Question About Multi-Region Blu-Ray Players From 220 Electronics

[takeasneededforpain]

Hi guys,

After deciding to probably go with 220-Electronics to get my region free Blu-Ray player (unless someone can persuade me why I shouldn't deal with them) I just have a question.

Are their Blu-ray players firmware upgradeable without losing region free capabilities??? Do they rely on firmware hacks or are they actually hardware modded???

[solarrdadd]

Originally Posted by takeasneededforpain

Hi guys,

After deciding to probably go with 220-Electronics to get my region free Blu-Ray player (unless someone can persuade me why I shouldn't deal with them) I just have a question.

Are their Blu-ray players firmware upgradeable without losing region free capabilities??? Do they rely on firmware hacks or are they actually hardware modded???

are these questions not answered by "220-electronics"? if not, shouldn't you be concerned? i'm saying, why haven't you asked them, get it straight from the horses mouth so to speak. isn't this stuff that's listed on their site?

just sayin......

[cdittmer]

I have 2 Oppo Blu-ray players which have been hardware modded to be region free. The hardware mods allow for firmware updating without any problem. You didn't say what player you were getting but the Oppos were easy to mod on my own.

[Iain-]

Originally Posted by takeasneededforpain

Hi guys,

After deciding to probably go with 220-Electronics to get my region free Blu-Ray player (unless someone can persuade me why I shouldn't deal with them) I just have a question.

Are their Blu-ray players firmware upgradeable without losing region free capabilities??? Do they rely on firmware hacks or are they actually hardware modded???

Have you tried to contact:
http://www.world-import.com/region_f...VD_players.htm

,,, yet?

I've heard good great things of their hardware modified multi-region machines and their service.

[wvl]

Originally Posted by takeasneededforpain

Hi guys,

After deciding to probably go with 220-Electronics to get my region free Blu-Ray player (unless someone can persuade me why I shouldn't deal with them) I just have a question.

Are their Blu-ray players firmware upgradeable without losing region free capabilities??? Do they rely on firmware hacks or are they actually hardware modded???

I got mine from World-Import. Why, because they modify the units with hardware modification method and not software. Software modification will not support firmware updates without losing the region free feature. So the question you should be directing to is the vendor and ask, "Can the unit be flashed and if so, will the region free feature remain intact?" That is a question I should have asked when I purchased a region free unit from Bombay.com. Wait a minute, I did ask that question with their site email, but never got a reply. "Dumb-shit" me went ahead and ordered player anyway from BomBay. Anyway after doing a firmware upgrade, the unit lost the region free capability. It no longer supported B/C region disk. I ended up sending the unit back and getting a refund.

Then I ordered from World-Import. I tried to save $25 when ordering from Bombay, but in the long run, I ended up paying $25 more for a unit that could be flashed and not lose the region free feature AND had wasted 2 weeks of turnaround time in getting the new unit from World-Import. So in-short, don't buy a unit that has been hacked with software, but buy a machine that has the hardware modifications. You'll thank yourself in the morning. If you do not get a reply from 220, then don't trust them. World-Import will answer your question within a hour or so.

[kpkelley]

Don't get the Toshiba 1400RF that is on sale. It has a lip-sync issue inherent to the player that Toshiba has yet to fix.

[movielib]

Originally Posted by wvl

I got mine from World-Import. Why, because they modify the units with hardware modification method and not software. Software modification will not support firmware updates without losing the region free feature. So the question you should be directing to is the vendor and ask, "Can the unit be flashed and if so, will the region free feature remain intact?" That is a question I should have asked when I purchased a region free unit from Bombay.com. Wait a minute, I did ask that question with their site email, but never got a reply. "Dumb-shit" me went ahead and ordered player anyway from BomBay. Anyway after doing a firmware upgrade, the unit lost the region free capability. It no longer supported B/C region disk. I ended up sending the unit back and getting a refund.

Then I ordered from World-Import. I tried to save $25 when ordering from Bombay, but in the long run, I ended up paying $25 more for a unit that could be flashed and not lose the region free feature AND had wasted 2 weeks of turnaround time in getting the new unit from World-Import. So in-short, don't buy a unit that has been hacked with software, but buy a machine that has the hardware modifications. You'll thank yourself in the morning. If you do not get a reply from 220, then don't trust them. World-Import will answer your question within a hour or so.

I will vouch for what you said.

I sent an email to 220 with the question about firmware updates. I never received a reply.

I sent the same email to World-Import and not only did they answer me within five minutes, they called me. I talked to the rep for at least twenty minutes and asked a whole bunch of other questions and he answered everything, politely, thoroughly and clearly. I ended up buying my Sony BDP-S5200 from W-I. Yes, it cost a little more. It came the very next day (I do live in Madison, WI, close to their store in the Chicago area so I'm sure that helped). It worked perfectly out of the box and I did an immediate update because the firmware was out of date. It has continued to work perfectly.

I'm pretty much sold on getting any future region free players from them.

[takeasneededforpain]

According to various emails which I exchanged back and forth with this guy Nick at 220 Electronics before I bought the Sony BDP-S5200 player yesterday ....they do a hardware modification. He said that Sony players can be updated through the internet for the newest models which are the Sony BDP-S1200, 3200, 5200, and the 6200. Which are the players he said are their most recommended.

