--- Forwarded Message from "Michael Bush" <[log in to unmask]> ---
>From: "Michael Bush" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: "Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: RE: #4805.2 DVD-Regional Standards (!)
>Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1999 11:26:49 -0700
>Importance: Normal
>In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
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Would it ever be possible for me to TOTALLY agree with David Herren? *grin*
Heck, just for the fun of it:
Ed wrote:
>1. This is my understanding of the issue. Am I right or wrong? :
> The regional standard is set by the disk
>makers purposely so as to avoid copyright infringement and/or guarantee
>multiple sales in different countries.
David wrote:
> Largely correct. I have heard some folks claim that this won't
> be an issue since "foreign" film producers want a wider audience.
> I don't happen to agree with that assessment. If the US producers
> such as Disney, et al encode their discs, I envision a retaliatory
> encoding of foreign films.
I fail to see how this "retaliatory encoding" would be beneficial to the
producers or distributors of foreign films. It certainly would not harm
Disney and would only serve to limit the market for the non-North American
producers and distributors. As I alluded to in my previous message, there
appear to be existing film and video distribution licenses that are be
resulting in an early release of non-North American DVD titles by North
American distribution companies. In my previous message I mentioned that the
French film, _Ponette _ is encoded for North America (and also has the
videotape-style sub-titles encoded on the video
itself!?!?##!?!?%$!?!?$%?!!?$). I also have noticed that _Das Boot_ has also
been released and the regional code is set for North America as well, and
there are others.
The only specific information I can provide is that the relatively new
movie, The Count of Monte Cristo from TF1 (the largest French Television
network/company) by the producer, Josee Dayan, and with Gerard Depardieu,
Ornella Muti, and Jean Rochefort is set to be available from FNAC in France
(See: http://www.fnac.fr/) on 7 February for buyers France and 10 February
for others overseas. They say nothing about the region code being set, so
what is the kicker? This is it: "Attention : si vous commandez de
l'étranger, assurez-vous que votre matériel est compatible avec le système
Sécam français." (If you live overseas, make sure your equipment is
compatible with the French Sécam system.)
This case of one at least illustrates that perhaps the worst problem will
not be the regional bits set. I cannot absolutely affirm that this title
does not have this done, but it is certainly clear that the issue of PAL and
NTSC and apparently now, Sécam will remain something that we have to deal
with. I mentioned yesterday the Philips player that will play the two main
TV standards and CD-R as well as CD-RW. I do not have a Web reference yet,
but I am sending an E-mail to my friends at Philips. The last word I had was
that it would be released in February.
Cheers,
Mike
Michael Bush
Associate Professor of French and
Instructional Psychology and Technology
http://moliere.byu.edu/digital/
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