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Two Questions about Region Coding

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Mediafox

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1. Out of curiosity: DVD Regions are usually only used for Video-DVDs (The Region code is stored in the file "VIDEO_TS.IFO" [table "VMGM_MAT"], byte offsets 34 and 35), but I think they could also used as part protection of other DVDs (e.g. games). I imagine it like this: A protection program would check the Region of the drive the DVD is inserted in (like the program DVD Region Info), and if the drive has the right Region (the result of the check is compared to a value stored in the program), the software runs. Is such a protection imaginable? Would AnyDVD bypass it, or does it only work for Video-DVDs? (YES, e.g. with autoreset firmware it should be possible to bypass the protection, but as I said, I am asking out of curiosity. Or is there a way to recognize autoreset firmware? ;))

2. In Blu-ray discs, only the Region (and sometimes the Country Code) of the player/player software is verified. With some free software (e.g. VLC, PotPlayer), Blu-ray files can be played, but they have no option to set a Region or a Country Code. Does this mean that you can watch files from Blu-ray discs from all Regions, or that Region-protected Blu-ray discs will not play at all with them?

Thank you in advance! :)
 
1. DVD regions only apply to video. Data discs such as games us don't have "regions". It's that simple, they use different mechanics (like the DVD-ROM mark, which a pc drive cant replicate) to determine if it's an original disc or not and if not, reject it to run. No, anydvd can't handle ANY type of data disc like that

2. Blu-ray region is stored at the disc level, Unlicensed players such as VLC, potplayer don't give a rats ass about the region coding on the disc (hence no such related setting). You can play any region with such players, they usually just have little to no menu support
 
Mediafox said:
Does this mean that you can watch files from Blu-ray discs from all Regions, or that Region-protected Blu-ray discs will not play at all with them?
Click to expand...
More precisely: on blu-ray discs, it's not the player, that checks the region of the disc.
It's the disc, that checks the region of the player. Either through HDMV code or BD-J code on the disc, both of which are executed by the player and are responsible for the flow of things, including menus.

VLC and similar don't execute that code at all, so you have no region code check (but also no menu).
 
Well i always knew the region was stored on the disc, but didn't fully know how the "wrong region" was determined. Thx for the lesson @Pete :)
 
But if a game/software DVD had a code to test the DVD Region of the drive, could AnyDVD bypass this test (it has an option "Simulate an RPC-2 drive with matching Region") ?
The question was NOT if AnyDVD could handle the DVD itself, BUT if it could "hide" the real Region of the drive and make the program believe the drive Region matches.
 
Again, there's no such thing as a region code on software/game dvd's. For dvd's, it's the drive that checks the region on the disc. Not the other way around. And no AnyDVD wouldn't be able to handle it, AnyDVD is for video discs not data discs.

Sent from my Nexus 6P with Tapatalk
 
Above, a "DVD-ROM mark" is mentioned. I have some questions about that:
1. How does it work that the DVD drive of a PC can read and verify it (= recognize an original DVD), but not copy it?
2. How is this mark added to DVDs?
3. Could it be used for video-DVDs?
4. Would it be possible to bypass the verification of the mark?

And YES, I am absolutely aware that data-DVDs such as game-DVDs (currently) do not use Region-coding, but since there is software (such as DVD Region Info) that can check the Region of a drive I think it is possible to integrate a drive-Region-check in the program code. With a wrong drive Region, the program would not run (In other words: The program would check the Region of the drive; the drive would not check whether the DVD is Region-coded). I only wanted to know whether AnyDVD could bypass such a check.

Thank you and many greetings :) .
 
1. The DVD ROM Mark is the text on the inner plastic circle of a disc, a consumer drive can't recreate that, and it has nothing to do with region coding.
2. It's not, it's already on the blank discs at pressing of the discs in industry plants
3. It already is, it's used on ALL retail discs
4. not that i know off.

Sent from my Nexus 6P with Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
Mediafox said:
But if a game/software DVD had a code to test the DVD Region of the drive, could AnyDVD bypass this test (it has an option "Simulate an RPC-2 drive with matching Region") ?
Click to expand...
As you quoted the option yourself, yes, it would bypass such a test, if such a disc would exist.
 
1. Is the Region of an RPC-2 drive saved not only in its own hardware but also somewhere in the Registry of the computer, and could this value be read (or how does a program like DVD Region Info work) ?

2. Is there a way for a software/video-DVD to recognize whether it runs from a "real" drive or just a virtual drive, or, in the case of a real drive, whether the drive has been manipulated (RPC-1 firmware or autoreset firmware)?
 
1. it's not stored in the hardware and definitely not in the windows registry. It's stored in a drives firmware (drive internal software)
2. No, not that i know off
 
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