Remove RCE protection using PGCEdit

[majk0ng]

Hello,

When backing up DVDs and trying to make them region-free so they will play in my players I have occasionally run into those with RCE protection. PGCEdit says:

RCE (Region Code Enhanced) protection:

The region code of your player may be tested by DVD commands. If it doesn't match the DVD zone, a jump to a zone that will inhibit the playback or a return to the menu is usually done.

You may try to replace the sprm(20) reference(s) by the constant value (between parenthesis above) matching the original DVD region code, or replace the command by NOP, or modify the goto or the jump target.
I'm not clear on how to do any of the suggestions and have been unable to locate a guide / tutorial explaining how. A search here at Doom9 only turned up suggestions for using IFOEdit and it similarly left me unclear on what to do.

Assuming I want to do the first suggestion in PGCEdit ("try to replace the sprm(20) reference(s) by the constant value (between parenthesis above) matching the original DVD region code") when I check the option to "search for "sprm(20:Player region code)" in the DVD commands and it finds one or more they appear in a popup window. By clicking on any of them I am taken to that command in the main PGCEdit window.

Should I?:

-right click the highlighted sprm(20:Player region code) command > 'Edit Cmd' > in the 'command editor' window that opens up change the radio button from 'SPRM' to 'value' and enter a value of '1' (assuming it's a region 1 DVD and my player is another region). For example, that would change the command from:

VMGM , LU 1 (--) , 5 (0:01) - post command 1 :
Set gprm(0) =(mov) sprm(20:Player region code)
to ...

VMGM , LU 1 (--) , 5 (0:01) - post command 1 :
Set gprm(0) =(mov) 1
Is that correct? If not, can someone please help get me headed in the right direction with what's the best way to deal with this.

Thanks.

[rik1138]

Yes, that's exactly what you want to do. If you know the disc is only able to play in a 'region 1' player, then SPRM20 is expected to be a value of '1'. If you just force 1 into GPRM(0), problem solved.

But, keep checking for SPRM(20)s. I've seen discs where the check is done several times (when it's inserted, before the feature plays when you hit 'Play', before any bonus content plays, etc...) They sometimes try to make it hard to hack...

Do it on a backup copy first and test it in a software player before wasting discs, just to be safe.

[Ghitulescu]

The trick (if this can be called a trick) is to know how the DVD navigation works. Trying to do things based on guides only, without any knowledge of the object in study (the DVD in this case), is always a risky job. Normally RCE coding send the navigation to a "dead" zone (most probably in the VMG) that displays the "zone warning". I do a trace (I always do one since I am cleaning my DVDs from all parasites, including trailers and various "bonuses") and "kill" that branching.

[rik1138]

Yeah, if you have the knowledge to track things down, that works to. I do that to make them bypass logos/warnings completely as well. But not everyone really understands how all that works... If every SPRM(20) reference is just loading that into a GPRM, then just changing 'SPRM(20)' to the value you want instantly fixes the problem with no additional effort. It's just easier for most people to figure that out. :)

Otherwise, you have to search for every instance of something jumping to the 'zone warning' title, since it could be coming from many places, and bypass it each time.