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Blu-ray region codes "storage" for Vista & WinDVD BD?

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Hello again everybody!

I'm new here, and I don't (yet I hope) have much to contribute...

I have a question though and I hope that somebody might be able to answer it. First of all, let me say that I only have the "trial version" of AnyDVD HD (6.1.3.3). I was hoping to buy this great proggy soon, but then I stumbled upon a slight problem...

Does anybody know where WinDVD BD stores its Blu-ray region code information in Vista?

In an earlier thread "SuperGoof" posted the location of where PowerDVD 7.3 Ultra stores its Blu-ray region code information in both XP and Vista, so actually I'd like to THANK him a lot!!! :clap:

As PowerDVD still seems a bit buggy when it comes to Blu-ray, at least on my system (Sony Vaio VGN-AR31S notebook) the only program that plays Blu-ray discs properly w/o crashing (as PowerDVD 7.3 unfortunately does) is the bundled WinDVD BD for Vaio (current version 8.0.08.70_2 or 8.0.08.95 with yesterday's "mandatory" AACS-key update).

The proble is that WinDVD BD seems to locate AnyDVD HD running in the memory and simply refuses to even start playback as long as AnyDVD HD is running!!!!! As soon as I exit AnyDVD HD, WinDVD happily starts BD playback perfectly!!!

I must admit it is not so much the RDM/AACS thing that bothers me, it is more a problem of the BD region codes... So far I only have either "all region" Blu-ray discs or Region B ones (as I live in Europe). But with PowerDVD 7.3 crashing and WinDVD playing just fine but NOT with anyDVD running, the BD-region thingy might turn sour soon...

Anyway, thanks a lot for taking the time to read this. I'd appreciate any help, ideas or input.

Happy Easter to everybody from Greece

Petros
 
Welcome Petros (OK now I know that we are at least 3 Greeks in this forum :) )

Until the guys at Slysoft fix the problem with WinDVD (I suppose the problem is that this version is not commercially available but only bundled with Sony laptops) you have at least one option:

Ripping your BR movie with AnyDVD and ‘assigning’ the Region you like (in your case Region B) to the rip. This can be done easily by just selecting Region B in the Region options of AnyDVD before ripping the movie and the rip will now be Region B coded!

BTW Have u checked if your version of WinDVD dowres the image (I suppose that u know the story)?. I heard that the versions bundled with Sony laptops don’t have this problem but I haven’t yet the chance to verify it myself.
 
Welcome Petros (OK now I know that we are at least 3 Greeks in this forum :) )

Until the guys at Slysoft fix the problem with WinDVD (I suppose the problem is that this version is not commercially available but only bundled with Sony laptops) you have at least one option:

Ripping your BR movie with AnyDVD and ‘assigning’ the Region you like (in your case Region B) to the rip. This can be done easily by just selecting Region B in the Region options of AnyDVD before ripping the movie and the rip will now be Region B coded!

Hi there, and thanks a lot for your reply (fellow Greek :) )!!!

Yep, I guess ripping the movie would indeed be one solution to the problem.
Well actually I'm circumventing the problem by just playing either region B coded BDs or "all region" ones (like the recent European Edition of Casino Royale). Actually all my BDs so far are "all region" except for "Ultraviolet" that is a true Region B disc! But it seems that more and more region-coded discs are coming... :(

It is funny that PowerDVD 7.3 (Ultra) plays strandard DVDs happily with AnyDVD running, but 99% of the time it crashes during Blu-ray playback... although at least it has no problems with AnyDVD HD!!!
On the other hand WinDVD plays BDs fine, but "hates" anyDVD... LOL... I guess we just can't have everything...!!!

That was why I was hoping (and still am... :rolleyes: ) that someone with more knowledge than I have might be able to track down where WinDVD keeps its region changes information in Vista...

BTW Have u checked if your version of WinDVD dowres the image (I suppose that u know the story)?. I heard that the versions bundled with Sony laptops don’t have this problem but I haven’t yet the chance to verify it myself.

Yep I've read the story (stories) about the "downresing" due to copyright issues (LOL) and I think it was that infamous Japanese version that was then pulled back again...

The version of WinDVD BD that comes bundled with the Sony Vaios does indeed output a full 1080 picture, and not a downscaled one.

Anyway, I'll do some more testing and will be back...

Thanks a lot for your reply again...

B/R

Petros
 
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