Re: I think it might be okay - at least, for now - Homer

Video Asylum

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Re: I think it might be okay - at least, for now

Posted by Homer (A) on March 13, 2002 at 01:23:28

In Reply to: Re: I think it might be okay - at least, for now posted by Dman on March 12, 2002 at 18:45:20:

It's in a secret "loopholes" menu. You can set it to any region or "all" regions. It even plays PAL discs on an NTSC TV and vice versa. Obviously, they won't admit to having left the menu there on purpose ("it's for testing - honest!"), but if not for that, I'll bet Apex would still be virtually unknown, in the US.

Other than that, the player works alright, but feels really cheap and shoddy. They also have reliability and heat problems.

A friend has a Shinco model DVD-380, with the same capabilities. You can find people who've described how to replace the video DACs, in some players, with versions lacking the capability to generate the Macrovision signals. You can also pay like a 300% markup to get name-brand players already modded to be all-region and/or macrovision-free.

Perhaps the best solution is probably to use a PC + ripping software, but I don't know much about that. Ideally, I'd like to be able to buy R2 DVDs, from Japan, and burn copies with subtitles (downloaded from the web) onto copies, for watching on my home theater, or at friends' houses. However, even though I guess the CSS descrambling issue is solved, I don't know how specific the encoding of menus and whatnot is to the specific geometry and layout of the disc.

Anyway, I have lots of good reasons for wanting to bypass these protection mechanisms, but the industry cares only about protecting profits - not consumer rights. Indeed, this isn't surprising - just depressing.

I sure wonder what copyright legislation will look like, in 10 years. The day may eventually come that I simply refuse to buy any content that I find to have protection that's too restrictive or invasive.

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Problems recording dvd to vhs - DAT 15:04:10 03/10/02 (12)

Don't need to spend $$$--Use your TV - anon 18:30:42 03/18/02 (0)

I back up my DVD's to SVHS using.. - Iguana Man 10:21:36 03/14/02 (0)

Re: Problems recording dvd to vhs - kotches 07:53:29 03/11/02 (0)

Works well from my experience (nt) - Iguana Man 10:22:44 03/14/02 (0)

Re: Problems recording dvd to vhs - SamM 17:19:01 03/10/02 (7)

Whether it's illegal or not depends. - DAT 13:14:55 03/11/02 (0)

I think it might be okay - at least, for now - Homer 18:08:11 03/11/02 (3)

Re: I think it might be okay - at least, for now - Dman 18:45:20 03/12/02 (2)

Re: I think it might be okay - at least, for now - Homer 01:23:28 03/13/02 (1)

I just wish I could get into that on my Sony! - Dman 09:32:41 03/14/02 (0)

Re: Whether it's illegal or not depends. - SamM 16:31:22 03/11/02 (0)

Since the big record companies think we are all crooks should we not be pirates? - Norm 12:51:32 03/11/02 (0)

Follow Ups

Re: I think it might be okay - at least, for now - Homer 01:23:28 03/13/02 (1)

I just wish I could get into that on my Sony! - Dman 09:32:41 03/14/02 (0)

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