To: zorn-list@mailman.xmission.com From: Lang Thompson <wlt4@mindspring.com> Subject: Re: DVD Encoding
the DVDs I actually own. What do you folks do about this? Why the hell was this particular technology rigged in this way? Sorry to bug the list about
So that you would be able to change your region & get it right before it's finalized which is certainly more fair than one or two strikes and you're stuck. While I don't really like the idea of region coding it does make sense, more so than copy protection schemes. I suspect region coding will eventually be abandoned: it's widely ignored in Europe and Australia has been threatening a lawsuit against Hollywood studios about it.
Yes, it's certainly more fair to have five strikes rather than two. But if one buys or rents a VHS tape, one can play in any machine regardless of location, assuming type (PAL or NTSC). I don't really get why it's necessary to have this kind rule about a technology that doesn't apply to another with the same medium. So, I'd like to know how it makes sense. It doesn't to me, unless one buys into the idea of having international distribution protectionist rackets. Here you have a situation where you can own two DVDs and not be able to play one of them after you've used up your quota of switches. Imagine the same situation with buying CDs from various distributors. You might have to own several CD players to play CDs from various international shopping locations.
_________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp.
another with the same medium. So, I'd like to know how it makes sense.
Because it gives control over international release schedules. For a variety of reasons studios (and not just Hollywood but studios from any country) don't or can't release a film at the same time in all markets. Region coding gives them control over these schedules so that they have an opportunity to prepare dubs, co-ordinate promotion, re-edit, avoid conflicts with other films, hit local holidays, and of course eventually maximize the audience/$$. Copy protection is a bad idea because it only inconveniences regular users and not the pirates it's supposedly aimed at but conversely region coding only inconveniences a tiny fraction of users who know what they're getting into. If somebody has a DVD that they can't play that's because they deliberately bought such a disc. Anyway, it's easy enough to buy a multi-region player, even in the US. This isn't intended as a defense of region coding--which I don't like--but just an explanation of why it works the way it does.
Quiet, you fool! THEY might be monitoring our e-mail! ;-) Steve Smith ssmith36@sprynet.com NP - What We Live, "As Yet Unknown," 'Especially the Traveller Tomorrow' (Metalanguage) -----Original Message----- From: zorn-list-admin@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:zorn-list-admin@mailman.xmission.com]On Behalf Of Bill Ashline Sent: Sunday, June 09, 2002 8:33 AM Imagine the same situation with buying CDs from various distributors. You might have to own several CD players to play CDs from various international shopping locations.
participants (3)
-
Bill Ashline -
Lang Thompson -
Steve Smith