Making HD-DVD player region free for all discs?

Although it is often stated in this forum and elsewhere that Toshiba HD-DVD players are “Region Free”, this only applies of course to HD-DVD discs. For standard DVD’s the new Regional coding A, B appears to apply and therefore while the old Region 2 (UK) and Region 4 (Aust) - now both in Region B - will play OK, standard DVD’s of Region 1 (US) origin will not. At least they don’t on my HD-E1KY.

Does anybody know if there is a way of making my HD-E1KY player “region free” for all discs?

Making HD-DVD player region free for all discs?

Although it is often stated in this forum and elsewhere that Toshiba HD-DVD players are “Region Free”, this only applies of course to HD-DVD discs. For standard DVD’s the new Regional coding A, B appears to apply and therefore while the old Region 2 (UK) and Region 4 (Aust) - now both in Region B - will play OK, standard DVD’s of Region 1 (US) origin will not. At least they don’t on my HD-E1KY.

Does anybody know if there is a way of making my HD-E1KY player “region free” for all discs?

Yep, by a firmware update from Toshiba.

C.M

Yep, by a firmware update from Toshiba.

C.M

Which isnt available as yet....

Which isnt available as yet....

...and I doubt ever will be.

Although it is often stated in this forum and elsewhere that Toshiba HD-DVD players are “Region Free”, this only applies of course to HD-DVD discs

I think you will be hard pressed to find where someone on here has stated that HD DVD players are region free (for HD DVD) without mentioning the caveat that they are still region locked for SD DVD.

For standard DVD’s the new Regional coding A, B appears to apply and therefore while the old Region 2 (UK) and Region 4 (Aust) - now both in Region B - will play OK, standard DVD’s of Region 1 (US) origin will not.

That is not quite right.

The two sets of region codes are completely independent. Your player is region 4 not region B (region B is a Blu Ray term and has no meaning to SD DVD or HD DVD).

Hi Andrew,

If this so then why will my player play region 2 (UK) discs and not Region 1 (US) discs.?

The two sets of region codes are completely independent. Your player is region 4 not region B (region B is a Blu Ray term and has no meaning to SD DVD or HD DVD).

If this so then why will my player play region 2 (UK) discs and not Region 1 (US) discs.?

It won't play the region 1 discs because the player is region coded for region 4.

It is playing the region 2 discs because a lot of region 2 discs are actually coded for region 2 and 4 (even if they don't say so on the cover)

I'll answer this one the E1 and XE1 are zoned region 2 and 4 for dvd playback on dvd's that are zoned both

Even if the E1 and XE1 could play region 1 discs, can they handle the NTSC format ?

I know that my HD-A1 cannot playback PAL DVDs (even if they are region free).

Even if the E1 and XE1 could play region 1 discs, can they handle the NTSC format ?

I know that my HD-A1 cannot playback PAL DVDs (even if they are region free).

websy was playing back his us ntsc leon professional dvd in that other thread. it was region free though.

I'll answer this one the E1 and XE1 are zoned region 2 and 4 for dvd playback on dvd's that are zoned both, if you speak with Toshiba they will read you a copyright spiel as to why we can't have region free, at which point I offer to send them the ACCC ruling regarding region free players in this country.

At the end of the day at this time they are not region free and I suggest you pm hddvduser a member here as he stated some time ago they would be soon, hope this helps out

Looks like I’m gonna have to pull out my older Sony RDR-GX7 DVD recorder that was set to “all regions” before I bought it and get my VP50 to up convert to 1080p!

Cheers

Looks like I’m gonna have to pull out my older Sony RDR-GX7 DVD recorder that was set to “all regions†before I bought it and get my VP50 to up convert to 1080p!

Cheers

Frank - great minds - This machine has a better image and sound processor than the average dvd player - it's what I'm using to playback my region 1 disks (didn't realise how many I had until now)

Maybe it's a ploy to get us to go out and re-purchase our favourites on region 4 (from behind the grassy knoll)

Edited August 16, 200718 yr by moebiouz

Yep, by a firmware update from Toshiba.

C.M

That old chestnut has been doing the rounds for over a year now. When, exactly, is Toshiba going to provide this firmware update?

That old chestnut has been doing the rounds for over a year now. When, exactly, is Toshiba going to provide this firmware update?

probably around the same time as the DTS-HD MA update for your pana blu-ray JACE

seriously would love to see an update granting region free on dvd

The XE1 does play NTSC discs, switch it from PAL to 'Auto' , but they need be Region 4.

C.M