Converting DVD movies Region2 to Region1

Back in 2002 I used to buy collectors DVD’s mostly from Europe & Australis and therefore I found and learned how to use the free software DVDShrink and DVD Decrypter which both did an excellent job. These software used to make a new ISO file in Region Free of any DVD movie.

Now I bought another Region2 DVD movie (Where Eagles Dare) but the ISO file remains Region2 which is PAL and not NTSC. Looking at the back of the case of the DVD I just bought it says among other “this DVD is copy Protected” and the DVD’s I bought back in 2002 they don’t have this copy protected sign.

Is it possible that new technology “improved” and DVD’s are now all copy protected? The new DVD plays ok in my computer and I copy the ISO file to a USB, plug it at the back of my TV and I can see the movie there but I still like to have it on a DVD for my collection.

Any ideas how to make the conversion?

 

In addition to the Region issue, there are the differences between NTSC and PAL formats.

• Difference in the total number of lines and the lines of resolution
• Color encoding
• Video bandwidth

The only solution I can see is to find a format converter (PAL to NTSC) that either ignores or handles copy protection and region differences.

 

But changing the Region from 2 to 1 also converts from PAL to NTSC, that’s why before I used to see the movies on my TV.

I think with this “copy protection” I should forget about any conversion and just copy the movie to a USB. Each movie is about 4 to 8GB so in todays large capacity USB’s I can have in one USB a lot of movies.

Thanks for the reply

 

videohelp.com has a listing of dvd ripping software that removes copy protection, and there are users reviews

 

Thanks for the info GroundCurrent, I did have a look at that site and it looks complicated. Next time I have a need to copy a DVD I will try to find if they have something suitable.

 

You might try the 'Swiss army knife' of video applications, VLC player- it includes lots of encoders and the program was written by a French software conglomerate- so it should do PAL DVDs

 

Thanks Hal_S, I do have the VLC Media Player but never thought to use it to copy a DVD, I will give it a try.

 

Some DVD drives (not the complete DVD player) have a data controlled firmware switch inside that can be set to region 1, region 2, etc. The setting can be changed just a small finte number of times before it locks in place. You might even save an old PC to be your region 2 DVD player (hardware)..