The Region Free Blu-ray Player Thread

That’s why I said it’s for the more technical minded people. It is free (in case you already have a PC), you’re helping other people and is future proof. It’s also useful for making screenshots to post on the forum :slight_smile:

Most people don’t understand/realize the aggressive and vicious nature of Bluray DRM . But sooner or later they probably will run into it

Oh, I do understand. And agree with you on BluRay DRM. But I always tend to pick my battles. My solution is the easiest for me. I’m technical minded enough, but I just can’t be bothered with such a hassle. Moreover, my computer is in another room than my tv.

What hassles does this give? Did you have to change the plug, get a power converter, anything? What player did you get? Need all the info I can get my hands on :slight_smile:

I have a Sony BDP-S3100. Simple, but good performance. For what I use it for, anyway. This player can handle European power, all you need is an adapter and you’re set. I have a version that has a region-free DVD player.

An adapter for the plug you mean? I think I know someone who would be able to change it for an EU-style plug so if that is the only problem, there really isn’t that great a problem :slight_smile:

Thanks!

Yea that should be it for the most part. It might be worth paying attention to getting a newer player that adheres to latest HDMI 1.4b specifications etc, so as not to get connectivity issues in the long run due to DRM, and so as to enjoy the full potential of the audio return channel.

I had to buy a combined converter/adapter (for use in Norway). I paid more or less 30 euro for it.

I’m confused now. Wasn’t it this you bought:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sony-BDP-S1500-Region-A-Blu-Ray-and-All-Multi-Region-Free-DVD-Player-/131582224301?hash=item1ea2e967ad:g:t0EAAOSwMmBV0eMy

It says “100-240V Worldwide Voltage” and doesn’t that mean that if I had a plug that fitted I could just plug it in the wall and voila? By converter I take it you mean a step-up converter (110V → 220V)?

Yes, that’s right. It came with a 12 V AC adaptor. So I was advised to buy a converter, and I bought a dibotech input 230 V - output 110 V converter. I don’t know about these things, but it works.

Hmm… Yes 220V -> 110V of course, my mistake :slight_smile: I already have such a converter but don’t know if it can handle the kind of power a blu-ray player demands. 30 euro extra is starting to equal the 200 euro I didn’t want to match :frowning:

I would go with Pioneer BDP-450 which is GBP 130 at richersound.com. It is not zone free out-of-the-box and should be flashed with a custom firmware which gives unique features.

richersounds.com you mean ?

But that player isn’t region free at all ? So what is the point? Or am I missing the point?

I assumed by his comment you have to flash the player to enable it to be region free.

Yes, richersounds.com, a typing error.
http://forum.ixbt.com/topic.cgi?id=60:3656

But I didn’t think any they sold blu-ray players that could be flashed to be region free on the blu-ray part. As Sebastian writes above isn’t that a hardware constraint now?

Also 130 pounds more or less equals 200 euro so might as well buy an already modified player.

This Pioneer player is not a budget model and received very good review
http://www.areadvd.de/hardware/2012/pioneer_bdp450.shtml
The player was made by Chinese company TCL Corporation and I assume that they made unofficial firmware which had been sold for EUR 150 per unit. The firmware is unique for every player because it depends on player’s MAC address and/or serial number. Russians hacked it by reverse engineering and one can got activation code or file from forum administrator. Now, there is no need for this because exists activation-free firmware.

At some point need to replace my aged BluRay player with something new. Adding some Amazon links to the start of this topic I noticed that there are a lot of multi-region players out there that are 2015 models. That sounds good…

Have a look at:

They’re still a lot of money though, aren’t they? Comparative to standard BD player prices, like. And then, once you get a multiregion BD player you’ll start accumulating Region “A” discs. And then, once you’re choc full of Region “A”'s you’ll always have to ensure that you’ve got multiregion functionality. Personally, I’m already far too concerned by the number of R1 DVDs I’ve got, which I now have to factor in every time I change my players. Damn you, Soap! Damn you, Married… With Children! Damn you to Hell, Dog the Bounty Hunter! And you, Echo Bridge and Mill Creek, with your enticing bloody cheapo Spag box sets! :japanese_ogre:

Well there are sites like http://regionfreemovies.com/ that will try to confirm which discs from other markets are in fact region free. A lot of discs are region free even though the package says otherwise, and then the third thing to watch out is that there are many countries now in B and you can do some research… so there are a lot of ways and a new-Region import is usually the last resort. The players are a bit expensive, but for a cineast who uses that thing everyday, it is not that much money

Finally circling on on upgrading… considering a Sony BDP-S3500, does anyone have experience with that model?