The Firmware Page

THIS THREAD SHOULD BE USED ONLY FOR Matshita Drives within a Windows Operating system, Mac users see viewtopic.php?f=30&t=46116

PLEASE read the MATSHITA firmware/drive listing before creating a NEW firmware request thread.

viewtopic.php?f=30&t=43012

viewtopic.php?f=30&t=43046

However, most of the Matshita/Matsushita/Panasonic drives won't work with software solutions, it's a good idea to try them out anyway:
- VLC tool / VideoLanClient
- DVD Region+CSS FREE
- DVD43
- RemoteSelector
- AnyDVD
- etc.

Also please perform a SEARCH for your drive model in this section before creating a new thread.

Thanks!

PS.: For the Matshita UJDA745 (CD-RW/DVD Combo-drive) Flash is hosting patched & fixed firmwares and a suitable flasher here.

Please Note RPC1 currently has no Database of firmwares, Please check the links listed, or on the laptop manufacturer's website

I just wanted to add to this that combining more than one of the software things can work - the combination of DVD43 and VideoLanClient has worked like a charm with my matshita uj-830s (in a Toshiba laptop), and made me a very very happy (and surprised) bunny!

Rather sceptical that any combination of software can defeat the region locking mechanism used here. Are you sure the discs in question are really of a different region?

Brother Vlad

Yes I tested the discs in my region 2 locked DVD player. It doesn't work with all region 1 discs but has with several (which is a big improvement!).

I have read the posts for Matshita Drives now for some time. I have the impression that the best thing I could do with my 820S would be to bin it!! and replace with a new dual Layer. (Non Matshita) The software you mention in your sticky, as you thought none of them work. The drive is frequently upset by any software additions and is not worth the effert to keep it running. Probably more Toshiba's fault than Matshita's. (have Toshiba laptop - Matshita UJ-820S Firmware 1.50 - XP SP2)

Sound Resonable?

Matshita / Matsushita / Panasonic drive owners


If your drive is not listed in the database as having an RPC1 firmware please do not post yet another request in this forum for one.

Posting additional request for them will not increase the likelyhood of one being made available. These drives are difficult and expensive to work with, please do not expect others to invest time and effort in solving this problem for you.

Do not buy Matshita drives or laptops containing them if you want to watch movies from multiple regions.

Brother Vlad

Well, I am also one of the buyers of a Asus notebook with a Matshita UJ-822D where of course no firmware exists.
After reading some other forums, specially at Asus Website, I googled for the program 'dvd region killer' which was released 2002. And it works like a charm. For some reasons, the Option "Automatic Region" doesn't work at all, but when chosing "Default Region" and select a region code, the device is shown in the device manager with the selected region.

Hope this helps also others.

Greetings
Tom

Read lots and searched lots and wanting to try the 079G firmware but have a fault while trying to download the new version. I did find it on another site and the readme states it's for a Solo 2500 (gateway). If the version on the site is correct, how can I download it and try to upgrade the firmware for this drive in a IBM 600E. From what I've read so far, this drive may never read any other cd's but original OEM CD's and or original OEM DVD movies. It works but DVD's for my work simply refuses to read in 99% of most cases. Thanks in advance for any response and may likely end a long search.
Ecmbuster

I wish it was that simple Brother Vlad -- many of us sorry Matshita owners are the IBM laptop owners who are condemned to Panasonic/Matshita UJ-822 becuase it's the only 9.5mm DVDR drive.

As happy as I am with the RPC1 UJDA745, I fear I have to upgrade soon.

There may not be a choice of AVOIDING a Matshita... after all, those drives seem to get a lot of OEM wins. The only practical way out is to replace the drive yourself with something different. The cost involved more than makes up for the avoiding frustration of having to deal with the region issues.

There is always a choice, you just haven't to learned how to make it.

Then again you are probably chosing to spend three times as much for your laptop than we are.

Brother Vlad

Wesley -- that's what I'm talking about -- I have a DVD/CD-RW drive which I need to replace with the DVD-burner and the only one available in the 9.5mm form-factor is the Matshita one (well there're two -- 812 and 822). I'm not Sergei Brin, but I've searched very hard -- couldn't find no other DVD burners in the 9.5mm form-factor.

Vlad -- if by "there's always a choice" you meant something beyond replacing the laptop I have with the one which takes 12.7mm drives (or a desktop ), I'd be happy if you enlighten me -- what other DVD-burner (9.5mm) which can be turned RCP1 my laptop can take.

