--- Forwarded Message from Christopher Ott <[log in to unmask]> ---

>User-Agent: Microsoft-Entourage/9.0.1.3108
>Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2001 12:02:14 -0500
>Subject: Re: #6000.2 European DVD's (!)
>From: Christopher Ott <[log in to unmask]>
>To: LLTI-Editor <[log in to unmask]>

About the way that a DVD player in a computer eventually "locks you into the
last region you used"...

Is this something that can be easily overridden by doing something like
throwing away a preference file?  Or does the "preference" become embedded
at a deeper level, like in firmware or something?

Gary Dauphin's message also says that Macs will "warn you each time" you
play a non-US DVD before you get locked in.  I've played a few non-US DVDs
(actually, I've only ever played non-US DVDs) on a Mac, but never got any
warnings.  Should I be worried?

Thanks for any more info on this that anyone can provide!

Chris Ott


On 4/13/01 6:56 AM, "LLTI-Editor" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> --- Forwarded Message from [log in to unmask] ---
>
>> From: [log in to unmask]
>> Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2001 17:15:37 -0800
>> To: "Language Learning and Technology International , "Information Forum" ,"
>> <[log in to unmask]>
>> Subject: Re: #6000.1 European DVD's (!)
>
> ------------------
> Hey, Karl:
>
> Here's the scoop on DVDs:
>
> You CAN buy region-free DVD players, and playback any DVD
> without a problem on these players.  They tend to cost more than
> standard players, but they do work.
>
> On a Mac, you can play back DVDs from any region, but due to
> copyprotection built into the DVD drives by the manufacturers, you
> can only play non-US region DVDs up to about 5 times, before it
> locks you into the last region you used.  You have to be careful not
> to play a non-US DVD the last time on a Mac (it warns you each
> time), because whatever region gets played on the 5th time, it
> locks you into that region.
>
> This is also true on Intel PCs, but there are hack programs
> roaming around the internet that allow Macs and PCs to get
> around the whole region issue.  Some of these work, some don't.
> Worse, it depends on what OEM manufacturer actually made the
> DVD drive in your computer.
>
> Personally, I think the whole region locking was a shameful effort
> by the video industry, but I can't change that.  We can only work
> around it in whatever legal and ethical ways we can.
>
> Gary Dauphin
> Apple
>