PowerDVD 14: how to reset the region code change counter?

[David_B]

Old DVD Drives (RPC1) = Region set in player software
Current DVD Drives (RPC2) = Region set in drive Hardware
Blu-ray = Region set in player software
HD DVD = No region coding

HD DVDs have no region coding? If that is the case, then what is the region setting for on DVD drives?

As for Blu-Ray regions being set through software, how exactly does that work? It seems, according to the folks at CyberLink, that the region code change is hardware-based (http://www.cyberlink.com/support/product-faq-content.do?id=11433&prodId=1). I assume that their FAQ is not telling the full story, or has something changed recently?

 

[snakke]

HD DVDs have no region coding? If that is the case, then what is the region setting for on DVD drives?

HD DVDs are not DVDs two conpletely different formats

the region setting on DVD drives is for DVDs

according to the folks at CyberLink, that the region code change is hardware-based

Again the hardware-based region code is only for DVDs, it does not effect HD DVDs or Blu-ray discs

 

[James]

As for Blu-Ray regions being set through software, how exactly does that work? It seems, according to the folks at CyberLink, that the region code change is hardware-based (http://www.cyberlink.com/support/product-faq-content.do?id=11433&prodId=1). I assume that their FAQ is not telling the full story, or has something changed recently?

It is wrong, at least for Blu-ray discs. If this were correct, how could my litte script reset the Blu-ray region counter?

 

[David_B]

It is wrong, at least for Blu-ray discs. If this were correct, how could my litte script reset the Blu-ray region counter?

That's what I was trying to figure out. The thing about the FAQ that I linked to is that it was talking specifically about running out of region code changes for Blu-Ray only. CyberLink is obviously lying to us and does not want us to use your little script. I imagine that PowerDVD 17 will prevent your convenient little hack from working properly. That is, if CyberLink does their research on the methods people are using to circumvent the limit.

 

[James]

I imagine that PowerDVD 17 will prevent your convenient little hack from working properly. That is, if CyberLink does their research on the methods people are using to circumvent the limit.

Unless the "Powers, that be" force them, they won't do anything. The script works from version 10 to 16. Why change that now?

 

[PTherapist]

To expand on this method, it is possible to create batch scripts to pick and choose which Blu-Ray region you'd like to launch PowerDVD with, thus never having to worry about the change countdown ever again. Maybe this information will be useful to some:

Deleting the ris.ifo file is a great method to reset the counter, however I found it to be a pain then having to reset the Region Code, as PowerDVD defaults to Region A.

So I did some digging and found out that the ris.ifo file is linked with a file in %ProgramData%\PDVD with the extension .ve2

• All you have to do is run PowerDVD and configure the Blu-Ray region, it will default to Region A with 5 changes remaining. Don't change anything just yet, confirm this setting, close PowerDVD and backup the ris.ifo and xxx.ve2 files to somewhere of your choosing, where xxx will be a random generated string of letters and numbers.

• Next, open PowerDVD again and change to a different region, confirm settings and close PowerDVD. The changes remaining count will decrease by 1, this is ok! New .ifo and .ve2 files will be generated, back these up to a different folder from last time. You can repeat this step again if you would like a 3rd region, remembering of course to backup the files to a different folder.

• Then to pick a particular region, you would just restore the 2 files relating to that region setting, deleting the existing .ve2 file in %ProgramData%\PDVD first.

You can add commands such as these into separate .bat or .cmd files, replacing <path to region x files> to wherever you backed up the 2 files:

RegionA.bat

robocopy "<path to region A files>" %ProgramData%\PDVD *.ve2 /MIR /NFL /NDL /NJH /NJS /NC
robocopy "<path to region A files>" %ProgramData%\CyberLink\BDNAV *.ifo /NFL /NDL /NJH /NJS /NC

RegionB.bat

robocopy "<path to region B files>" %ProgramData%\PDVD *.ve2 /MIR /NFL /NDL /NJH /NJS /NC
robocopy "<path to region B files>" %ProgramData%\CyberLink\BDNAV *.ifo /NFL /NDL /NJH /NJS /NC

RegionC.bat

robocopy "<path to region C files>" %ProgramData%\PDVD *.ve2 /MIR /NFL /NDL /NJH /NJS /NC
robocopy "<path to region C files>" %ProgramData%\CyberLink\BDNAV *.ifo /NFL /NDL /NJH /NJS /NC

And then add at the bottom 1 of these lines to launch PowerDVD, depending upon which version you use:

"%ProgramFiles%\CyberLink\PowerDVD15\Movie\PowerDVD Cinema\PowerDVDCinema.exe"

"%ProgramFiles%\CyberLink\PowerDVD15\PowerDVD.exe"

"%ProgramFiles%\CyberLink\PowerDVD16\PowerDVD.exe"

If you change region you can also add to the script to reset your region back to your preferred region after closing PowerDVD. For eg. your preferred region is B and you have launched as A. Simply add the 2 lines for Region B to the end of your script and PowerDVD would reset to B upon exit.

Using this method you can launch PowerDVD in the region of your choosing, as many times as you like.

 

[David_B]

Aww man you beat me to it @PTherapist!

I started writing a little program last night that would allow you to change regions. It does the same thing as your batch scripts, but it would have been an actual executable program. I had plans to finish it this weekend and release it on here. If I may ask, how did you discover the "ve2" file?

 

[PTherapist]

A .exe would probably be a lot easier for some, so I hope you'll still go ahead and release it.

A batch file suited my needs, as I already use batch files to launch PowerDVD from within Kodi. I can now select which Region I want from the main Kodi menu.

