[xSilv]

Hi, sorry if this is a double post but couldn't find a decent answer on this matter.

So i have bought my phone (Storm 2 9520) in France which was locked by SFR. I did an unlock on the phone and it works in Belgium now.
So is it a DRM phone? Some post in this forum says: if when you start up you see an image with an operator image it is a DRM phone and you can't install any OS except DRM ones.
Some say if you just delete the vendor.xml it will work out to load any official OS to the phone.
What is correct?

Will it work if i install the NoDRM base of .571 and run 9520 - .571 Hybrid (by lyricidal) over it?

I am really in need of a stable and fast OS on my BB with traditional chinese support+input

thx

[widdlewade]

I think you are asking about unlocked vs. locked phones. You may want to rename this thread as such.
DRM, is usually applied to media such as music and videos.

As for the image you are seeing, it is part of the OS modified by the distributor. If you buy a phone distributed by Verizon or AT&T, you will see their logos as you see yours.

Bottom line, if your phone is unlocked, and you have the SIM card from the provider you want, and the phone works, you should be good to go.

[Andiah]

I think you got something wrong with the flash screen of the network. This means, that your phone is branded and has nothing to do with DRM or no-DRM.
Reading that you bought your 9520 from SFR, which I assume is Vodafone SFR, and unlocked it, there might be a chance that your phone is a DRM device.
Now, how to find out? If you have an OS installed on your PC and the same OS on your Berry, go to
C:Program Files/Common Files/Research in Motion/Shared/Loader Files/'Your OS folder'/CDMA. If you see a file which reads rim0x0D001404.sfi, then you have DRM and you can only install DRM OSs and NOT for example the current .553 (no-DRM-OS). If you see rim0x0E001404.sfi, Congratulations! You got a no-DRM device and if what I read was right so far, you can load any OS for your 9520, no matter DRM or no-DRM.
So, if you got a DRM device and you want to load the .571 hybrid, take the official .497 from i.e. Vodafone UK and commence as described in the install instruction. If you have a no-DRM, then install .553 to your 9520 and install .571 over. it. Done!

[xSilv]

thx for the responses..

From what i read of you guys: So if you have a bootscreen of anyprovider there is 90% chance you have a BRANDED phone and is DRM. Otherwise it is No-drm. So my topic title is right and no need to change i think

@Andiah: but the problem is i don't know which OS to install on my PC that will work... Depending on if you download a DRM OS or not the *.sfi file changes no? Or doesn't it matter? Just download a 9520 OS install and check?
I am now at work so i will be slower on replies.

[Solark]

I think you got something wrong with the flash screen of the network. This means, that your phone is branded and has nothing to do with DRM or no-DRM.
Reading that you bought your 9520 from SFR, which I assume is Vodafone SFR, and unlocked it, there might be a chance that your phone is a DRM device.
Now, how to find out? If you have an OS installed on your PC and the same OS on your Berry, go to
C:Program Files/Common Files/Research in Motion/Shared/Loader Files/'Your OS folder'/CDMA. If you see a file which reads rim0x0D001404.sfi, then you have DRM and you can only install DRM OSs and NOT for example the current .553 (no-DRM-OS). If you see rim0x0E001404.sfi, Congratulations! You got a no-DRM device and if what I read was right so far, you can load any OS for your 9520, no matter DRM or no-DRM.
So, if you got a DRM device and you want to load the .571 hybrid, take the official .497 from i.e. Vodafone UK and commence as described in the install instruction. If you have a no-DRM, then install .553 to your 9520 and install .571 over. it. Done!

Is there any way of making the phone think than an OS is DRM? For example, change the rim0x0E001404.sfi file in the non-DRM OS that you want to use to a rim0x0D001404.sfi taken from a DRM version? Or does it not work like that?

[xSilv]

yeah i dont get it either.. coz it is installed by the OS u download on the site.. without connecting your phone..

is it really the only way to check?

