--- Forwarded Message from barbara sawhill <[log in to unmask]> ---

>Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2000 12:44:26 -0500
>From: barbara sawhill <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Regional Coding Enhancement
>Originator-info: login-id=psawhill; server=mail.oberlin.edu
>To: [log in to unmask]

Hello again:

As I search for my zone-free, code-free (but probably not
hassle-free...read on) DVD player, I discovered the following on one of the
vendor's web sites:

What is Regional Coding Enhancement (RCE)?

           Recently, the Motion Picture Association of American (MPAA) has
developed a new system called Regional Coding Enhancement (RCE) which will
be included on almost all new region 1 DVD releases. This new technology
was created to prevent consumers with codefree DVD players from watching
DVD discs purchased in North America. From now on, most region 1 DVD discs
will be including this technology. As such, you may find in the future that
some DVD discs bought in the United States will not work on your codefree
DVD player. Currently, there is no word on whether or not this technology
will be
included on other regions.


Can any LLTI-er tell me whether, in his/her experience, this is true?
(remember: I found it on a vendor's website) If so, how are we to handle
this?  Does one buy a standard DVD player and hope for the best or (*ugh*)
a standard DVD player for our U.S. DVDs and a code free machine for
everything else?


Watching her equipment budget dwindle by the minute,

Barbara

Barbara Sawhill
Director, Language Lab
Oberlin College