Cool facts about Linux to discover 20 years too late

[mikeymikec]

I just discovered that both of my PC's optical drives act like they're region-free for DVDs (probably BRs too) under Linux

I thought the region locking was some kind of firmware-level affair with optical drives, along with that DVD region per-drive setting in Windows Device Manager. Apparently not?

 

[lxskllr]

Never fooled much with optical, but that's good to know. Adds options if I ever want to get some (probably used)discs.

 

[William Gaatjes]

I just discovered that both of my PC's optical drives act like they're region-free for DVDs (probably BRs too) under Linux

I thought the region locking was some kind of firmware-level affair with optical drives, along with that DVD region per-drive setting in Windows Device Manager. Apparently not?

Does this also work with bluray drives ?

Blu ray was supposed to be region free but unfortunately the bluray world got divided in three regions by the filmstudios. Region A, B, C.

 

[mikeymikec]

@William Gaatjes I'll have a think about whether I have any Region A/C BRs. I suspect I only have Bs and unlocked ones.

Harley Quinn S3 has been tempting me to get it on BR and if so, it will be an American one.

 

[William Gaatjes]

@William Gaatjes I'll have a think about whether I have any Region A/C BRs. I suspect I only have Bs and unlocked ones.

Harley Quinn S3 has been tempting me to get it on BR and if so, it will be an American one.

Well, you see, i bought "The Guyver" manga series as bluray after reading that bluray was supposed to be region free. Turns out my blu ray player (B region) does not play region A bluray discs. And the blu ray player on my pc can read the the guyver dics after i set it to Region A (DVD region 1) but i have no software videoplayer that works cause some kind of decryption file is needed. Getting that file is illegal it seems. And dangerous , virus walhalla.

 

[manly]

On delivery, most DVD drives have no region code set. The drive firmware allows you to change the region code, but on nearly all drives you are limited to five (5) changes.

http://linvdr.org/projects/regionset/

 

[mikeymikec]

Well, you see, i bought "The Guyver" manga series as bluray after reading that bluray was supposed to be region free. Turns out my blu ray player (B region) does not play region A bluray discs. And the blu ray player on my pc can read the the guyver dics after i set it to Region A (DVD region 1) but i have no software videoplayer that works cause some kind of decryption file is needed. Getting that file is illegal it seems. And dangerous , virus walhalla.

Thinking about it since, I'm fairly sure that because I updated the firmware on my BR drive (so it would accept 4k discs), it wouldn't surprise me at all if the BR drive is region-free (I know my DVD drive isn't though).

 

[William Gaatjes]

Thinking about it since, I'm fairly sure that because I updated the firmware on my BR drive (so it would accept 4k discs), it wouldn't surprise me at all if the BR drive is region-free (I know my DVD drive isn't though).

I have to dive into a good bluray video player for windows. I have VLCplayer and it is the best player EVAH! But for VLCplayer to support encrypted blu ray disc, i have to install a DLL and that encryption file. I am kind of suspicious when it comes to such augmentation of VLCplayer. VLCplayer runs almost everything. But not encrypted blu ray discs.
I like VLC player so much i made a financial donation.

 

[mikeymikec]

I have to dive into a good bluray video player for windows. I have VLCplayer and it is the best player EVAH! But for VLCplayer to support encrypted blu ray disc, i have to install a DLL and that encryption file. I am kind of suspicious when it comes to such augmentation of VLCplayer. VLCplayer runs almost everything. But not encrypted blu ray discs.
I like VLC player so much i made a financial donation.

VLC BR support between Windows and Linux is interesting in my experience; I've had it work better for a particular BR in Linux and sometimes better in Windows.

Otherwise, I have Leawo Player installed in Windows for (in my experience) flawless BR support. You get an ad when you pause playback but otherwise it seems to be ad-free. I don't use it an awful lot because generally my tactic is:

Insert BR disc
Fire up MKV, rip BR to uncompressed BR data onto PC
Rip BR data to MKV using Handbrake
Enjoy film playback without menus, trailers, adverts and other time-wasting elements.

 

[William Gaatjes]

VLC BR support between Windows and Linux is interesting in my experience; I've had it work better for a particular BR in Linux and sometimes better in Windows.

Otherwise, I have Leawo Player installed in Windows for (in my experience) flawless BR support. You get an ad when you pause playback but otherwise it seems to be ad-free. I don't use it an awful lot because generally my tactic is:

Insert BR disc
Fire up MKV, rip BR to uncompressed BR data onto PC
Rip BR data to MKV using Handbrake
Enjoy film playback without menus, trailers, adverts and other time-wasting elements.

i have to try that ,Leawo player. I am allergic to forced ads but it seems interesting.

Otherwise i can dig into that MKV , what you also do. I bought the bluray discs honestly. It is unfair that i am not able to watch it because of some moviestudio manager moron cooked up bluray disc regions : BLu-ray was supposed to be region free. It was designed that way and later altered to divide the world in 3 regions.

 

[mikeymikec]

i have to try that ,Leawo player. I am allergic to forced ads but it seems interesting.

Otherwise i can dig into that MKV , what you also do. I bought the bluray discs honestly. It is unfair that i am not able to watch it because of some moviestudio manager moron cooked up bluray disc regions : BLu-ray was supposed to be region free. It was designed that way and later altered to divide the world in 3 regions.

I don't recall using MakeMKV on a region-coded disc that my drive is locked against, just fyi. I can test easily enough re DVDs.