After I ordered my unit he even emailed me back and told me again that I can update the firmware without losing my region free capabilities. So I guess I will see.

[danielbaptista]

Originally Posted by takeasneededforpain

According to various emails which I exchanged back and forth with this guy Nick at 220 Electronics before I bought the Sony BDP-S5200 player yesterday ....they do a hardware modification. He said that Sony players can be updated through the internet for the newest models which are the Sony BDP-S1200, 3200, 5200, and the 6200. Which are the players he said are their most recommended.

After I ordered my unit he even emailed me back and told me again that I can update the firmware without losing my region free capabilities. So I guess I will see.

Any news on this? I'm thinking about buying the region free 5200

[schan1269]

Originally Posted by wvl

I got mine from World-Import. Why, because they modify the units with hardware modification method and not software. Software modification will not support firmware updates without losing the region free feature. So the question you should be directing to is the vendor and ask, "Can the unit be flashed and if so, will the region free feature remain intact?" That is a question I should have asked when I purchased a region free unit from Bombay.com. Wait a minute, I did ask that question with their site email, but never got a reply. "Dumb-shit" me went ahead and ordered player anyway from BomBay. Anyway after doing a firmware upgrade, the unit lost the region free capability. It no longer supported B/C region disk. I ended up sending the unit back and getting a refund.

Then I ordered from World-Import. I tried to save $25 when ordering from Bombay, but in the long run, I ended up paying $25 more for a unit that could be flashed and not lose the region free feature AND had wasted 2 weeks of turnaround time in getting the new unit from World-Import. So in-short, don't buy a unit that has been hacked with software, but buy a machine that has the hardware modifications. You'll thank yourself in the morning. If you do not get a reply from 220, then don't trust them. World-Import will answer your question within a hour or so.

Both mine came from Bombay. Both are hardware mod.

[hagios]

Region Free Playback Guaranteed!

Unlike software or firmware solutions, our region free hardware modifications are guaranteed to play Blu-Ray Discs and DVD's from any region!

Toshiba BDX1300 Region Free Blu-ray DVD Player HDMI and Composite RCA




I bought this model last April & have been enjoying my region b movies(BD & DVD) ever since...my best decision I've made for a BD player!

http://www.220-electronics.com/toshi...vd-player.html

[dvdwatcher]

Originally Posted by schan1269

Both mine came from Bombay. Both are hardware mod.

So are you saying it can be firmware upgraded and the mod still works?

[schan1269]

Originally Posted by dvdwatcher

So are you saying it can be firmware upgraded and the mod still works?

I'm done giving you information.

The website for Bombay and 220(as I assume WI as well) shows...

OUR PLAYERS ARE HARDWARE MODIFIED SO THEY CAN BE FIRMWARE UPDATED.

[chip75]

Originally Posted by dvdwatcher

So are you saying it can be firmware upgraded and the mod still works?

Usually hardware modified players keep their upgrades after OEM firmware updates because they've been physically modified. Software modified players sometimes lose their abilities because the modifications are overwritten by new information.

Most companies offer guarantees against firmware updates, some will release their own updates with suggestions not to update via the manufacturers websites. Hardware modified players are usually more reliable and can accept manufacturers updates without affecting playback.

[Hair-Metal]

So i'm considering the Sony BDP-S1200 region free BD player, found on ebay for $99.00 w/free shipping, good purchase or not??, I bought a region B "Remo Williams" Blu ray disc among other imported BD's and my Samsung BD-F5900 region A BD player obviously won't play them.

[schan1269]

Originally Posted by Hair-Metal

So i'm considering the Sony BDP-S1200 region free BD player, found on ebay for $99.00 w/free shipping, good purchase or not??, I bought a region B "Remo Williams" Blu ray disc among other imported BD's and my Samsung BD-F5900 region A BD player obviously won't play them.

If for $99 it really is multi-region Blu. And not all region DVD/Region A Blu.

Are you sure the MR-BD isn't a $40 add-on?

(just found it. Never heard of "Multi Systems", but it does say firmware upgradeable. $99 OBO...)

[Hair-Metal]

Originally Posted by schan1269

If for $99 it really is multi-region Blu. And not all region DVD/Region A Blu.

Are you sure the MR-BD isn't a $40 add-on?

(just found it. Never heard of "Multi Systems", but it does say firmware upgradeable. $99 OBO...)

So from viewing the item on ebay would you recommend this BD player for my foreign BD viewing pleasure, there feedback is top notch, was considering of making an offer, really want to watch my Remo Williams BD, sold my dvd version once I purchased the BD.

[StingingVelvet]

Firmware updates broke the region-free ability of my 220 Electronics BD player. It was even DVD region-free only, so it should have been simple. They advertise hardware mods, but I had to download the old firmware again from them to make it region-free again. Not fun.

I got my newer region-free BD/DVD player from world-import and it has updated and is still region-free.

[schan1269]

Originally Posted by Hair-Metal

So from viewing the item on ebay would you recommend this BD player for my foreign BD viewing pleasure, there feedback is top notch, was considering of making an offer, really want to watch my Remo Williams BD, sold my dvd version once I purchased the BD.

If you only have $100 to spend...

[Hair-Metal]

This was their answer to my question about downloading firmware in the future and the possibility of losing the region free capabilities.




All you need to do is connect the player to the internet, the player will download the firmware automatically and you will NOT lose region free capabilities.

William

- multi-system