[ek1978]

I might have some doubt about the same topic , I bought an unlocked 9550 from ebay ( versizon ) , it works great ,, i did the latest update to it ... and the phone works like a charm .. the only annoying part is while shut down or reboot ..it says Verizon Wireless logo ... how can get rid of it ???

I use the phone now in Dubai ..

[Andiah]

@ek1978,

that's a sole 9520 issue (as far as I know). As a 9550 user you don't need to be concerned about DRM within your OSs. Just stick with your 9550 OSs and related Hybrids and you should be good to go.

@xSilv,

if you got the screen from the provider, it means that your phone is branded, nothing else.
I just thought, since you have a Vodafone SFR branded device, it could be a DRM phone, since all (most) other European Vodafone 9520s are DRM encoded. This was just an assumption.
And unfotunately, it is not simply possible to convert the DRM radio file (rim0x0D...) into a no-DRM radio file (rim0x0E...) as such. This would need a change in the lower levels of the radio file and would come equal with unbranding your phone software wise (see other related posts). So, if you're trying to load a common no-DRM OS like the latter Application 5.0.0.553, Platform 4.2.0.264 (NO Hybrid!) on your phone, which is a DRM device, your loader.exe or DM will just not recognize it and will say something like: "Sorry, there is no OS to load for your phone...", even you installed and uninstalled everything properly and deleted vendor.xml and things like that.
Of course for example, you can switch the radio file (.sfi) from your 5.0.0.497 (DRM) with the 5.0.0.553 (no-DRM) by doing the usual Java-folder-copying-around-and-installing-uninstalling-OS-stuff as described somewhere else, but that would only be creating a hybrid which would show 5.0.0.553 in your About-Screen but with Platform 4.2.0.220 and NOT the intended 4.2.0.264.
I'm not sure whether you can find out about having a DRM device or not in another way than having a look on your .sfi file, which loaded without problems to your phone. But sometimes the OS file itself says something like: 9520_omanodrmM_PBr5.0.0_rel834_PL4.2.0.220_A5.0.0.497...
I know, it's kind of confusing, but if you have loaded a few OSs in the future, this comes by itself.

[xSilv]

Thx for your long explanation. Well this weekend i will start looking for unbranding the phone. But now i am kinda happy with my flash last nigth.

1. wiped the device till 507 no OS
2. installed DRM 497 to device
3. Copied the 428 language pack chinese (java folder)
4. Copied Seanren v7 (java folder)
5. Loaded the OS

Work perfectly now, but still have to check memory, battery, speed issues..
Coz i have 119MB free now, and a shrink of OS won't let me install chinese so...

keep you guys posted ^^

[jsanders]

@ek1978,

that's a sole 9520 issue (as far as I know). As a 9550 user you don't need to be concerned about DRM within your OSs. Just stick with your 9550 OSs and related Hybrids and you should be good to go.

That's wrong regarding the 9520 device, there two versions of the 9520... DRM and no DRM, which has to do with Euro laws regarding digital rights management on the devices and the ability to install and use DRM media.

[JRSCCivic98]

That's wrong regarding the 9520 device, there two versions of the 9520... DRM and no DRM, which has to do with Euro laws regarding digital rights management on the devices and the ability to install and use DRM media.

Wow, this is an old thread, but this is correct. With the DRM OS, you'll be able to decode DRM protected media onboard as apposed to the non-DRM one.

[Andiah]

Wow, this is an old thread, but this is correct. With the DRM OS, you'll be able to decode DRM protected media onboard as apposed to the non-DRM one.

Agree upon the age of the thread!

Regarding the DRM issue of some European providers (Vodafone and very few others): The point actually was, that you cannot install a DRM-OS on a No-DRM-9520 and vice versa and how to find out which version you have to use.
If it really had to do with Euro laws, then why only a few networks like VF apply to it? There are enough other European mobile networks which don't use DRM embedded in their OSs.