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Cheapest Region Free Blu-Ray player?

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Cheapest Region Free Blu-Ray player?

Old 12-01-10, 09:57 AM
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Re: Cheapest Region Free Blu-Ray player?

Sounds like it's easier for you due to your specific usage, but otherwise the # of regions doesn't really matter. At first it was harder, with some players offering just DVD-region-free (not BDs) or vice versa, but that was because hacking is a reactive "industry". Now players are becoming available that are region free for both DVD and BD, so it's getting to be about the same as with DVD 5 years ago. The prices are still higher, and may remain that way, whereas eventually there were DVD players that were the same price and could just be adjusted to region free with the remote. I'm not sure we will ever get past the need for hardware mods in Bluray, the copy protection and other embedded software is more difficult than DVD. Maybe.
Old 12-10-10, 02:14 AM
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Re: Cheapest Region Free Blu-Ray player?

still no region free Blu-ray player out of the box in the market?
Old 12-10-10, 07:54 AM
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Re: Cheapest Region Free Blu-Ray player?

Originally Posted by Spiky
I'm not sure we will ever get past the need for hardware mods in Bluray
Old 12-14-10, 03:00 AM
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Re: Cheapest Region Free Blu-Ray player?

I have bought quite a few foreign BD and only 4 or 5 have been region locked. I output them from my PC via HDMI to my TV. I use a program called BD Region Tray Tool that is free. When you run the program, it stays in the system tray where you can change the region at will. It allows me to watch my locked BD's with PowerDVD. My laptop also has a BD-ROM drive and I can watch region locked BD's on it as well. Just watced the MoC Complete Metropolis disc the other night. In many ways a PC makes a great BD player: easy to defeat region locks, does 3D, streams Netflix and all other downloadable media you can acquire including divx, MKV, AVCHD, and in many ways is future proof. Maybe not the cheapest though.
Old 01-03-11, 05:58 PM
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Re: Cheapest Region Free Blu-Ray player?

I'm thinking about going to the computer-output idea to play my foreign Blu discs (poor Sherlock Blu sits unwatched as the PS3 couldn't do PAL).

Anyone know a good source for specs needed? I got an old dual core Gateway (about 3 years old) that I might rework. What sort of Blu drive is needed? Can you get it to decode PAL so a TV wouldn't have to do the work (not sure if my Samsung LED can)? Software needed?

Thanks!
Old 01-03-11, 06:09 PM
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Re: Cheapest Region Free Blu-Ray player?

Just get a drive like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106292

which should come with PowerDVD. You should check that it has hacked regionless firmware available. (I don't see any for that drive yet - http://codeguys.rpc1.org/firmwares.html#iHES208-2)

You only need a decent video card, preferably one with HDMI-out that puts the audio out with the video (if that's what you want).

No problem playing PAL since it's just a computer video signal that your TV should handle. What Samsung model?
Old 01-05-11, 02:21 AM
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Re: Cheapest Region Free Blu-Ray player?

Thanks X!

My TV is a http://www.samsung.com/us/video/tvs/UN55C6300SFXZA

My computer I was thinking about refitting for the job is a http://reviews.cnet.com/desktops/gat...2.html#manDesc

Any input is appreciated.

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