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Making iMac G5 DVD Region free (multiregion)

W

will

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 29, 2002
179
0
Apologies if this has already been discussed (forum search didn't turn up anything I could see), but I've been trying to make my iMac G5 (2.1GHz 20" iSight model) region free.

I haven't found a firmware patch, and VLC can't read the optical drive (MATSHITA UJ-846) as a block device, so can't bypass the region setting.

I have a collection of R1 and R2 DVDs, and would ideally like to be able to play all of them via Frontrow.

Anyone come across any solutions?
 
I would have thought VLC would work but you have to bypass the dialogue box when you insert the DVD. From memory, it's a DVD Player warning, not a system warning so if you Ignore or Cancel it, you should then be able to watch the video file in VLC. I could very possibly be wrong, of course. :eek:

As for changing the regions on the DVD drive, even if it's possible it means messing with the firmware of the drive and is not recommended, particularly on a new machine.
 
From what I understand, the latest hardware releases from Apple (starting pretty much at the beginning of 2005) have closed the loophole that allowed you to view DVD's from other regions using VLC. The only way now is to change the region, which of course you can only do 5 times before it becomes locked.
 
If apple did block the work-around for playing different region DVDs in VLC you could always use MacTheRipper to rip a region fee version to your hard drive (first set CD & DVD to ignore DVD in the System Preferences) and then watch the ripped version, or else try some of these softwares, as probably one will allow you to watch different region DVDs on your Mac link. Just make sure you have the CD & DVD set to ignore.
 
neocell said:
If apple did block the work-around for playing different region DVDs in VLC you could always use MacTheRipper to rip a region fee version to your hard drive (first set CD & DVD to ignore DVD in the System Preferences) and then watch the ripped version, or else try some of these softwares, as probably one will allow you to watch different region DVDs on your Mac link. Just make sure you have the CD & DVD set to ignore.
Click to expand...

No, the same block stops your ability to rip other region disks too
 
mad jew said:
B

Wow, I think that's my first post that's made up entirely of a single letter.
Click to expand...

You might be lucky then, I have a rev D powerbook and have found there is no way to view or rip 'other' region DVD's
 
swiftaw said:
You might be lucky then, I have a rev D powerbook and have found there is no way to view or rip 'other' region DVD's
Click to expand...


Yeah. It may also have to do with the country you get the Mac in. Perhaps... Who knows.
 
Are there any external USB drives that are region free and work with the Mac? I have a simular problem to this poster, and was thinking maybe an external drive that was region free would solve the rpoblem completley.
 
I'm very tempted to spend the $200 or so putting a Pioneer DVR-K05 in my forthcoming Powerbook, particularly given that it's now an Apple-supported drive and there's beta region-free firmware available.

The news that the VLC loophole has been closed (EDIT for Matshita drives) is worrying news indeed (particularly given that like most Australians, it's virtually impossible to sate my DVD buying habits with just R4 titles).

It's no surprise that Panasonic has caved on this front though - they were the consumer electronics firm that caved at the dawn of DVD to allow region coding into the tech specs of DVD...
 
surroundfan said:
I'm very tempted to spend the $200 or so putting a Pioneer DVR-K05 in my forthcoming Powerbook, particularly given that it's now an Apple-supported drive and there's beta region-free firmware available.

The news that the VLC loophole has been closed is worrying news indeed (particularly given that like most Australians, it's virtually impossible to sate my DVD buying habits with just R4 titles).

It's no surprise that Panasonic has caved on this front though - they were the consumer electronics firm that caved at the dawn of DVD to allow region coding into the tech specs of DVD...
Click to expand...
On the Windows version, there seems to be no region code 'loophole'. I can play R1 discs just fine (My Invader Zim DVD's).
 
If you buy an external DVD player (one of those USB or Firewire powered models), can you watch other region's DVD? Even if you need to set the external USB or Firewire DVD player's region to the other region, it is better than messing up with the internal drive by changing regions (who comes up with 5 times as the cap for changing regions on the OEM DVD player; why not like 100 times).

Does it affect the internal DVD drive (the one comes with the Mac) if you adjust the region for the external USB or Firewire DVD player?
 
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