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DVDs On The International Space Station

Posted by michael on from the write-stuff dept.

DrGoon writes: "The BBC has reported that "After docking, the shuttle crew of five astronauts delivered supplies and gifts to the Alpha crew, including a computer, cables for the laboratory, food, water, clothes and about 20 DVD movies. " in this story, which raises the interesting question: what DVD region is the International Space Station?" So, either they have a region-free DVD player - which is theoretically illegal according to Hollywood - or only the U.S. crew gets to watch movies.

8 of 220 comments (clear)

  1. A very serious question by evil_one · · Score: 4

    I am aware that CDs and DVDs have very little mass compared with the rest of the station, but what effect would these discs have on the station when they start and stop spinning? Could the usage of discs onboard the station require thrusters to compensate for them?
    ---

    --
    Desperation is a stinky cologne
  2. So, is it theoretically possible... by TDScott · · Score: 4

    ...to circumvent the DVD region restrictions by playing the DVDs on an orbiting satellite, and beaming down the picture?

    (I said theoretically possible, not cheap...)

  3. Region 8 by bigdavex · · Score: 5
    The appropriate one is region 8, the one used by the airlines. See the faq:

    1: U.S., Canada, U.S. Territories
    2: Japan, Europe, South Africa, and Middle East (including Egypt)
    3: Southeast Asia and East Asia (including Hong Kong)
    4: Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Central America, Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean
    5: Eastern Europe (Former Soviet Union), Indian subcontinent, Africa, North Korea, and Mongolia
    6: China
    7: Reserved
    8: Special international venues (airplanes, cruise ships, etc.)

    --
    -Dave
  4. They do have a multi region player by Kithran · · Score: 5

    According to their website, UK company Techtronics (www.techtronics.com) supplied 2 Sony FX1 players to NASA which had been modified to be multi-region. These players were also delivered by Atlantis.

    Kithran

  5. Wow, what a whiny little shit... by luge · · Score: 4

    Not to be an arrogant ass or anything, but "what has slashdot come to" from someone with a > 300K user ID is pretty damn funny, since you clearly have no idea what /. once was. So, a little history lesson: Once upon a time /. actually used to be about Malda having fun and posting whatever shit he thought was cool. This article falls pretty damn squarely into the "I think this is cool" category (which, if you ask me, is probably the best category on /.) If you don't think that this is interesting, take your "serious and important news" and go write for CNet. I mean- every other news source on Earth has something about the Human Genome Project this weekend... go read about it there. I'll stay here and continue to read things like this that I wouldn't have noticed anywhere else. In short: you go Rob, michael, etc. keep posting whatever the fuck you want to. Some of us still appreciate the weird and the different, and don't want to see this place become CNN.
    ~luge

    --

    IAAL,BIANLY

  6. Abiding by laws... by BMazurek · · Score: 4
    which is theoretically illegal according to Hollywood

    Yes, and we all know that U.S. Government agencies never break any laws...

  7. Re:Herez a little history (PLAGIARIMS again) by gallir · · Score: 4

    Yeap, another plagiarist eager for. This document was copied from previous Slashdot articles:

    http://slashdot.org/articles/00/05/23/2021213.sh tm l

    http://slashdot.org/articles/00/08/12/1528230.sh tm l

    --ricardo

    --
    sgis ddo ekil t'nod i
  8. Re:Who Says Space is Under a Particular Set of Law by lildogie · · Score: 5

    > So, who's laws apply in Space?

    Locally, Newton's.

    Globally, Einstein's.