[inigopete]

I've had a search on the forum and still haven't found the answer, so I'm sorry for digging up an old topic:

I've got a 1Ghz Alu Powerbook with a Matshita CW-8122 combo drive. According to XVI's downloads I need the BX21 firmware to make it region-free (it's running BA21 at the moment and has 3 changes remaining), but on downloading and running this patch I get a message that says "Your computer does not need this update." Yet my drive is still counting down the changes every time I change the region.

Does anyone know why this is and what I can do about it?

Any help gratefully appreciated...


: P

[d.fine]

Yea, I want that too, please post a link or something pls, those who know where to find what we need ...

[bkb]

Originally posted by d.fine:
Yea, I want that too, please post a link or something pls, those who know where to find what we need ...

Have you tried VLC Player?

http://www.videolan.org/

It's just a player that lets you play different region DVDs without changing regions. It's a lot safer than the firmware route.

[rkv]

Originally posted by inigopete:
[... running this patch I get a message that says "Your computer does not need this update." Yet my drive is still counting down the changes every time I change the region.

Does anyone know why this is and what I can do about it?

Any help gratefully appreciated...


: P [/B]

It sounds like you might have already patched the firmware. If you have, then you want to use Region X. You'll find a link either on XVI's page or by searching in these forums. Region X allows you to reset the region and the counter.

As some have suggested you can use VLC while you might want to try that to avoid some of this hassle. I tend to use Apple's DVD player and Region X to reset my counter when I have changed the region too many times.

Hope that helps. It would be nice if the entertainment industry were not so anal about this region stuff. It's a pain in the .... Good luck.

[Person Man]

Originally posted by bkb:
Have you tried VLC Player?

http://www.videolan.org/

It's just a player that lets you play different region DVDs without changing regions. It's a lot safer than the firmware route.

VLC player will actually use up a region change.

[d.fine]

Yes, VLC uses a region change with me too ...

+ my 'quote' button doesn't work ??

[megasad]

Originally posted by d.fine:
Yes, VLC uses a region change with me too ...

Everytime you put in a different region DVD? Or just the once? How can you find out how many changes you have left? DVD Player on my eMac still says I have 4 changes left, even though I've played a few region 1 and 2 DVDs in it. But does VLC change the firmware without any software notification?

[Person Man]

Originally posted by megasad:
Everytime you put in a different region DVD? Or just the once? How can you find out how many changes you have left? DVD Player on my eMac still says I have 4 changes left, even though I've played a few region 1 and 2 DVDs in it. But does VLC change the firmware without any software notification?

It might. I'm not sure.

[megasad]

Originally posted by Person Man:
It might. I'm not sure.

Does anyone know more? Please? I am afeared and don't want to find out the hard way.

[rkv]

One more try at responding to inigopete and megasad....

Let me open by saying that I have over a years experience having used various XVI region free firmware patches and Region X on three powerbooks (Ti, 17", 12") and one dual usb ibook. They work and I am very grateful for this since I buy about half of my DVD's in region 1 and the other half in region 2. I am constantly switching back and forth and need to use Region X to reset the counter on my DVD relatively frequently.

In my earlier response, I had not noticed that Inigopete's XVI link was different than the one of which I am aware. I would suggest that you look here:

http://xvi.rpc1.org/

for some useful links and background reading. Under the Advanced Section of this page there is a pdf file which provides significant background on the subject.

As I indicated earlier, after patching the drive you still need to use Region X to reset the region and counter from time to time. The point is that you are able to do this over and over again and are not limited to the initial number of changes which Apple attempts to restrict you to. The firmware patch and Region X can be found here:

http://forum.rpc1.org/portal.php

If Inigopete believes he/she has installed the firmware patch then running Region X would confirm this. If you have not installed it, Region X will do no harm and it will inform you that you do not have a RPC-1 DVD drive, that is it is not region free.

You will find XVI posts to various forums relating to this subject, so you might also want to search for postings which he has originated for additional information or confirmation that he has significant expertise in this area.

I too was nervous when I first tried this, but I am quite happy that I did and would now find the prospect of a region locked drive completely intolerable.

[megasad]

Originally posted by rkv:
...I too was nervous when I first tried this, but I am quite happy that I did and would now find the prospect of a region locked drive completely intolerable.

If there were such a patch for the Combo Drive in my eMac (HL-DT-ST RW/DVD GCC-4481B), I would happily use it. I patched my iBook's DVD drive (Matshita SR-8176 MX26) long ago and it has worked perfectly ever since.

So, in lieu of such a patch, what worried me about Person Man's post was that he said VLC would use up firmware region changes. Using up firmware region changes is bad.

What I'd like to know is whether Person Man was right or wrong about that. Or if anyone knows of a firmware hack for my eMac, that'd be good too.

[inigopete]

fantastic - thank you rkv, all is sorted : )


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[Siren]

what about for powerbooks 12" 1.33gig?
is the combo drive the same ... can i also use this firmware?

[d.fine]

Thx for the link 'rkv'