Author Topic: DVD Region  (Read 45499 times)

dan g

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DVD Region
« on: January 30, 2008, 03:11:11 pm »
From time to time this happens:
user complains that the DVD drive doesn't play any disk and/or the ripping also doesn't work. I've met this few times in the past - and in 95% of case it was the unset region ID plus region-protected DVDs, which are typical for US/Canada/Europe(?)

So, here is a short article now
http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Setting_Region_of_DVD_Drive

tkmedia

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Re: DVD Region
« Reply #1 on: January 30, 2008, 04:24:26 pm »
Is it possible this is why my new blu-ray player can not rip.

After a bunch of hoops the best I got was 1 rip saw various progress to around 60 % then it said successful but I can not play the results.

Now every time I attempt a rip it goes immediately to success but actually does nothing. :'(



My Setup http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/User:Tkmedia

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Marper

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Re: DVD Region
« Reply #2 on: February 04, 2008, 04:53:20 am »
I'm an EGG - when I start a term session I can't seem to get to root, so when I run this command I get the error command not found.

royw

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Re: DVD Region
« Reply #3 on: February 04, 2008, 06:26:01 am »
Try using sudo.

  linuxmce@dcerouter:/etc$ sudo /usr/pluto/bin/dvd_region -s -r 1 -d /dev/dvd1

the password is your log in account's password.  linuxmce in the above example.

Have fun,
Roy

royw

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Re: DVD Region
« Reply #4 on: February 04, 2008, 06:29:57 am »
Oh, this is really cute, the script ate all available user controlled changes:

linuxmce@dcerouter:/etc$ /usr/pluto/bin/dvd_region -d /dev/dvd1
Drive region info:
Type: No drive region setting
4 vendor resets available
5 user controlled changes available
Region: 9 playable
RPC Scheme: The Logical Unit _shall_ adhere to the specification and all requirements of the CSS license agreement concerning RPC
linuxmce@dcerouter:/etc$ sudo /usr/pluto/bin/dvd_region -s -r 1 -d /dev/dvd1
[sudo] password for linuxmce:
region 1
Setting drive region can only be done a finite number of times, press CTRL-C now to cancel!

Setting region to 1 (fe)
Drive region info:
Type: Drive region has been set permanently, but may be reset by the vendor if necessary
2 vendor resets available
0 user controlled changes available
Region: 1 playable
RPC Scheme: The Logical Unit _shall_ adhere to the specification and all requirements of the CSS license agreement concerning RPC
linuxmce@dcerouter:/etc$               

colinjones

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Re: DVD Region
« Reply #5 on: February 04, 2008, 08:44:20 am »
From time to time this happens:
user complains that the DVD drive doesn't play any disk and/or the ripping also doesn't work. I've met this few times in the past - and in 95% of case it was the unset region ID plus region-protected DVDs, which are typical for US/Canada/Europe(?)

So, here is a short article now
http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Setting_Region_of_DVD_Drive


I thought one of the points of the CSS library was that it bypassed region control as well (as decrypting)? Totallymaxed seems to be saying as much here, http://forum.linuxmce.org/index.php?topic=3378.msg17279#msg17279

Also, what the hell is Region 9? Its supposed to be 0-8....

dydige

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Re: DVD Region
« Reply #6 on: February 25, 2008, 12:12:47 pm »
Also, what the hell is Region 9? Its supposed to be 0-8....
When set to region 9 its Region Free.
http://hometheaterinfo.com/dvd3.htm

indulis

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Re: DVD Region
« Reply #7 on: September 09, 2008, 04:50:30 pm »
:o

You should not use the "change DVD drive region setting" approach on the Wiki unless you have access to firmware for your drive that can reset the region change counter inside your DVD drive.  Otherwise once the countdown counter reaches 0- usually after 5 changes- you will lock your drive into the last region forever. Well, until you reflash the firmware anyway ;-)

That might be OK if you are always going to use DVD media from that region, but for many people this is a pain, they want to be able to play DVDs from different regions

As per the info here http://web.njit.edu/all_topics/Prog_Lang_Docs/html/mplayer/cd-dvd.html section 4.3, RPC1 allows much easier and more reliable access to the data on the DVD.  If the DVD drive is new it will be an RPC-2 so it always first checks and if the DVD region does not match its own  it will not send the encryption key stored on the DVD to DECSS algorithm (e.g. in libdecss) would normally use to unencrypt it.  If your drive is RPC-2 then it won't send the key to your computer, and the software has to try really really hard and maybe it can decrypt the info on the DVD using "brute force" decryption methods.  This is my understanding anyway!

Best approach is to load firmware into your DVD drive that makes it RPC1.  This means it does not go through the "check disk is in my region" test.

I added some resources to the DVD page in the wiki.

