| In your quest for a regionless DVD player, | | | | to fall to sleep to at night, use the |
| you may have thought that only expensive | | | | 'programmed play' function and queue up to 16 |
| units could have their regions changed. Not | | | | tracks from a regular audio or MP3 CD. An |
| so! Wal-Mart offers a continuing lineup of | | | | added bonus: your songs can be stored in |
| region-hackable DVD players for under $100. | | | | separate directories, rather than in one |
| | | | large root directory. |
| A recent purchase caused smiles in our house! | | | | |
| The Durabrand PDV705 portable player turned | | | | Unfortunately, the sound is flat and metallic |
| out to be exactly what we were looking for. | | | | when using the external speakers. Switch to |
| It is compact, rich in features, and in a few | | | | earphones or earbuds, however, and you will |
| seconds with a few remote control clicks, it | | | | enjoy good stereo sound. |
| transforms into a Region 0 (all-regions) | | | | |
| player. | | | | * How to Make it Regionless * |
| | | | |
| The unit will play a number of DVD and CD | | | | Switch on the power. |
| formats, including: DVDs, audio CDs, CD-R | | | | |
| RWs, MP3 CDs, photo CDs, DivX, XviD, and JPG. | | | | Open the player's lid. |
| | | | |
| Don't let its size fool you! The screen may | | | | Enter the following numeric sequence via |
| be small (7 inches) but it packs a lot of | | | | remote control: |
| features into a tiny bit of space. Many | | | | |
| options that are only available on | | | | 9 7 3 5 |
| competitors' players by going into Setup are | | | | |
| accessible via buttons under the player's | | | | Use the remote control's arrow keys to select |
| pop-up lid. | | | | '0' for all regions. |
| | | | |
| On-board buttons include: Power switch (right | | | | Exit setup. |
| hand side of player), Brightness, Color, | | | | |
| Audio, Display, Subtitle, Forward, Backward, | | | | Now you will be able to play DVDs from all |
| Volume, Next, Previous, Stop, Play, Pause, | | | | over the world on your newly-configured |
| Setup, Directional (arrow) buttons, OK | | | | player. |
| (Enter), and Open. | | | | |
| | | | More region hacks for other DVD players can |
| If you have your own S-video or coaxial | | | | be found at |
| cable, you can use the corresponding jack to | | | | |
| connect the DVD player to your home TV or | | | | There is a link at the end of this article to |
| entertainment system. | | | | a page with hacks for two more inexpensive |
| | | | units sold through Wal-Mart. |
| Although the Durabrand PDV-705 doesn't | | | | |
| include earphones, it does come with several | | | | * Disclaimer * |
| accessories - including a battery that | | | | |
| appears to be of much higher quality than | | | | Although entering numbers via a remote |
| those in more expensive units. | | | | control is unlikely to void your warranty, |
| | | | the same sequence may not work on similar |
| Accessories include: AC adapter, car adapter, | | | | units manufactured on different dates. Use at |
| TV connection cable, remote control, two AAA | | | | your own risk. Remember that if you buy |
| batteries, rechargeable lithium-ion battery | | | | hacked chips or install non-manufacturer |
| pack, user's guide, and product registration | | | | firmware, your warranty will be invalidated. |
| warranty card. | | | | |
| | | | Now - grab some foreign DVDs, prop up your |
| If you would like to set up an audio program | | | | feet, and relax ... |