Re:W e didn't loose anything, look at what we gain
on
The End of Innovation?
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· Score: 1
Region coding is NOT to protect copyright. It is used solely to protect their outdated business model, as they themselves admit below. On the MPAA's own DVD faq on their website (www.mpaa.org) (copyright MPAA, I'm sure):
Q: Why are DVDs coded differently for different regions? Why shouldn't I be able to play a DVD that I bought in the U.S. on a player in France?
A: Regional DVD coding has nothing to do with encryption. Encryption is designed to protect a DVD from being copied. Regional coding only requires that the DVD be played on a DVD player made for one of the large international regions of the world in which that consumer lives.
Regional DVD coding was devised to protect the theatrical distribution market for motion pictures in international markets. It is simply impossible with present technologies to supply film prints of a movie to all of the theaters around the world at the same time. Motion pictures released by the major studios are generally released first in the Untied States and subsequently overseas. For this reason, motion pictures are released to theaters in countries in a "staggered" sequence. After the theatrical exhibition of a motion picture in a particular country, it is then released to the pay-per-view, video and television markets. DVDs are regionally coded to prevent them from being imported into countries where the motion picture has not yet completed its theatrical release. Without such protections, motion picture theatrical distributors and exhibitors abroad could lose a significant portion of their audiences to advance DVD viewing. The lost theatrical revenues could result in theater closures, lost jobs, depriving consumers throughout the world from seeing motion pictures on the big screen. A similar impact has occurred in some worldwide markets where illegal imports are unchecked.
The problem with saying that we'll just use electrolysis to get the hydrogen is that electrolysis is a VERY expensive (energy-wise) process. In fact, surprise-surprise, the energy used to separate the water into H2 and O2 is exactly the same amount of energy that would be released by a perfectly efficient fuel cell by combining the H2 and O2. And no fuel cell ever produced can ever be perfectly efficient. "Perpetual motion" -- not even close.
"In this house, we obey the laws of thermodynamics!" -- Homer J. Simpson
Actually, Kodachrome (specifically) is relatively long-lived. It's not necessarily archival, but Kodachrome will last much longer than most other color processes. Kodachrome film is similar to B&W film. The color is added in the developing of the film (which is why it's basically impossible to process Kodachrome film yourself -- you have to send it to a big lab). Most color films have the dyes in the film itself, and these dyes are not especially stable (though they've come a LONG WAY from those of the 50's/60's). However, for true archival quality, no film process will beat a properly developed B&W negative or print.
"Well, I'm concerned for a few reasons. First, did you know that 2/3 of the electricity generated at power plants in the U.S. doesn't even make it to the customer? It gets lost when running through power lines, transformers, and so forth. "
Could you please post a source for this statistic? It sounds extremely suspect to me. I work for a company that designs combined-cycle gas-turbine power plants. Typical values for losses are FAR less than 66%. For example, on one plant that we're designing, there is 273MW gross production, and 7.5MW of that is consumed by all the pumps, fans, etc required to run the plant. Note that this 7.5MW includes all generator and transformer losses. Transformers are very efficient devices -- 1% or 2% loss is typical. I'll admit that I don't know how much loss occurs once the power leaves the power plant itself, but the whole point of having high voltage power lines is that there is less loss on an AC line as the voltage increases. I find the 66% loss statistic that you quoted to be waaaay off the mark.
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Q: Why are DVDs coded differently for different regions? Why shouldn't I be able to play a DVD that I bought in the U.S. on a player in France?
A: Regional DVD coding has nothing to do with encryption. Encryption is designed to protect a DVD from being copied. Regional coding only requires that the DVD be played on a DVD player made for one of the large international regions of the world in which that consumer lives. Regional DVD coding was devised to protect the theatrical distribution market for motion pictures in international markets. It is simply impossible with present technologies to supply film prints of a movie to all of the theaters around the world at the same time. Motion pictures released by the major studios are generally released first in the Untied States and subsequently overseas. For this reason, motion pictures are released to theaters in countries in a "staggered" sequence. After the theatrical exhibition of a motion picture in a particular country, it is then released to the pay-per-view, video and television markets. DVDs are regionally coded to prevent them from being imported into countries where the motion picture has not yet completed its theatrical release. Without such protections, motion picture theatrical distributors and exhibitors abroad could lose a significant portion of their audiences to advance DVD viewing. The lost theatrical revenues could result in theater closures, lost jobs, depriving consumers throughout the world from seeing motion pictures on the big screen. A similar impact has occurred in some worldwide markets where illegal imports are unchecked.
I bet they did it with a beowulf cluster of kites...
"In this house, we obey the laws of thermodynamics!" -- Homer J. Simpson
Actually, Kodachrome (specifically) is relatively long-lived. It's not necessarily archival, but Kodachrome will last much longer than most other color processes. Kodachrome film is similar to B&W film. The color is added in the developing of the film (which is why it's basically impossible to process Kodachrome film yourself -- you have to send it to a big lab). Most color films have the dyes in the film itself, and these dyes are not especially stable (though they've come a LONG WAY from those of the 50's/60's). However, for true archival quality, no film process will beat a properly developed B&W negative or print.
Could you please post a source for this statistic? It sounds extremely suspect to me. I work for a company that designs combined-cycle gas-turbine power plants. Typical values for losses are FAR less than 66%. For example, on one plant that we're designing, there is 273MW gross production, and 7.5MW of that is consumed by all the pumps, fans, etc required to run the plant. Note that this 7.5MW includes all generator and transformer losses. Transformers are very efficient devices -- 1% or 2% loss is typical. I'll admit that I don't know how much loss occurs once the power leaves the power plant itself, but the whole point of having high voltage power lines is that there is less loss on an AC line as the voltage increases. I find the 66% loss statistic that you quoted to be waaaay off the mark.