With regards to the ve2 file, I was searching around the net for a couple of hours for a way to set the region code and stumbled upon a mention of the file somewhere, but in relation to something different (may even have been on this forum) so I decided to try it out after noting that the .ve2 file was randomly generated by PowerDVD each time the ris.ifo file was deleted. Trial and error really.

 

[David_B]

A .exe would probably be a lot easier for some, so I hope you'll still go ahead and release it.

A batch file suited my needs, as I already use batch files to launch PowerDVD from within Kodi. I can now select which Region I want from the main Kodi menu.

With regards to the ve2 file, I was searching around the net for a couple of hours for a way to set the region code and stumbled upon a mention of the file somewhere, but in relation to something different (may even have been on this forum) so I decided to try it out after noting that the .ve2 file was randomly generated by PowerDVD each time the ris.ifo file was deleted. Trial and error really.

That's interesting. In my case, I used several different tools to track what files and registry entries were altered, created, or removed when I changed the region code. It took me some time to narrow it down to the ve2 file because there were some registry entries that appeared to have an affect on the region code setting. One of the many red herrings was a registry key that holds the "changes remaining" value. I am not sure what its purpose is because whenever I tried to change it, it would always revert back to the number that I actually had.

I had actually planned to write the entire program yesterday because I originally expected that it would be as easy as getting three copies of the "ris.ifo" file that @James's script deletes and just moving them into PowerDVD's program data as needed. When I tried it, it did not work. At one point, I even tried determining if modifying the timestamp attributes of the copied file to match the one that had been overwritten would work. I did all of this in a virtual machine because I wanted to be able to revert to a clean slate and reinstall PowerDVD again and again as needed. I ended up doing this 5 times before I got down to these two files.

 

[David_B]

A .exe would probably be a lot easier for some, so I hope you'll still go ahead and release it.

I was going to release the program today because I got it working on my system, but I am afraid that I when I tried it on another system, the result was failure to change the region code. As a result, I am holding off on a release until I get a stable build.

 

[PTherapist]

I was going to release the program today because I got it working on my system, but I am afraid that I when I tried it on another system, the result was failure to change the region code. As a result, I am holding off on a release until I get a stable build.

I'm pretty sure those ve2 and ifo files are tied to a specific PC and as such your program would need the ability to be able to assist with the process of generating these files with user interaction, ie. they'd still have to manually perform the PowerDVD config procedures I listed above, per region that they wanted.

 

[David_B]

I'm pretty sure those ve2 and ifo files are tied to a specific PC and as such your program would need the ability to be able to assist with the process of generating these files with user interaction, ie. they'd still have to manually perform the PowerDVD config procedures I listed above, per region that they wanted.

Yes, I've managed to determine that with some work. That's fine, but it means that I will need to re-write major portions of the program and include some sort of out-of-the-box experience for users to go through. This is turning out to be more work than I anticipated it was going to be. As a result, I probably won't be putting it out this weekend, and for the same reason that RedFox does not announce release dates for new features, I am not going to announce a release date for the program.

 

[David_B]

So is anyone interested in a program that would allow you to change your PowerDVD Blu-Ray region code infinitely? I stopped working on it because I ran into a wall and kind of lost interest, but if someone would be interested in using it, I suppose I would be willing to finish the project whenever I have the time to do so.

 

[DJHallo]

So is anyone interested in a program that would allow you to change your PowerDVD Blu-Ray region code infinitely? I stopped working on it because I ran into a wall and kind of lost interest, but if someone would be interested in using it, I suppose I would be willing to finish the project whenever I have the time to do so.

I'm still interested but into the Region B Netherlands Version!

 

[David_B]

I'm still interested but into the Region B Netherlands Version!

Well if I can get the program working, I will post it then. I'm not sure what you mean by "Region B Netherlands Version" though. The program would allow an infinite number of changes between region codes.

 

[DJHallo]

Well if I can get the program working, I will post it then. I'm not sure what you mean by "Region B Netherlands Version" though. The program would allow an infinite number of changes between region codes.

I need a program wich reset the Region, but then goes automatically return to Regio B to the Netherlands.
Example I watch a Movie say Region A, but it's on Region B.
Then I want to change it with my Hand to Region A.
Then when I restart my PC it goes automatically back to Region B.

 

[David_B]

I need a program wich reset the Region, but then goes automatically return to Regio B to the Netherlands.
Example I watch a Movie say Region A, but it's on Region B.
Then I want to change it with my Hand to Region A.
Then when I restart my PC it goes automatically back to Region B.

Oh. That should be fairly easy.

 

[DJHallo]

Oh. That should be fairly easy.

Great News!

 

[David_B]

I am not sure if anybody is still waiting for me to publish the PowerDVD Blu-Ray Region Code Changer, so if someone is, I want to let everyone know that I am going to wait until PowerDVD 17 comes out officially. Once it does I will look into finishing this project, but for now, it is shelved because I ran in to some problems that I am too lazy to work out right now.

@DJHallo - If you use a batch file and put it in the Windows startup folder, you can copy a backup of your region B file to the PowerDVD region folder whenever the machine starts. I do not have time to write it for you at the moment, but if I do, I am willing to.

 

[DJHallo]

I am not sure if anybody is still waiting for me to publish the PowerDVD Blu-Ray Region Code Changer, so if someone is, I want to let everyone know that I am going to wait until PowerDVD 17 comes out officially. Once it does I will look into finishing this project, but for now, it is shelved because I ran in to some problems that I am too lazy to work out right now.

@DJHallo - If you use a batch file and put it in the Windows startup folder, you can copy a backup of your region B file to the PowerDVD region folder whenever the machine starts. I do not have time to write it for you at the moment, but if I do, I am willing to.

No worries I will wait for PoweDVD 17!