Us Ntsc Games On Us Region Xbox Output At Pal, Will Live ban me? Options

[Blackfly1976]

Will I get banned from live for playing NTSC games on a PAL TV, if my EEPROM is set to PAL output/US region/ DVD region0?
The following should provide some background info:
I have a smartXX (3333) modded box, running X2 4981.67 BIOS.
It was originally an NTSC v1.0 (no live in msdash) with a bust PSU (replaced with switchable). This xbox is in Scotland, where locally sourced games are PAL and EU region.
I have an unmodded xbox in FL, almost all my games are US NTSC.
Recently, I signed up for a 2 month live trial using my xbox in FL. I soon transfered this to my modded box in Scotland using account recovery.
Whilst using my Dads 1/4HDTV projector playing NTSC StarWars Battlefront, Live dashboard updated to latest version.
Right now I need to use a PAL only TV, but I'm worried that if I try to use Live whilst playing my NTSC games in PAL output I'll be banned.

[Blackfly1976]

Hmmm...kinda dissapointed at the response on this issue, as I couldn't find a solution on this board.
Another forum has told me that the video output mode wouldn't be picked up by live at all. I was also surpised to learn that some games are region free and most can be output in any video std without problems.
But I thought further on my problem and realised a more important issue:
If I have connected to xbox live with my region set to US, then try to connect with my region set as EU later on - will Live pick up on this and ban my xbox as modified?
I really would appreciate a response on this, as even Live themselves haven't got back to me regarding whether the account I created on a US NTSC xbox can be used on a UK PAL xbox.

[Gumba]

Someone asked me a similar question, to which I didn't know the answer, and then he tested it, and didn't get banned

I have an european PAL XBox and as you might know, we are not supposed to use 480p/720p/1080i. So, my Box is modded and I can use it if i switch the Videomode to NTSC. It is even possible to change the Videomode, turn off the Chip and use an european original Game and play.
I'm going Live since Halo 2 came out without a problem, but i've always been there with Videomode PAL. My TV broke a couple of Days ago, but i have a 22" CRT Monitor here and a X2VGA Adapter. So I Have to change to NTSC to play. I want to go back online, but i don't know if i get banned, if i do, because i've always been Live PAL.
I know that the Videomode is saved in the Eeprom, but i couldn't acknowledge if M$ only reads the serialnumber of it or the whole Eeprom Data.
What i don't know too, if i'm allowed to sign in to Live in europe in NTSC.

...

I've been to some UK Forums and just tried it after what i could acknowledge.
I'm not banned by now. I'll go back online later this to look if i'm still allowed to play Live.
Some people changed their Region too and haven't been banned, but i won't test this by myself, because i don't really need to and i hope i'm still able to play Live.

Okay, let me know after 72hrs have passed

just wanted to tell you, that i'm still allowed to play Live. I'm not banned [after 72 hours].

[Blackfly1976]

Thanks, looks safe then.
I hope M$ don't read this, it would be a pretty simple way to ban ppl playing imported games etc through a mod chip.

[Gumba]

Thanks, looks safe then.
I hope M$ don't read this, it would be a pretty simple way to ban ppl playing imported games etc through a mod chip.

An imported game is still a legitimate game though.

[badmonkey]

Don't you need the modchip turned on in order to play an imported game?

If so, then yes you will be banned if you try and go on Live with the import. It has nothing to do with the game being loaded, but the bios that is required to do so. If they detect the mod, then you are gone.

[feet14]

Don't you need the modchip turned on in order to play an imported game?

If so, then yes you will be banned if you try and go on Live with the import. It has nothing to do with the game being loaded, but the bios that is required to do so. If they detect the mod, then you are gone.

Nope - the game region setting is in the EEPROM. The Xbox checks that the game disc inserted is the same region as in the EEPROM.

Using the "wrong" region/video output settings will not cause a ban on XBL - I use PAL game region, NTSC video output (for hi-def). My only ban came from an upgraded HD, and I'm currently unbanned since Nov 12th. However, changing these settings after going on live may be picked up or they may not. I've never needed to change them.

[Blackfly1976]

Gumba - an imported game on an imported console (likely requiring a transformer) is as legitimate as playing a region 1 DVD in Europe, an imported game on a domestic console would typically require a modded xbox.

My concerns were along the same lines as feet14
eg; having NTSC video output on a PAL region console would require a modchip/EEPROM hack, which could be detected.
Also, the serial number is region specific, and either the game region or video setting not matching the serial number would indicate the EEPROM had been altered from it's virgin state.

[feet14]

My concerns were along the same lines as feet14 
eg; having NTSC video output on a PAL region console would require a modchip/EEPROM hack, which could be detected.
Also, the serial number is region specific, and either the game region or video setting not matching the serial number would indicate the EEPROM had been altered from it's virgin state.

Actually, I meant that M$ wouldn't directly notice the wrong settings provided you make the changes before you go online. I use PAL for gameregion and NTSC for video output, which are clearly not factory settings but I haven't had a ban for this.