Regarding the price comments -- over the past 15 years I've worked on and owned different portable computers, it's the tool of my work. IBM makes excellent work tools and I know alot of people in construction for example who spend way more on their tools than the most expensive IBM notebook costs. But again -- if you could share with me what other brand-name model is similar in size/features to the ThinkPad T40 (and is also cheaper ), I'd be very grateful.

Don't send me searching -- been there, done that, but seriously, judging by your comment you seem to know about notebooks, if you know the particular model which can be on-par replacement for the T40 -- please let me know.

Since we're sort of drifting off-topic, maybe PM me.

I know i am not supposed to request Matisha firmware,
But is there an official site of Matisha ?
I tried googleling for Matisha, but it did;t find me their site.

They are drives made by Panasonic - only sold as OEM drives.

http://www.panasonic-industrial.com/ser ... index.html

ah thanks,
hmm... at that site, i see the UJ-840
My drive says it is UJ-840D ...
Is that D a different drive, or is it because it is OEM ?

D or not D in the name of this drive is not that important.
Important is what firmware (OEM) is on the drive.

hi i'm a newbie.
i'm italian and i don't speak very well english...
i have a problem. I have a hp pavilion zv6149ea with matshita uj840d.
Can i use a firmware for uj840s?? where i find the firmware?
thanks

There is NONE for HP, only for SONY OEM drives.

ok thanks

Is posible to crack Sony updater for the rest of OEM customer?

Thx in advance.

Edit: Sorry i forget, for UJ-840 and 840D.

TDB is right we can always make a choice, the best one would be to avoid all and every Matshita DVD Drives on our laptops and desktop PCs.

There are many other DVD Drive makers that conform to laptop DVD Drive form factors out there mostly of height 12.5mm or thereabouts, it's a matter of doing some googling, although I must admit a 9.5mm form factor is a rather difficult one.

It took me almost 1 year plus to come to a conclusion to junk my PowerBook's original Superdrive it was a Matshita UJ-825. I replaced it with a Pioneer DVR-K05 Dual Layer with RPC-1 firmware version 1.03.
It works like a charm.

The best possible option or choice if one fears breaking a laptop is to get an external DVD Drive and have them flashed to RPC-1, but do some research first at this site to ensure RPC-1 firmware for these drives are available before plonking down your money to buy one:-) External DVD drives are cheap enough these days.

Now I just wonder what challenges Blu-Ray and HD-DVD drives will bring us all in the next couple of months:-)

Well said, Pioneer and NEC and Toshiba and even LiteOn make good slimtype drives and burners to replace all that MatSHITa ones which have flooded Laptops in the last decade...

Hello All

Been reading and searching for a while now, for my laptop ( Sony Vaio - Matsushita UJ -840D). It has come to my understanding that i wont be able to watch multi-region DVDs anytime soon with the Matsu. My questions for you guys is... which external DVD rom is out at the market with a good price and can watch multi dvd regions? I wont be using it for burning dvds, just watching movies.

Any list of models will be helpful also which website is good to purchase hardware from ( i am from QLD Australia).

Thanks for the help

- Pete

Well to be honest there are no such thing as a Multi Region DVD ROM or writer available, well at least not since year 2000 or 2001, they are all coming from the factory set to RPC-2 with ability to change region for 5 times, after 5 changes it will stay locked to the last region it was selected to by the user.

The trick is to buy a Drive whose firmware can be flashed to become RPC-1 (not Matshita please) which gives you unlimited number of changes or sort of becomes a "Multi Region" player. You can read some good simple explainations about RPC-1 and RPC-2 stuff at this site www.xvi.rpc1.org , it's a site dedicated to Apple Mac but what is written there about RPC1 and RPC-2 and all things about DVD Drives holds true for Windows as well.

To flash a drive's firmware to RPC-1, you can either do it yourself by reading the threads at this site for the particular model you own or alternatively get some computer shops in your town to do it for you for a fee usually. You'll loose warranty though.

I doubt you would be able to get any shops to modify the firmware on your drive simply because Australia has probably some laws against offering mods for a fee, but nothing is stopping you from a DIY jobbie. which is what this site is dedicated to.

Google around for the best & cheapest prices on DVD ROM drives or sometimes also called Combo Drives CDRW/DVD. They are probably around USD$40 these days, check them out find out the drive model numbers and come back here at www.rpc1.org to check out the threads about RPC-1 firmware availability. Then go out there get the drive hack it and have fun.

Dude... Thanks for those site ! very helpful.... was a mistake buying the SONY! i should had stick to DELL or something.. hahhahahaha