DVD format questions

[warren pease]

I couldn't find a forum that seems to be a good fit, so Skinner suggested I post here and see what happens.

What I need is technical advice on how to get my DVD player to accept a disk formatted for Area 2, which is used in the UK and western Europe.

My player is set to Area 1, North America, only. The disk plays on my computer because I can switch formats there, but I'd rather watch it on a real TV rather than a 14" screen.

The DVD player is a Phillips model 726 Video Player. Of course, I've lost the manual.

The computer is a MacBook with 2 GB RAM and a 2GHz Core Duo processor running OS X v 10.4.10. I could hook it up to the TV and watch it that way, but the manual doesn't say how. So if anybody knows how to connect a MacBook to a relatively recent model TV, I'd appreciate that info as well.

And that's it.


Thanks a lot,

wp

[flvegan]

1. Here's the region code hack

http://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayers/philips-dvd-726/2733

It's around halfway down the page.

[warren pease]

2. Wow! Amazing. Thanks a lot. n/t

[Lance_Boyle]

3. You can play it on your PC?

I'd rip it to XVID, and burn the XVID to a CDR or DVD-R and watch from that. Compressed, but watchable. Or, if you have a video card in the PC that outputs to something the TV can accept as an input, play it from the 'puter in full resolution.

OR

1. Turn on the DVD726 unit
2. Open the DVD drawer
3. Using the remote control, key in this number sequence slowly pausing between each digit: 9999, followed by 0 for region free, or the region number required.
4. The display will show "Region:n" (where "n" is the value you entered after 9999 in step 3) if the region has been changed successfully.

Note: With the 726, after a few months, a random keypress may disrupt the Video display, rendering the player useless. Not sure how this may happen and not sure what can be done...does anyone know how to reset the player back to factory default

YMMV, UAYOR, IANAL, DTMB

[warren pease]

4. It Worked!!

Just changed the region to "0" and the UK disk works, as does a randomly selected US disk. So I'm covered and thank you very, very much for the advice.

Also, I've had this one for about 3 or 4 years and have fortunately never encountered that random key bug. And I hope I don't. This has been a very solid and reliable player and I'd hate to have to replace it just yet.


Thanks again. I really appreciate it.


wp

[Lance_Boyle]

5. The ghost of Jack Valenti will be suing you

in hell court for your DMCA violation. ;-)

[warren pease]

6. Isn't he the guy who called TV a "vast wasteland?" Or was that...

Newton Minnow (the fig fish, as we used to call him)? I know Valenti was mobbed up with the LBJ crime family somehow, but I don't remember exactly how.

Also, what's the DMCA and should I flee the country as a consequence of this region code hack?


wp


Meanwhile, have a large :beer: on me.