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    Using Compal as a DVD player

    Discussion in 'Other Manufacturers' started by blacktooth, Dec 13, 2006.

  1. blacktooth

    blacktooth Notebook Enthusiast

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    1. Are there regions set for the Compal player?

    2. How do you connect it to the LCD / HDTV? VGA cable ? S VIdeo?
     
    blacktooth, Dec 13, 2006
    #1
  2. chrisyano

    chrisyano Hall Monitor NBR Reviewer

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    1. If I'm not mistaken, there is no region. I've always been able to watch foreign DVDs/VCDs on my PC optical drives. In case I'm wrong though, please post what country you're buying in.

    2. You can use either VGA or S-Video to connect to your TV or LCD.
     
    chrisyano, Dec 13, 2006
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  3. Pitabred

    Pitabred Linux geek con rat flail!

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    There is a region on all DVD drives, and there are a limited number of times you can change it. CyberLink DVD/PowerDVD both respect the drive's region. VLC will not, it decodes via software that ignores it.

    To change the region of your DVD drive, you can open your Device Manager, then right click on the DVD drive device, go to Properties, and it should have a "DVD Region" tab or something like that. You can only change it a limited number of times. For this machine, that's 5 times. Other machines/drives will be a similar amount.
     
    Pitabred, Dec 13, 2006
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  4. Donald@Paladin44

    Donald@Paladin44 Retired

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    The firmware will lock you out after 5 changes from the original setting.

    If you travel a lot, or you watch a lot of movies from a different region it might be worthwhile to get a second DVD drive so you can swap them instead of changing the region. This way you will still be able to change each one 5 times, but you will also be able to make the original setting different for each one, and you get even more changes.
     
    Donald@Paladin44, Dec 13, 2006
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  5. Pitabred

    Pitabred Linux geek con rat flail!

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    Don't you love that? Hence why I recommend software like VLC, or something that does software decoding. It allows you to access your legally acquired content without having to pay more money to circumvent artificial barriers.

    I buy my DVD's, but I watch 'em in Linux, which is technically illegal because I'm circumventing the DMCA.
     
    Pitabred, Dec 14, 2006
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  6. pyro9219

    pyro9219 Notebook Deity NBR Reviewer

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    *not to get this onto a long flame war..., but you started it... :p *

    That is so stupid... but then again all the digital certificates and whatnot are just a money sink... one day they will all learn that they need to stop securing the legal copies, and get better means to catch/prevent the rest... :mad:
     
    pyro9219, Dec 14, 2006
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