laptop dvd regions

matt_j · Sep 4, 2004

I'm planning to buy my dad a laptop and give to him when he comes over and visits me (he lives in Poland). I know that modem, network card and all the other gizmos will work fine. How would the DVD work? I know there are regions involved and I was told by few people that out of the box laptop DVD player is regionless and after you play few dvds on it than it will lack into the region. Is this true?

Matt

tiktok 22 · Sep 4, 2004

Most dvd players allows you to change your region code up to 5 or 6 times, but after that it becomes locked into the last region code selected. There are firmware flashes available to stop this but I'm not sure about a laptop model. Heres some more info:

http://www.techtronics.com/uk/shop/510-dvd-region-codes.html

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

kongfuchicken · Sep 4, 2004

There's actually a simpler way, a software called dvd region free.
It was once a freeware and worked like a dream on any pc or laptop with any player model or playback software... it pops out right before the playback software loads when you start a dvd and makes it ignore the regions...
Here's a link: http://www.dvdidle.com
Unfortunately, it's not free anymore. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
But it still beats risking to ruin your un-replacable dvd player on a laptop by trying to flash it...

matt_j · Sep 5, 2004

well the laptop will stay in poland forever (no need to change it after it has been locked in)... I just want to make sure that dvds from that region will work on it right out of the box.

kongfuchicken · Sep 5, 2004

Then I guess you just need to change the region of your drive once...
No need for anything else. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

tiktok 22 · Sep 5, 2004

I imagine once you insert the dvd into the drive it will ask you if you want to keep this as the region code. Just accept that region code as default.