Hi! I'm thinking of buying a DVD-ROM for my PC. My fiend told me that you can switch regions using the software but it becomes locked after a while. Why is this so? Can this be undone? Because if this is the case, then I might not get one. Any tips for buying one? Is Sony a good brand?

This link may help you with your decision:
http://www.techtv.com/screensavers/answerstips/story/0,24330,3300958,00.html

im still confused as to what firmware to download. i have a sony and a liteon dvd-rom. it (website above) says i have to download an rpc-1 utility. is this the one that can unlock regions?

Either (1)d/l 'DVD Genie', or (2)d/l 'Drive Info' to check your drives' region status, and if they're 'Region Locked' then follow the links to update their firmware.

ok thanks! btw i found this software called divdidle which is supposed to do the same thing but removes the risk of flashing anything since it's a software and not firmware.