Only if you change these settings after you go online there is a possibility (not a certainty) of a ban.

[Blackfly1976]

Not sure if I'm missing something, but how do you change your EEPROM settings whilst still being connected to Live (and therefore using MS BIOS and dashboard).
I use smartXX, so I'm not so familiar with software exploits.

I accept that the issues I've raised are not yet a danger for getting banned from Live - I was just pointing out that they could be quite easily if M$ decided to implement a zero tolerance policy on non factory std units.
All that would have to be done is
1) Check the game region against the EEPROM serial number
2) Check the game region against the video mode used
3) Check the video mode against the game region

It seems that right now these factors are unchecked, but I wonder if someone endowed with more technical prowess could ascertain whether such a check would be possible (could M$ "see" the EEPROM settings for video output mode and game region if they so desired?).

[alsybub]

Take my situation, I have an LE jap xbox which i modded to US region with US NTSC (different to japanese for some reason) output i removed the chip and then used a jap copy of xbox live starter kit and i am using this frankenstein of the xbox world in the UK and never ever have i had a problem, the main thing is that it doesnt matter what you have done to your xbox eeprom or hdd so long as after you register on live you dont change any of it. - Oh yeah and when i registered on live i even said i was in the US and it didnt cause any probs.

So to recap:

Jap xbox
US region
US NTSC
Jap xbox live starter kit
In the UK

No probs!!

[rds_4]

well i have an asian xbox with region settings changed to NTSC-U since my original games are all NTSC-U. i changed the region before i logged on xbox live for the 1st time using this xbox. haven't been banned yet.

but now i have an NTSC-J game that i want to play on live but i have to change the region again using configmagic. just wanna ask if this is the recipe for an instant ban. since i want to freely change between regions to be able to play all my live-enabled games.

[feet14]

Not sure if I'm missing something, but how do you change your EEPROM settings whilst still being connected to Live (and therefore using MS BIOS and dashboard).
I use smartXX, so I'm not so familiar with software exploits.

I accept that the issues I've raised are not yet a danger for getting banned from Live - I was just pointing out that they could be quite easily if M$ decided to implement a zero tolerance policy on non factory std units.
All that would have to be done is
1) Check the game region against the EEPROM serial number
2) Check the game region against the video mode used
3) Check the video mode against the game region

It seems that right now these factors are unchecked, but I wonder if someone endowed with more technical prowess could ascertain whether such a check would be possible (could M$ "see" the EEPROM settings for video output mode and game region if they so desired?).

You edit your EEPROM settings by booting with the modchip on and running ConfigMagic. You may need to download it then FTP to your Xbox. Once you've done this, boot with the modchip off to go on live. An EEPROM is a 256-byte Read Only Memory chip, but with the facility to re-program the memory. It's not a piece of software.

It would be very easy for M$ to ban based on mismatched settings or by checking the correct region for a particular serial number.

I can tell you for certain that M$ know the serial number on the EEPROM I purchased from a seller on these forums. My Xbox is too new for the power cable recall but M$ have sent me a letter asking me to get a new cable. I decoded this serial number using the tutorial on this site, and it has a manufacturing date in 2001 - all made before Oct 2003 need a new cable.

[Blackfly1976]

rds_4: Your concerns are essentially the same as mine.
I believe feet14 is correct for the time being, although as I tried to express - M$ could implement this as a ban method very easily.

My situation is a little complex, but my unmoddified xbox in FL is where I set up my live account (using my UK bank details with US address). I transfered the account using account recovery to my modded xbox in Scotland.
Most of my games are US NTSC, so this is the mode I use most of the time (same as the xbox in FL used to create my Live account). I would like to rent games locally from Blockbuster etc and play on Live - but this could consitute an automatic ban, as it would be so easy for M$ to notice this change.
The other factor that worried me was video output, as EEPROM hacking is the only way to change this (although with smartXX at least I don't need any software). I can confirm so far though, that playing with my xbox as US game region and PAL video output I'mnot yet banned on Live.
I'll be glad when I finally get my Dads projector setup, then I can leave PAL behind and move to 120" HDTV
Terrible right now, on a TV that possibly older than me (PAL only, din inputs) where the picture doesn't all fit on the screen (all pictures, not xbox specific)

[Penfoldian]

I am too concerned for I have a NTSC Xbox and I live in the UK and I used to play US Orginal games all the time till I found out I could change the Region Code to 4 (EUR) to make UK games work, now I save money on imports.

But I still have US Live games I want to play now since the Halo 2 Ban apademic!

I want to know also if I can change it back to Region 1 (US)

What I cannot understand is that no one really knows about this stuff. I mean there has been a program out for years that allowed us to change the codes.

Config Magic allows you to edit the Region Code from 0 - 7 (not sure how many)
So why you people getting it confused with the Video Code? NTSC and PAL?
That will not help the game situation. We need direct info on the REGION CODE situation.

Thankyou just need to get that straight!.

This post has been edited by Penfoldian: Mar 10 2005, 03:31 PM