Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

DVD Region Encoding on Verge of Collapse?

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the wouldn't-it-be-nice dept.

Spudley writes "It seems like the infamous Region Encoding system used by DVD manufacturers to prevent us buying disks from overseas is about to collapse - due to widespread flaunting of the system. This article on the BBC doesn't go into much technical detail, but does include an interview with a company that manufactures DVD players ("You can find codes for more or less all brands of DVD player including ours") and some speculation on the future." It always seemed like an idea destined to fail.

7 of 550 comments (clear)

  1. Great Graphic by twoshortplanks · · Score: 3, Funny
    The BBC have a history of having "wonderful" graphics to go with their stories. In this case there's a picture of a Sky Digital (satalite) remote control, which I doubt very much could be used to reprogram a DVD player, and a grinning moron (no offence) with a N64 controller...

    At least it's not as bad as some bad examples. (links stolen from ntk

    --
    -- Sorry, I can't think of anything funny to say here.
  2. Agreed by George+Michael · · Score: 1, Funny

    Read the usage note

    If proper English is to be saved, it must start with Slashdotters!

  3. Re:why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Undergound shops? Yeah, these little shops are well underground In fact, you have to go DEEP underground to find a shop that would sell region free players!

    O.K, I guess it depends on exactly where you are in this big place called "Europe", but hey, I've got stacks of R1 disks...

  4. Re:why? by rekoil · · Score: 5, Funny

    To translate a film from American English to U.K English? What do they do, overdub "F*cking" with "bloddy" every time it's uttered?

  5. Re:Price Controls by Odinson · · Score: 3, Funny
    " If region encoding fails, it's going to hurt people in poorer countries far more than it will us."

    Yea, if you really consider not being able to afford the Britney Spears Live video being hurt.

    --
    Novel theory: Modern Man evolved from psychopath
  6. Hollywood is evil.. by AftanGustur · · Score: 3, Funny


    Those of you who haven't yet figured out just how evil hollywood is, absolutely have to read this !

    Makes you wonder what this world is coming to !

    --
    echo '[q]sa[ln0=aln80~Psnlbx]16isb572CCB9AE9DB03273snlbxq' |dc
  7. Re:Head Butt? by Ronin+SpoilSpot · · Score: 2, Funny

    Funny, actually. I usually hear it as:
    Many Americans are more concerned by depictions of naked people or sex than by violence. /RS - European