Sony BDP-S790 DVD region free?

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CVN65

1 post

Wannabe Geek

#128638 17-Aug-2013 18:00

Hi All

I recently brought the above blu-ray player. I specifically asked the saleman at Sony, "Will it play all DVD's regardless of region?" and he said yes it will.

Well, I try and play a NTSC DVD disc region 3 today...and it won't play it because of its region status.

Is there any way of making the player able to play all DVD discs from any region?

I'm a bit peeved, and thinking of taking the player back, unless there is a setting on the player that I haven't enabled to allow me to play any region DVD disc?

Can anyone help?

regards
Bruce

robjg63

4098 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#880247 17-Aug-2013 19:06

After having looked into this (by co-incidence at work) this week - for a Sony Blu-Ray , it seems that you need a 'service' remote to be able to get at the setup options in the DVD playback (you cant region free the blu-ray) without hardware mods.
Apparently there is an All-For-One remote control you can buy - you then have to muck about with that to set it up to be a service remote then you have to fiddle around with codes to region free the DVD - google it...

To be honest if they told you it was DVD region free and its not - take it back.

I did find that PBtech (and others I guess) sell a 'laser' branded blu-ray that is DVD region free and you can set the blu-ray region to whatever you want as well(thus getting around the blu-ray zones) - Dont know how good it is - but at $125 its pretty flexible.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

sultanoswing

814 posts

Ultimate Geek

#880394 18-Aug-2013 07:28

I did find that PBtech (and others I guess) sell a 'laser' branded blu-ray that is DVD region free and you can set the blu-ray region to whatever you want as well(thus getting around the blu-ray zones) - Dont know how good it is - but at $125 its pretty flexible.

I've got a Laser BD-1080 Blu ray player. Yep - zone-free (0-7) for DVD out of the box and very easily changed for each of the three blu-ray regions (A, B, C). I doubt it's important to most people these days, but it's also got 5.1 analogue audio outs. Picture quality is the same, to my eyes, as my older Panasonic BD85, and it even loads discs a touch quicker. Not sure how long the drive unit will last, but given the unit in my Panasonic died after just a couple of years, the Laser is hard to fault at the price.

These players appear to come from the same Chinese factory, and are variously rebadged - Kmart has them as "audiosonic" (http://www.kmart.com.au/product/audiosonic-3d-blu-ray-player/121008). The Warehouse has them as "Veon" (http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=34&topicid=103116). I got mine from wiseguys.co.nz.

Your basic disc spinner is pretty much a generic commodity these days, and you pay more for extra "smart" features like upscaling, netwokring and media playing capabilities. If they're not needed, have at the Laser & its brethren, I say.

I'm actually pretty surprised the Sony isn't region-free out of the box... lost sale, I say.

Goosey

2830 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#880438 18-Aug-2013 09:59

Did your Sony BD player come with the latest firmware?
I note on the sony.co.nz website, they have some firmware showing under the support page for this model.

robjg63

4098 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#880462 18-Aug-2013 11:00

sultanoswing:

I did find that PBtech (and others I guess) sell a 'laser' branded blu-ray that is DVD region free and you can set the blu-ray region to whatever you want as well(thus getting around the blu-ray zones) - Dont know how good it is - but at $125 its pretty flexible.

I've got a Laser BD-1080 Blu ray player. Yep - zone-free (0-7) for DVD out of the box and very easily changed for each of the three blu-ray regions (A, B, C). I doubt it's important to most people these days, but it's also got 5.1 analogue audio outs. Picture quality is the same, to my eyes, as my older Panasonic BD85, and it even loads discs a touch quicker. Not sure how long the drive unit will last, but given the unit in my Panasonic died after just a couple of years, the Laser is hard to fault at the price.

These players appear to come from the same Chinese factory, and are variously rebadged - Kmart has them as "audiosonic" (http://www.kmart.com.au/product/audiosonic-3d-blu-ray-player/121008). The Warehouse has them as "Veon" (http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=34&topicid=103116). I got mine from wiseguys.co.nz.

Your basic disc spinner is pretty much a generic commodity these days, and you pay more for extra "smart" features like upscaling, netwokring and media playing capabilities. If they're not needed, have at the Laser & its brethren, I say.

I'm actually pretty surprised the Sony isn't region-free out of the box... lost sale, I say.

Im not bothered about buying one myself - but would be looking for something that was region free (for DVD at the very least).
The Laser 1080 model (with internet connectivity) seems to have vanished from the market but it looks like you may be right about the Audiosonic one at Kmart - seems like the same unit - BR-51 SW - $99 in their current mailer. Its 3d as well as being able to set the blu ray zone at will.

For the record apparently this works on them:

"The instructions were (using the remote) - press SETUP, then 8520. Select 0 for DVD and then 1,2 or 4 for Blu-Ray region (1=A, 2=B, 4=C). Details are here:

http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=190652"

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

JimmyH

2886 posts

Uber Geek

#880491 18-Aug-2013 11:56

Those are the same codes as for the Warehouse Veon. So I suspect they are all essentially the same unit from the same factory. The Soniq B100 can be added to this list as well.

Interestingly, the codes don't seem to work on Veon model with 5.1 analog outputs (which I tried and returned), but definitely do work on the other model (which I have). Got for $50 on sale, and my back-up unit for out-of-zone imported disks.

If the salesperson told you the player was zone free and it wasn't then you should just take it back. Ask for the manager if necessary, and if you have the name of the salesperson that would also be useful in case they dispute what was said. Most reputable stores should take something back if it doesn't perform as they claimed when you purchased.

If they don't - name and shame so that GZers who might be about to shop there will be more cautious about dealing with them.

robjg63

4098 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#880498 18-Aug-2013 12:07

The sales persons details are probably on the receipt.
Yep - take it back if you were mislead.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler