JP1 Remotes

Found this at a UK AVForum and have not yet tried it, but reportedly, European Sony Blu-Ray players can be made region-free for DVD only (Blu-Ray disc region remains locked) by following the following procedure. It uses Sony DVD signals (Sony20 26.73), which are NOT the same as Sony Blu-Ray signals(Sony20 26.226). I haven't tried it yet on my US Sony BDP-350, so don't know if it will work. Aside from the first signal (OBC:127/EFC:00189) they are standard buttons on a Sony DVD remote or in any Sony DVD upgrade.

1. Bring the player out of standby, with no disc inserted.
2. Send the following sequence of signals:

(Built-in Setup Codes DVD/0533 or Video/1533 work with the EFCs as listed)

Device Code: 26.73 OBC: 127 EFC:00189
0000 0068 0000 0015 0060 0018 0030 0018 0030 0018 0030 0018 0030 0018 0030 0018 0030 0018 0030 0018 0018 0018 0030 0018 0018 0018 0030 0018 0030 0018 0030 0018 0018 0018 0018 0018 0030 0018 0018 0018 0018 0018 0030 0018 0018 01AE

Device Code: 26.73 OBC: 101-Angle EFC:00255
0000 0068 0000 0015 0060 0018 0030 0018 0018 0018 0030 0018 0018 0018 0018 0018 0030 0018 0030 0018 0018 0018 0030 0018 0018 0018 0030 0018 0030 0018 0030 0018 0018 0018 0018 0018 0030 0018 0018 0018 0018 0018 0030 0018 0018 01F6

Device Code: 26.73 OBC: 85-Video Off EFC: 00095
0000 0068 0000 0015 0060 0018 0030 0018 0018 0018 0030 0018 0018 0018 0030 0018 0018 0018 0030 0018 0018 0018 0030 0018 0018 0018 0030 0018 0030 0018 0030 0018 0018 0018 0018 0018 0030 0018 0018 0018 0018 0018 0030 0018 0018 01F6

Device Code: 26.73 OBC: 95-SACD/CD EFC:00221
0000 0068 0000 0015 0060 0018 0030 0018 0030 0018 0030 0018 0030 0018 0030 0018 0018 0018 0030 0018 0018 0018 0030 0018 0018 0018 0030 0018 0030 0018 0030 0018 0018 0018 0018 0018 0030 0018 0018 0018 0018 0018 0030 0018 0018 01C6

Device Code: 26.73 OBC: 21-Power Toggle EFC:00079
0000 0068 0000 0015 0060 0018 0030 0018 0018 0018 0030 0018 0018 0018 0030 0018 0018 0018 0018 0018 0018 0018 0030 0018 0018 0018 0030 0018 0030 0018 0030 0018 0018 0018 0018 0018 0030 0018 0018 0018 0018 0018 0030 0018 0018 020E

2.a. After this sequence, the blue "24p" light on the player should start flashing. If it doesn't, then the hack has not worked.
3. Put the player back into standby.
4. Next time you turn on the player it will be region free for DVD playback.

I may give it a try this weekend and if it works, it will reduce my equipment load in the HT by one (multi-region DVD player can go away!)

Here's an upgrade with these codes added.

Rats! It didn't work on my US BDP-S350.

At least it didn't brick my player. I got the correct indications (flashing 24p light) but the player works exactly the same as before. Region 1 DVDs only.

Anybody have a pointer to a region-free hack for the US version of the player?

Same here... did not work.

Some knowledge I have gleaned whilst researching this "region-free" matter:

Although I knew that NTSC and PAL are different standards, I never fully absorbed that there is in fact different hardware required in a machine to pass each type of TV signal, and if that hardware is not pre-built in, NO software hack will enable playing another format disc.

In Region 2 (Europe and Japan), BOTH standards are used (PAL widely in Europe (in addition to a SECAM here and there), and NTSC in Japan), so that DVD players built for region 2 ALREADY HAVE THE NECESSARY HARDWARE to deal with both PAL and NTSC DVDs. Hence a software hack to defeat REGION CODING is usually all that is needed, and the player will play all regions all formats.

Region 1 players (North America), on the other hand, have ONLY NTSC hardware, so even though you may unlock the REGION code, the machine will still only play NTSC discs, so I believe that my player (and yours, jm) may have been indeed unlocked for Region Coding, if we are trying to test this with European DVDs (as I am), the player still cannot output the PAL video. If we got hold of a Region 2 NTSC disc from Japan, I bet it would play.

Most middle to low end players will convert PAL video on an NTSC only set fine. The players imported into the USA/Canada are typically the same identical hardware as European models, except they don't include SCART connectors.