Summary- do not change the region code on the drive, instead flash new firmware into your drive that makes it RPC1.  If there is no firmware to flash your drive, then buy one that has RPC-1 available.  I chose a Pioneer 216 series drive (most pioneers have firmware to change them to RPC1 and these drives are recommended by http://www.silentpcreview.com as being quiet and reliable. Well, quiet under windows anyway, where there is a utility to set them to quiet/slow mode for playing movies.  Hopefully I can do this using Linux too!

I was also looking at Samsung and Liteon drives (Samsung as top choice behind Pioneer 216, probably ahead of earlier pioneer models).  Again see the rpc1.org web site for more info (Links is on LH side of page, scroll down).

As I build up my new system, I will provide more details on flashing the DVD drive with RPC1.

I really, really dislike DRM (and 99% of my media is legally bought!).
« Last Edit: September 12, 2008, 06:16:20 pm by indulis »

indulis

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first scrappy instructions on how to make a Pioneer DVR-216 drive region free
« Reply #8 on: December 07, 2008, 09:50:35 am »
scrappy but working! I can play Region 2 discs!  ::)

Download and initial run of DVRflash
download DVRflash from
http://dvrflash.rpc1.org/
Quote
wget http://dvrflash.rpc1.org/DVRFlash_v2.6.0.zip

extract Linux executable using unzip

run it to see what firmware you have

Download supported firmware and crossflash (change model) DVR-216 to a DVR-216L
Note: This step is no longer required, see post below, just download DVR-216 firmware
crossflash DVR-216 to 216L using firmware DVR-S16J
download firmware from
http://forum.rpc1.org/Firmware/DVRS16J_106.zip
unzip it, files are
DVRS16J_106/S0415430.104
DVRS16J_106/S0415431.106
info is from from
http://forum.rpc1.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=43868&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=kernel+pioneer
Quote
sudo ./DVRFlash -ff /dev/sg2 DVRS16J_106/S0415430.104 DVRS16J_106/S0415431.106
DVRflash shows drive starts as
Drive Information:
   Description : PIONEER DVD-RW  DVR-216
  Firmware Rev : 1.06
 Firmware Date : 08/06/19
  Manufacturer : PIONEER
Drive is in normal mode.

should end as
Updated Information:
   Description : PIONEER DVD-RW  DVR-216L
 Firmware Rev. : 1.06
 Firmware Date : 08/06/19
  Manufacturer : PIONEER

Now can load 1.09 firmware

download latest firmware, instructions and links at
http://forum.rpc1.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=42500
you are looking for "S16J" model firmware files now
http://wwwbsc.pioneer.co.jp/device/file/DVR-S16J_FW109EUJ2.EXE

unzip the exe file
Quote
unzip DVR-S16J_FW109EUJ2.EXE

should get file
S0415431.109

Now flash this to your driver
Quote
sudo ./DVRFlash -vf /dev/sg2 S0415431.109

now install wine
Quote
sudo apt-get install wine

download MCSE from http://ala42.cdfreaks.com/MCSE/
http://ala42.cdfreaks.com/MCSE/MediaCodeSpeedEdit.zip
Quote
mv /home/linuxmce/Desktop/MediaCodeSpeedEdit.zip .
wine MediaCodeSpeedEdit.exe
select S0415431.109
click RPC1 patch button
save

then
Quote
sudo ./DVRFlash -vf /dev/sg2 S0415431_speedpatched.109

You now have an RPC1 DVD drive!


« Last Edit: January 14, 2009, 12:52:45 am by indulis »

Caysho

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Pioneer DVR-216 RPC1
« Reply #9 on: January 02, 2009, 08:58:21 am »
scrappy but working! I can play Region 2 discs!  ::)

It's even easier now - no cross flashing required :)

Pioneer released a newer firmware (1.09) (Japanese site, in English).
Pick up the DVR-216 (Zip/EXE, 1.1 MB) firmware you need (DVR-216, DVR-216SV, DVR-216SV are the same drive/firmware).

There are other variations on this drive, and there are different firmwares for them.

Firmware 1.06 is available at their DVD Asia site

I checked the MediaCodeSpeedEdit help, and it knows about the DVR-216, DVR-216D and DVR-216L.
All I needed to do is use it to modify the downloaded firmware and use DVRFlash to flash it.

I then verified with DVRFlash that the drive was indeed RPC1 :)

Aarontraum

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DVD Region
« Reply #10 on: September 10, 2017, 03:37:27 am »
Thanks all, as it turns out, I lucked out.  The movie is a Region-3 NTSC DVD, so imported fine once I made the region switch to one of my loaders.

RamonSew

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DVD Region
« Reply #11 on: September 24, 2018, 09:04:21 am »
I would love to know how this was solved. I have a similar problem. I get a message to report that the disc is not a Blu Ray disc, a music CD or DVD. If I play it on a non-Kaleidescape player it is fine. The only clue I have is that both DVDs having this problem are region 0 Worldwide.