Why should a hardware region 0 be a problem?

[PIGSgrame]

I have noticed that several people (especially Webslinger) sometimes recommend to physically set the hardware region of a drive if AnyDVD has problems with a certain disk and the hardware region is 0 (i.e. not set). I don't see why anybody should do this. As far as I understand, AnyDVD removes plain region flags and in case of RCE, emulates an RPC2 drive with region 1, so there is no need for not keeping my drive region-free. As everybody knows, a region code, once set, can be changed a few times, but never again be removed.

If there was even one disk which AnyDVD cannot handle when the drive region is 0, but can handle after a region code has been physically set (I doubt it!), this would mean that the region remove (or region emulation in case of RCE) feature of AnyDVD is broken and an update is needed to address this issue. I do, however, trust that the emulation of AnyDVD is working, so I state that changing the drive's hardware region code will get you nowhere.

When AnyDVD predicts that the region might be set incorrectly, I am sure this means that the wrong region is set in the VideoDVD -> Settings screen, but not in the drive's hardware. As far as I know, there are only region 1 disks with RCE (correct me if I am wrong), so it's a good idea to always set region 1 in this dialog, regardless of the actual home region. For disks without RCE, this option has no relevance, as AnyDVD removes region flags. Mybe this important fact should be clearly stated in this dialog. As long as there are no non-R1 RCE disks, there is no need for anybody to set a region other than 1 here.

 

[Webslinger]

I don't see why anybody should do this and I strictly advise against it!

Then, unfortunately, you're advising poorly.

As far as I know, there are only region 1 disks with RCE

The issue has nothing to do with RCE.

There is no need for anybody to physically change or set the drive's hardware region as long as you use AnyDVD.

Wrong. With some dvds (and drives), Anydvd will not decrypt CSS properly unless the drive's region code is set (in fact, I was once puzzled by this as well, having used real Plextor drives in the past without experiencing issues--while others were). So set your drive's region code (with Anydvd disabled).

Edit: The problem isn't region 0. The problem is not having the drive's region code set.

 

[DrinkLyeAndDie]

Drive regions should be set because in some cases with some discs not having the region set can lead to a problem with obtaining titlekeys. This has been proven multiple times when a person had a problem and the only thing we had them change was to set the drive region.

If there was even one disk which AnyDVD cannot handle when the drive region is 0, but can handle after a region code has been physically set (I doubt it!)

Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay (R1) and Reservation Road (R1) are two examples that required the DVD drive region to be set in order to correctly back then up.

I don't see why anybody should do this and I strictly advise against it!

I've harped on this issue because I have proven more than once that the drive region not being set can be the lone cause of a problem backing up a DVD.

Once the drive region is set you don't need to change it again. You get 5 changes. You only need to use 1 of the 5. You're left with 4 changes that you won't need anyway. In the end RCE means nothing because because if you rip the disc and back it up the RCE protection is removed and it is region free. You can set your DVD drive to whichever region applies to where you reside.

 

[Webslinger]

You get 5 changes. You only need to use 1 of the 5. You're left with 4 changes that you won't need anyway.

Oddly, my newer burners are region free, and I still have all 5 changes (and will never need them). I wonder if some of yours are region-free as well.

 

[DrinkLyeAndDie]

Oddly, my newer burners are region free, and I still have all 5 changes (and will never need them). I wonder if some of yours are region-free as well.

Mine are all essentially region free, yes.

 

[Webslinger]

Mine are all essentially region free, yes.

http://forum.slysoft.com/showthread.php?t=18625

http://forum.slysoft.com/showthread.php?t=18626

:clap:

 

[PIGSgrame]

I see - sorry about that, I obviously was wrong about the need of setting the drive's region code.

But I still just can't imagine how the process of CSS decryption can be different depending on the hardware region (or, more precisely, on the fact whether it's set or not). Is it a bug? I always thought that AnyDVD (and not the drive) is the one to decrypt CSS. If a disk manages to present different data depending on hardware properties, there must be some RCE (or alike) scripting, which, at least I always thought so, AnyDVD is able to break.

Since my home region is 2, I don't watch many R1 disks and even fewer disks with RCE protection, so gladly enough, I never had such decryption issues and was able to keep my drives region-free up to now. I'll welcome if the developers can provide a fix for this somewhat strange bahaviour. Being able to use region-free drives and not having to care about region issues is one reson for me to like AnyDVD.

 

[Webslinger]

Is it a bug?

No. Of course not. Anydvd has always operated that way.

I always thought that AnyDVD (and not the drive) is the one to decrypt CSS.

Why do you even think the drive decrypts CSS? Without Anydvd does your drive decrypt CSS? No.

If a disk manages to present different data depending on hardware properties, there must be some RCE (or alike) scripting

Based on what? No.

Being able to use region-free drives and not having to care about region issues is one reson for me to like AnyDVD.

You don't have to care. You set your drive's region code once. And then you use Anydvd.

 

[Peer]

But I still just can't imagine how the process of CSS decryption can be different depending on the hardware region (or, more precisely, on the fact whether it's set or not). Is it a bug? I always thought that AnyDVD (and not the drive) is the one to decrypt CSS. If a disk manages to present different data depending on hardware properties, there must be some RCE (or alike) scripting, which, at least I always thought so, AnyDVD is able to break.

With a region code set on the drive, AnyDVD politely asks the drive to present the keys of the disc. AnyDVD simply says "I'm a player, I need keys".
With no region code set, the drive clings on to the keys and cries out "No! They're mine, mine, mine! Get off me, foreign scum!"
So AnyDVD hast to brute force the keys. Which works most of the time, but not always (statistical reasons).

I never had such decryption issues and was able to keep my drives region-free up to now.

A common misconception here: if your drive is "set" to region 0, it is far from being "region free". The exact opposite is true: without AnyDVD running, such a drive will - instead of playing discs from one region only - play no region coded discs at all.
There is no point in leaving a drive set to region 0.

I'll welcome if the developers can provide a fix for this somewhat strange bahaviour. Being able to use region-free drives and not having to care about region issues is one reson for me to like AnyDVD.

No fix possible, no fix required. Set a region, problem solved and forgotten.
AnyDVD will still allow you to play any disc from any region.

 

[linx05]

Thank you Peer. I love reading these sort of posts from you and James.