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Play Region 1 DVDs On A Japanese PS2
skeller writes, "The Gaming
Intelligence Agency has a story about a way to play
Region 1 DVDs on a Playstation 2 (which is set by default for Region
2). You just enter in some codes on the controller during boot up. Dunno
why it works, but sort of an interesting little tidbit. " The site
cautions that the success rate is only about 50% (depending on which of the suggested codes you try), but since it's a
non-invasive procedure, it sounds like an experiment worth trying ... if you can get your hands on a PlayStation 2.
Now, this may just be my view of it (I have been known to be wrong before) -- but isn't region encoding really just a way of legally price-fixing the dvd player/discs rather than an anti-piracy measure like Macrovision?
(Price-fixing being illegal, instead they "modify" the players and discs so they're not *exactly* the same - and of course incompatible with players/discs not modified in the same way - so that they can sell them for whatever price they want, wherever they want, and not have to worry about people importing to take advantage of the cheaper prices elsewhere, or about the laws preventing price-fixing getting in the way -- "Honest, they're two different models - this one has 90xxx-a12-r1 software in it, while THIS one has a 90xxx-a12-r2 software..." Of course, the difference in the player is easily changable using software or arcane remote commands, so that they don't have to actually change their production lines at all. Limiting the ammount of times a given players region encoding can be changed simply gives them a level of protection against consumers finding out about and exploiting the "codes".)
Macrovision is an anti-piracy measure that discourages copying (legal or otherwise). In preventing the "evil pirates" from making copies, they also prevent Joe and Diane Consumer from making backup copies. This works out well for the MPAA and other interests since we all know VHS tapes degrade with use. If they watch the movie enough that the tape wears out - they have to buy another one. Of course, there are ways around Macrovision, so the "evil pirates" still can make their copies. So really it's only the Consumers who are affected.
Now enter digial media. Now it's possible to make PERFECT copies of the media you buy. This *SCARES* the corps. Now, not only will the copies made by "evil pirates" be cheaper, but they'll be the same quality. Also, Joe and Diane Consumer could conceivably make a PERFECT backup of the movie they bought. Even if the disc wore out, they could make a perfect copy in no time. Thus the corps lose the extra sales from repeat purchases.
So, they decide to encrypt the data...and that leads to the current DVD-CCA/DeCSS problems. DVD-CCA strands by their bull$#!t lines that it was copy protection to keep "evil pirates" from stealing from them, when in actuality, the "evil pirates" can simply make a bit-perfect copy of the disc, encryption and all, and have a playable disc. The encryption only disallows non-licenced players from playing the encrypted discs. It's just another way for the DVD-CCA to bilk both media companies and consumers out of more money, and maintain a monopoly on DVD players/encoders.
Region encoding is another matter entirely, but like CSS encoding, its purpose isn't to provide piracy protection (as Macrovision's purpose was, bypassable as it may be), but to make more money for the companies selling players/discs, by allowing them to get around the laws prohibiting price-fixing.
3)While I did finaly get the ordered chip after 6 weeks, my credit card was charged twice. For some harmless fun, go to their website click the "order tracking" link (or klick here and post a comment regarding their policy of just blocking access for complaining customers instead of answering. Just se how long it takes befor your access is blocked as well. Conclusion: Be aware that doing business with this company may lead to serious aggavation and unexpected results !Caveat Emptor!
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I'm owning a pc-Dvd sollution and was thinking of bying a ps2 allmost only because it's a kinda cheap dvd-player.
Not very "cheap" if you ask me - you can get (locally) an Apex 600 DVD player for US$160, it has a "hidden" menu that will allow you to disable region coding and shut down Macrovision. Oh, and it'll play CDs full of MP3s, too!
Granted, the Apex will never play "Flaming Kung-Fu Buttmonkeys", but this talk of buying a PS2 because it's a cheap DVD player seems silly to me.
We service DVD players at the company I work for and I can tell you from personal experience that the *majority* of standalone DVD players are region programable, so this situation with the PS2 doesn't surprise me at all. I'm not sure if all DVD players are reprogramable, but I'm certain of Philips, Sony and Panasonic. For example, on Philips DVD players, if you start it with no DVD in the drive and holding down a certain key pattern on the remote, it sets it up for program mode. Then, by entering certain key combonations on the remote, you can change it's region designation. It's fairly hush hush info. Philips refuses to send us the manuals to program it, but, due to some reoccuring problems with a certain model, we've had to do it over the over the phone with then so many times that several of the guys have have written down the instructions. Again, what's *ALWAYS* the weakest link to your security? Yes, the human beings involved :) Not only is DVD encryption useless, but the region encoding anti-piracy protection is also VERY easily compromised. Chris
This isn't as "noninvasive" as you might think. Some DVD players have an electrically-erasable ROM in them, they can only be erased and reset a few times. You can change the region, but only about 10 times or so, and then the region can no longer be reset. Proceed at your own risk, you might end up with an unusable PS2 set to the wrong region.
You know, whether or not this code was left in accidentally, left as a quick 'n' easy upgrade path for rollouts in other areas, or whatnot, there's one thing I can't help to think about one thing:
I bet that one (or more) of the designers just wanted to give the DVD CCA some actual multi-billion-dollar-revenue ass to try to kick so they'll think twice about screwing with the little guy.
Sure, the DeCSS thing may have been more of a big deal in a sense; but if they took the time to trace the link you put on your page that you got from your friend's brother's cousin's sister's friend's boyfriend and then pay a lawyer $450/hour to cite it on a legal document, then they're probably gonna gripe about this until someone decides they're tired of monopolistic punks and they go on a mass killing spree.
I thought that the PSX (dunno about PSX2) controller protocals are fairly well reversed engineered. Why not just jury rig something to either:
A: Capture the codes for analysis, ie, sniffing the PSX controller traffic, and
B: Using a PC to play back the signals?
The PSX2 takes regular PSX controllers if I remember correctly.
I imagine that the "40%" rate is because someone isn't entering the code properly. I don't imagine that the console designer included the debug code that would only work 40% of the time...
-=- SiKnight
Hey, want to disable region-encoding limitations on your DVD player? Check out Multi-Region Hacks for Domestic DvD Players.
--
He lives in a world where those who do not run the client software of the omnipresent meme are unacceptable.