topic Re: Sony BDP S350 bluray - unlocking to region free in Home Cinema, Projectors & Players

Sony BDP S350 bluray - unlocking to region free

peshyxp — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 20:52:46 GMT

Just tried to play Alien v Predator bluray and so disappointed when up comes on the screen my Sony cant play the disc since it is locked to Region A (USA)

Arrggggghhhh!

Anybody know if its possible to unlock my Sony Bluray Player using the remote?

Cheers

Sony BDP S350 bluray - unlocking to region free

alexure — Tue, 24 Mar 2015 06:38:26 GMT

Yes, it is possible, but you'll need a programmable remote - most use the "one for 3/4/6/all". You can hack it by using the same code as for the bdp-s350. Follow the instructions exactly and it should work - mine does.

Please don't publish any hacking instructions in this forum.

Thanks

Your community team

Sony BDP S350 bluray - unlocking to region free

hardeepr — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 17:43:42 GMT

The hack described is only for DVD playback. There is no way to make the sony region free for blu-rays using a remote.

Sony BDP S350 bluray - unlocking to region free

grimreaper68 — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 22:33:40 GMT

I can confirm what you have advised. This hack changes DVD Region only and not Blu-ray region.

Re: Sony BDP S350 bluray - unlocking to region free

cmtpta — Sun, 15 Mar 2015 14:22:29 GMT

so is programming sony bdp s370 to be region free impossible with the sony remote?

Re: Sony BDP S350 bluray - unlocking to region free

Anonymous — Sun, 15 Mar 2015 17:48:21 GMT

Correct, the Sony remote is not a programmable remote, which you need to perform this 'hack' - Frankly though, if you do not know what you are doing, you should NOT be doing it.

Cheers

Re: Sony BDP S350 bluray - unlocking to region free

MK_Slinky — Sun, 15 Mar 2015 19:18:07 GMT

If I might also add.., attempting such a hack will invalidate your warranty! Best wait until it's expired if you're thinking seriously about doing this.

Re: Sony BDP S350 bluray - unlocking to region free

ken.dearden — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 16:51:14 GMT

I have purchased a Sony BDP S3500 Blue-ray player in the UK. I have several, legitimately-purchased Region 1 DVDs and I cannot play them on this device. Fortunately, I can play them on my laptop using PowerDVD and a small piece of software that renders my DVD drive region-free. My laptop is hooked up to my Sony TV via HDMI, so, effectively I have a region-free, blue-ray DVD player. Since I can do this, what is the point in restricting dedicated hardware to specific regions? It is high time manufacturers removed restrictions from DVD players and there is, here, an opportunity for Sony to become a world leader and to start shipping region-free, blue-ray players. Other manufactures would soon follow. Come on, Sony, prove you are still a world leader in this field, not an ageing dinosaur.

Re: Sony BDP S350 bluray - unlocking to region free

MK_Slinky — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 19:46:54 GMT

@ken.dearden

I have had this discussion before about region free players and although I'm lead to believe Sony don't actually make them you can buy them if you shop around. Richer Sounds do sell region free Sony players but these are at a slightly increased premium. That said I do agree with your frustrations.

Perhaps next time you're shopping for a BD Player you will remember Richer Sounds.

P.S. I don't work for RS, I just shop there from time to time.

Re: Sony BDP S350 bluray - unlocking to region free

ken.dearden — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 21:07:01 GMT

I am aware that region-free Sony players are available and I know of Richer Sounds. The point I am making is that companies such as Sony need to be forced to manufacture them and that they become the norm. We, as customers, need to bring the necessary pressure to bear on both Sony and other electronic manufacturers to do so and our politicians globally to bring their influence to bear in our favour. It is time to abandon this archaic practice, which serves only to inflate the cost of equipment and media. I am not pursuing this matter for personal reasons, since I have a satisfactory work-around and I use my laptop as a multi-media centre. I believe it is in the interests of consumers to have the flexibility to play media from anywhere. To be restricted in the way that we are is contrary to what we like to call a free democracy. Obviously it isn't - yet.

Re: Sony BDP S350 bluray - unlocking to region free

MK_Slinky — Wed, 31 Aug 2016 13:58:42 GMT

I agree to a point but much of this has to do with content age restrictions. Not all movie ratings are shared across all countries and what might be suitable for a 15 year old in the UK might not be suitable under the US content rating system.

Likewise as is often the case movies are released on disc much earlier in the US and so making them playable in the UK would mean that the whole film industry would need to change it's way of working. You might notice that when films arrive in the cinema over here they've already been released on disc in the US several months earlier meaning that our cinemas would need to show these films at the same time.

I do have several Region A discs from the US and something that becomes immediately obvious when comparing them to the UK equivalent is also one of advertising, adverts aimed at UK residents would not be suitable for residents of the US, again the film industry would need to make a number of changes here if your idea were to become successful.

I'm not for one minute agreeing with the current system, there's always room for improvement and like you I think it should be made easier but when you start to look into the reasons why we have these differences you can perhaps understand why it's not so simple to change it.