Region code problem

Question

I recently bought a Dell Inspiron 8600 with a Samsung CDRW/DVD SN-324F. My son was given a DVD from England ("Thunderbirds Are Go" to be exact). It didn't work on our DVD player connected to the TV and he was crestfallen. I bought this computer and gave it a try and lo and behold - it worked! He was thrilled. Unfortunately, I neglected to recognize that I had only limited times to change the region code...so now I'm stuck in region 2 and cannot change it back to region 1 -- where I'd like it to be permanently. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Doug

bacillus · Answer

the mods don't like us discussing region free stuff on these forums. suggest you google using the phrases 'region free' & 'dvdidle' and you'll get some useful hits.

dtkx · Answer

Thanks.  I now realize (given the difficulty I've had) that this is a big issue for intellectual property holders and hardware manufacturers alike.

mattcowger · Answer

The mods dont have a problem with our discussing this - they have a problem with discussing way to get around it.... You can't change the drive region again - you'll have to get a new drive.

dtkx · Answer

Does that mean a whole new dvd player or just the drive?  Where can I purchase this?   Thanks

Skuld · Answer

Hi,

Try pricewatch.com to find a replacement SN-324F. They cost around $80. You can then ebay off your region-locked drive to recover some of your losses. You'll need a small screwdriver to transfer the silver faceplate and mounting assembly from your old drive to the new one.

You can also purchase a replacement module from Dell, but I'm guessing this option would be slighlty more expensive.

As mentioned previously by another forum member, Google is always useful. Most likely you do not have to purchase a new drive since there are ways around the region-lock for the SN-324F. If you can not find the answer here, you can go to forums dedicated to region-free (or RPC-1) drives. Good luck!

Skuld

Storage, Drives & Media

Region code problem

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