Connecting a DVD Player to a laptop

shane_by

I have a region-free DVD player and some region 1 DVDs which I would like to be able to play on my laptop. Is there a cable I can buy that will enable me to connect a DVD recorder to a laptop?
By the way, my laptop's DVD player is a Matshita DVD-RAM UJ 845S. I have been unable to find a hack for it so far. Any assistance would be appreciated.

8T8

Don't waste your time with hardware hacks go buy AnyDVD and it will take care of everything you will be able to play the DVD's in any software player.

shane_by

Thanks for that link. Unfortunately, my DVD drive is something called 'RPC2 protected' so the software doesn't work. It suggests that I search for a hack to break this but it sounds too risky: apprarently it could bugger up the entire thing if it goes wrong. So I would like advice on an alternative solution that I am considering: buying a region-free external USB DVD player. Any opinions on this idea? Thanks.

8T8

RPC2 is just the region coded into the drive AnyDVD defeats that as well, in special cases were you are still prompted like you were the help says;

Region Code: Usually you do not need this function. The needed Region Code is always automatically adapted. But there are special cases (especially with US American DVDs) where the automatic selection doesn't work. If this is the case, please look for the Region Code on you package and insert it here.

With the disc in the drive right click the tray icon and see if the region code entry is present or go into the program settings and you should find it in there. I don't have any foreign DVD's so can't point out exactly where it is. Region codes for country's can be found here though the DVD's package should list it.

shane_by

This is weird. I don't have the option to choose 'Region Code' when I right click the icon in the tray.
Anyway, when I try to use AnyDVD, see attached for the message I get.

8T8

Right click tray icon select settings then go to Video DVD->Settings and you may see a region selection (a DVD must be in the drive for this to appear).

shane_by

Nothing there. I get this message....

8T8

Yeah it's related to problem 3 in the screenshot. A little bit of searching shows the problem is indeed specific to Panasonic/Matsushta drives, if you changed the region code of the drive in Windows device manager then you should be able to read the DVD but you can only make so many changes.

Once the region codes match you can then rip the DVD with AnyDVD to the HD and change back to region 2.

Alternatively get an external USB DVD drive or just buy a region free DVD player for your TV which was your original plan but hey we both learned a few things on the way .

shane_by

Yeah, thanks for all the suggestions. There are cheap (c. €50) region free external DVD drives available on ebay. Think I'll bid for one.

dingding

8T8 wrote:

Yeah it's related to problem 3 in the screenshot. A little bit of searching shows the problem is indeed specific to Panasonic/Matsushta drives, if you changed the region code of the drive in Windows device manager then you should be able to read the DVD but you can only make so many changes.

Once the region codes match you can then rip the DVD with AnyDVD to the HD and change back to region 2.

Alternatively get an external USB DVD drive or just buy a region free DVD player for your TV which was your original plan but hey we both learned a few things on the way .

Be careful, most drives you can only make 5 changes and the drive is stuck at the last region code selected.