.



That's a commercial PAL region 2 DVD imported (into the USA) from the UK.

[semmel]

VLC is a media player. It has built in DVD decryption. It doesn't care about region codecs.

Ah, gotcha. Unfortunately, Windows and the DVD drive still may care...

rpc1.org is up & running. If you have reg problems send me an PM. I'll fix it.

Your question regarding a FREE software similar to AnyDVD isn't really honest, or?!?
IF that would exist, what would be the purpose of AnyDVD then??

As an owner of a Liteon DVD drive you should know that it was never easier to make a dvd drive regionfree, just use LtnRPC and its done.

Thanks for the rpc1 offer - if I can't find LtnRPC (which I've never heard of in any of my searches, so thanks!!!), I probably won't need rpc1 for a while

And sadly, my question is honest. I did see the DVD43 tool that would be perfect if it supported 64bit systems (which I read it doesn't), so I know there is at least one free tool like that.

I'll try LtnRPC - thanks!

[semmel]

Actually, has anyone here ever tried this:

Free DVDFab Passkey
http://www.dvdidle.com/dvd-region-free.htm

I see a trial version in the tools section here, but this free version is not in the list...
Is it real at all? Or is that the trial version?

[semmel]

... or maybe I just found the answer - it doesn't say it supports anything later than Windows 2003... That may be the issue

[semmel]

The reason I don't use VLC is because I like Media Player Classic Home Cinema more
Maybe I'm lucky, and they're not using region codes, either...

[jagabo]

VLC is a media player. It has built in DVD decryption. It doesn't care about region codecs.

Ah, gotcha. Unfortunately, Windows and the DVD drive still may care...

Only officially licensed DVD player software cares about region codes. The region code is just a number on the disc and a number in the drive. It's up to the player to make sure the two match. Outside of licensed DVD players nobody bothers to make the comparison.

[DB83]

If my memory serves, isn't ltnrpc that rather cool utility that resets the counter on region changes should you hit 5. Or am I thinking of something else since I have used such a tool in the past.

[semmel]

From what I can tell in me using it, yes, it can do that, too - and it can turn region protection off for the drive.

[jman98]

Actually, has anyone here ever tried this:

Free DVDFab Passkey
http://www.dvdidle.com/dvd-region-free.htm

I see a trial version in the tools section here, but this free version is not in the list...
Is it real at all? Or is that the trial version?

We're getting conflicting reports about DVDFab products. Some people here can use some of what they make for free forever. Others like me can't get anything all to last beyond the trial period, even the supposedly truly free forever ones. Nobody has yet to suggest a reason why free forever works for some people and doesn't work for others. Some have suggested that they truly don't have anything for free any more, with Passkey listed by many people as no longer being free and others saying it still works fine for them and they've never paid for it. All I can tell you is that if you're in the unlucky group of us who can't get anything they make to last for free more than 30 days, there's no fix for that.

I know nothing about the website you listed, so any risks are your own.

[semmel]

Yea, I think I'll skip that...

[[_chef_]]

... or maybe I just found the answer - it doesn't say it supports anything later than Windows 2003... That may be the issue

You could try it in a VM or in compatibility mode anyway.

LtnRPC: http://dhc014.rpc1.org/LtnRPC/

[sambat]

Actually, has anyone here ever tried this:

Free DVDFab Passkey
http://www.dvdidle.com/dvd-region-free.htm

I see a trial version in the tools section here, but this free version is not in the list...
Is it real at all? Or is that the trial version?

I use that free version listed on the link.
My burner, which is one region change from the edge, is occasionally used to rip UK PAL disks.
Running Windows 7.
Works on an XP machine too.

[semmel]

Well, I'll see if I have any trouble playing/ripping DVDs now after the LtnRPC treatment, and if I run into issues, I'll install some form of VM software and DVDFab. Thanks for the report!

[schmoe]

... or maybe I just found the answer - it doesn't say it supports anything later than Windows 2003... That may be the issue

You could try it in a VM or in compatibility mode anyway.

LtnRPC: http://dhc014.rpc1.org/LtnRPC/

Also works in Windows compatibility mode. Just tried this on Windows 8.1 64 bit with compatibility set to Windows XP SP3, and run as administrator. I was able to query my liteon drive and reset the region count.

[[_chef_]]

Yeah, good catch.