Any way to make a Panasonic DMP-BD85 region free?

[Pelvis Popcan]

I have more than one of these I'm trying to make region free / region select.

I tried two ways so far:

1) Firmwareinfo.com. It turns out the person running this is extremely unfriendly, he is like a real life "soup nazi" from Seinfeld. He will not let most people have his firmware, to the point of actually refusing money. He refused me.

2) TPS.uk.com. I tried placing an order, and got an e-mail that the order was cancelled and I was not charged. (Another place refusing money.)

So I guess I have to just buy new code free players instead of trying to get custom firmware. Unless anyone else has any ideas.

 

[RBBrittain]

Googling the player with both "region free" and (as suggested in a post it called up) "enhanced firmware" mostly brings up posts about the Firmwareinfo hack, though there was also a remote hack for non-U.S. players (old enough that it may be closed by now). Other than the remote hack, I didn't see any free hacks in circulation.

Firmwareinfo needs your BD player's MAC address, among other things, to generate hacked firmware. Though that does raise some privacy concerns, it may also be a hardware requirement or a measure to prevent posting that site's work for free (i.e., firmware update is locked to that specific player). Could that perhaps be your problem with Firmwareinfo and the other site?

 

[ddjmagic]

Yep, the firmware info guy is notorious for this type of behavior :agree:

It could be that TPS also use firmwareinfo to get the firmware they sell, if your MAC address has been blacklisted, then they would also be refused, hence the order cancellation. (have you asked why they cancelled the order?)

I think one of the problems you might be having is you want more than one machine to be made region free. I'd be very surprised if the firmwareinfo guy would allow this on the same account.

Did you reveal the MAC address of each machine? If you did, then you are pretty much stuck
Unless you can exchange machines and then try ordering again at TPS with the new MAC address (they also sell it on Ebay, user - 'TPS1996')

RBBrittain - The MAC address requirement is indeed only a security measure - it stops the firmware being installed on any other machine.

 

[Pelvis Popcan]

Yes, I already gave the MAC addresses out, to both parties.

When I initially asked, I had no idea or could not guess for any reason why he would actually not want money. I could not understand why he would have any reason to refuse me, or blacklist me. He must have figured out how to write custom firmware, and put the information online, just to exert power and control over others by refusing them. He is an extreme bastard. I would say my number one hatred in the world is for people who flaunt that they have something, and could easily give it or sell it, but refuse for no reason other than their own enjoyment of hoarding it for themselves or their so called "friends."

I cannot exchange the machines. They are out of production and I would only be able to buy used or refurbished ones, if I can find them.

I did e-mail TPS asking why they cancelled me; they did not reply.

It is times like this that my overall outlook on humanity moves towards the negative.

 

[Pelvis Popcan]

I did not realize he had an ebay account. If I order again through there, and he cancels, I could give negative feedback, couldn't I?

 

[Ch3vr0n]

not exactly. You can't give negative feedback on an item that hasn't shipped. You CAN give it if he cancels without explanation or eg he ships it for the wrong model.

 

[Pelvis Popcan]

In looking at the eBay description, it shows the exact same features as firmwareinfo. So firmwareinfo must be who makes the custom firmware for TPS. In which case, it is firmwareinfo who is refusing, and blacklisted my MAC addresses, for no reason.

I guess I have to try to find and buy used BD80's instead, and have JVB Digital do hardware mods on them. That way they should work with possible future firmware updates from Panasonic, and not do any kind of MAC address blacklist b******t for no reason.

If I found and bought used BD85's and tried ordering through TPS again, it is very possible firmwareinfo will recognize it's me and refuse again.

I guess the lesson to be learned here is, don't put yourself into a position where you completely rely on the power and control of another person's whims.

 

[ddjmagic]

If I found and bought used BD85's and tried ordering through TPS again, it is very possible firmwareinfo will recognize it's me and refuse again.

That's true. The only way you might be able to do it, is if you can get a friend to try and order the firmware for you (on a none blacklisted MAC address), but even then you are at the mercy of firmwareinfo, so there is no guarantee.

The BD80 hardware mod is probably the safest bet - if you have decent soldering skills you can pick up the chip relatively cheap online (including Ebay) and manually install it yourself, hardest thing would be actually finding the player

 

[RedFox 1]

That's true. The only way you might be able to do it, is if you can get a friend to try and order the firmware for you (on a none blacklisted MAC address), but even then you are at the mercy of firmwareinfo, so there is no guarantee.

The BD80 hardware mod is probably the safest bet - if you have decent soldering skills you can pick up the chip relatively cheap online (including Ebay) and manually install it yourself, hardest thing would be actually finding the player

That's is very true ddjmagic, and you and I both know he will know who is ordering it, unless his friend lives far away from him.8)

 

[SamuriHL]

Posts were cleaned up. I'm opening this thread back up. HOWEVER, any more problems in this thread and I'll close it permanently.

 

[Persen]

I know of dvdchips.co.uk who has remotes who are able to make Blu-ray players DVD region free, not Blu-ray region free.
But here on the other hand its Paypal who causing problems now. It used to be able to pay for his solderless remotes thrue Paypal with out actually having a
Paypal account, but my latest visit to dvdchips.co.uk revealed that Paypal is now forcing people to get an account.

I think i have found another way that might work for yours, because its a way that works for lots of Panasonic players, it worked for my BDT500.
You need to purchase a One For All Essence 4 (URC 7140) multi remote, they are actually pretty cheap.
Then you programme the remote like this:

Prepairing the remote:
1. Select DVD on the remote.
2. Hold the Magic botton until the DVD button light up and stays lit up.
3. Enter device code 0490 , the DVD button should now blink twice.
If it does not work, keep trying until it works.

Now its time to programme the remote with the required codes, which will make the player DVD region free.

1. Hold Magic button until the DVD button lights up and stays lit.
2. Press 994 (DVD button now blinks twice)
3. Press the Magic button
4. Enter the 5 digit code (see list bellow)
5. Press number button where codes has to be programmed to (1, 2 ,3 etc), DVD button now blinks twice and that was it.
6. Repeat steps 1-5 for the rest of the codes.

Codes:
1. 00191
2. 00120
3. 00065
4. 00180
5. 00143
6. 00155
7. 00122
8. 00117
9. 00129
0. 00123

Now its time to make the Panasonic Blu-ray player DVD region free:
1. Switch on the player by using the power button on the player it self and make sure no disc is in the tray.
2. Press the number buttons in the sequence 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0
3. The player will now shut down and reboot, takes 1-2 minuttes and the player is now DVD region free.

Note for US residents: It will not make you able to play PAL discs. This requires a modified firmware to make that possible.
Europeans will have full benefit of it though, since their players has both PAL and NTSC support even before the player was made DVD region free.
It will NOT make you able to play Blu-ray discs from all regions, only DVD discs.
If you want to play region locked Blu-ray discs (A, B and C), then you have to get your player chipped region free, where they put a chip inside the player it self, who makes that possible.

 

[TheEmpathicEar]

[I just stumbled across this thread...] Just to clarify... It is not possible to "Region Free" this for Blu-Ray?