Panasonic DMR-EX75 - Multiregion burns out player?!

[BlackSentoki]

Hi all,

I'm helping a friend of mine with a problem they are having in respect of a Panasonic DVD recorder (the DMR EX-75) they bought two months ago. When they bought the player they paid extra for the player to be made multi-region (which I assume was done via a remote hack). Unfortunately, two months later, when my friend tried to play a Region 2 disc it was discovered that the player played only Region 1 discs.

Upon returning the player to the manufacturer my friend was told first that making the player multi-region had "burnt out the digital PCB" and later that the "digital PCB had gone faulty as a result of the machine being reprogrammed for multiregion use". Since my friend wanted a multi-region player they are now requesting either repair or refund but the retailer is denying a refund and saying that although the player will be repaired they will not make it multi-region.

Now, I think that what they are saying about a region hack breaking the player is nonsense (unless perhaps it was a botched firmware hack), but I'm not sure. I'm about to help my friend draft a legal letter back to the shop, but just want to be sure of the facts. What do you chaps think?

Thanks!!!

[ChainsawDude]

In which country did you buy the EX75? It sounds like it may be a machine designed for the US if it only plays region 1 (or whatever region 1 is).

Can you redo the multiregion hack?

[ROYOLD]

Looks like a botched firmware hack which has not made the machine multi-region but changed the original UK region 2 setting to just the USA/Canada region 1 setting.

If the retailer didn't do this hack then I can well understand them refusing to make it multiregion. I am surprised that they have even offered to repair the machine.

[BlackSentoki]

The hack was actually carried out by the retailer - in fact my friend paid extra specifically for them to do this.

I think either it's a R1 machine that doesn't play PAL discs, or they botched a firmware hack. I've put together a letter asking for either a multiregion player or a refund (since the invoice, thankfully, specifically states a requirement for a multiregion player).

Thanks for all your help!

[Hal_loe]

Originally Posted by BlackSentoki

The hack was actually carried out by the retailer - in fact my friend paid extra specifically for them to do this.

I think either it's a R1 machine that doesn't play PAL discs, or they botched a firmware hack. I've put together a letter asking for either a multiregion player or a refund (since the invoice, thankfully, specifically states a requirement for a multiregion player).

Normally the original region code is printed on the back of the recorder, my 2 year old Panasonic DVD Recorder has a Region 2 logo on the back of it, even though it is multi-region.

Hopefully that might help a bit.