Blu-ray player hack for playing DVDs
 

I plan on buying a LG home theater with a blu-ray player.
I know I can play blu-ray disks of region A/1 on this player but I've been told by the seller that the blu-ray player won't play DVDs from any region other than 4 (Brazil).

So I was wondering if anyone knows a hack for playing all regions DVDs on this blu-ray player. 90% of my DVDs are region 1 (USA).

The model I want to buy is the LG HB905SBW:
http://www.lge.com/br/audio/home-the...G-HB905SBW.jsp

The thing you have to realize is that most "hacks" are simply using options that are already built into the unit -- hidden menus, simple altering of firmwares, etc. There's really no way to actually hack a player, because they're all essentially proprietary closed systems. Because of how pissy "Hollywood" got over the years, menus have been more buried or completely missing, and firmware has been more obscured to editing.

The likelihood of "hacking" a Blu-ray player is almost nil.

However, it's really a bit of a moot point.
Read this: http://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/home...s-regions.html

Just make the DVDs "region free" and then there's nothing to worry about, in terms of region restrictions.

The secondary issues is, of course, PAL and NTSC playback. Then again, however, most DVD players are manufactured cheaply in China from kits designed for worldwide use. It's harder to find an NTSC-only or PAL-only player than it is to find one that easily plays both. Sony is one of the few stand-out brands that adheres strictly to formats, and appears to manufacture models by country or region (instead of using the pre-fab kits).

lordsmurf thanks for your reply :)

I don't plan on ripping my DVDs because I have over 200 disk. So I guess the best solution for me right now is to continue to play the DVDs on one of my DVD players (all are region free) and use the Blu-ray player to just play Blu-ray disks.

I was trying to avoid this because my entertainment center in the living room only has space for 3 units and I already have my HD SKY box, the DVD Recorder and a DVD player connected to the LCD TV. I was planning on removing the DVD player and installing the Blu-ray home theater receiver in it's place, that way I would be able to watch Blu-ray and DVD in my living room.

There are a few region free hacks for LG blu-ray players sold in Brazil (unblocking region for DVD viewing not for the blu-ray disk), but none for this home theater. The NTSC and Pal systems both play 100% on Brazilian TVs and DVD players so that isn't a problem.


Again, thanks for your kind reply.

I would suggest this as the best solution, too. :thumb:

Honestly, it's rare that one machine can do everything well. Most video enthusiasts have 3-4 units because of need, not because they like to spend cash or pile up gear in an entertainment center.

If it's really important to squeeze everything into a single, already-existing unit, then most video enthusiasts/hobbyists will figure out a way to "jimmy rig" it, and "make it" all fit. Sometimes it's not pretty, and sometimes it's quite creative. Some of my slots, for example, are big enough to stack components in a single spot.