--- Forwarded Message from [log in to unmask] ---
>In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 10:08:28 -0500
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum <[log in to unmask]>
>From: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Multi- Standard/Region DVD Player
------------------
I have followed the DVD thread over the last couple of months but
waited to reply until I had received and tested the Panasonic DVD-A300 MU
player. This DVD player will playback in NTSC and PAL and claims to play
back any region code. I have tested it with following titles and formats.
Our Asst. Director Denny Hoopingarner, brought back two DVD tiles from Taiwan.
"Raise The Red Lantern", Region Code "ALL", NTSC,
"Fly Away Home", Region Code "3", NTSC
I also acquired two disks:
"Cool Hand Luke", Region Code "1", NTSC
"Das Boot-The Directors Cut", Region Code "2", PAL
(You can tell which one of us is "married with children" ;-)
The results were that all disks performed flawlessly. I haven't
found any disks with other region codes yet but I'll keep looking. In the
case of the Das Boot disk the output was in PAL. Since I wanted to install
the player in the equipment rack in our lab so that it can feed 37 A/V
stations, I fed the output of the DVD player into the front inputs of our
rack mounted Panasonic AG-W1 multistandard video player which then
converted it to NTSC. It worked quite well though I'll probably try to find
a different conversion solution which doesn't tie up the AG-W1.
Here's the purchase info.
Product: Panasonic DVD
Model Number: A300MU
Price$640.00
Shipping $25.00
Total: $665.00
Vendor:
J&R Corporate Sales
ATTN: Milton Weiss
15 Park Row
New York, NY
10038
phone:800-221-3191x11637
fax: 212-238-9175
In summary the Panasonic DVD-A300MU does play NTSC and PAL disks in
at least Region Codes 1,2 and 3. While it may not be the answer to the
SECAM question it does seem to handle everything else. It even has a
Karaoke feature which I'm sure we'll explore at the next LLC staff party
;-) Hope this helps. MVK
Michael V. Kramizeh
Technical Services
Langugage Learning Center
Michigan State University
Rm. 131 Old Horticulture Bldg.
East Lansing, MI 48824
517-355-7587 Phone
517-432-5246 Fax
E-Mail [log in to unmask]
>--- Forwarded Message from Ed Dente <[log in to unmask]> ---
>
>>Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1999 11:41:28 -0500 (EST)
>>From: Ed Dente <[log in to unmask]>
>>Subject: Re: #4805.3 DVD-Regional Standards (!)
>>In-reply-to: <[log in to unmask]>
>>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum
>><[log in to unmask]>
>
>------------------
>On Tue, 26 Jan 1999, LLTI-Editor wrote:
>Mike,
>Thanks for your clear and succinct explanation of the format questions I
>had. Your post answers all my questions, and is especially helpful in
>pointing out the distinct issues of regional digital coding AND
>Broadcast Standards (PAL/SECAM)recording, which I had run together in my
>mind. Your comment about a forthcoming multi-standard player from Philips
>brings a note of optimism to the issue. Thanks again for your thoughts.
>Ed Dente
>
>> --- 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 DVD-Regional Standards
>> >Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 14:34:14 -0700
>> >In-reply-to: <[log in to unmask]>
>> >Importance: Normal
>>
>> ------------------
>> Ed asks some interesting questions here. I am working on an article on all
>> of this, but since he raises the questions, here is some advance
>> information.
>>
>> He stated:
>> > The regional standard is set by the disk makers purposely
>> > so as to avoid copyright infringement and/or guarantee
>> > multiple sales in different countries.
>> I think this is accurate, but it is also is a question of licenses and
>> rights. For example I have seen French movies that have been released in
>> this country that have the regional code set for North America. My
>> understanding is that these companies have rights for this market but not in
>> Europe so they set the discs can only be played in North America.
>>
>> > 2. If this is the case, is the regional standard issue insurmountable?
>> > How does one use a DVD brought back, say, from the Czech Republic
>> > or Germany?
>> You have to first deal of course with the issue of PAL versus NTSC data
>> streams since these two are of course different. Do not fall into the trap
>> that "because the data is digital we should not have this problem." We still
>> have to deal with frames per second and lines per frame, both of which are
>> different in the two primary TV standards. It is essential that he digital
>> data representing these frames and lines must still be based on the TV
>> standard on which the images will displayed. Nevertheless, this is not
>> technically a very difficult problem to solve. The biggest issue is whether
>> it is economically interesting for consumer electronics companies to make
>> such capabilities widely available. Please note that the industrial DVD
>> player from Philips scheduled to be available in February will play both PAL
>> and NTSC discs given of course that you have a multi-standard monitor that
>> will handle the two signals.
>>
>> The next issue is one of the region code. My first thought has been that
>> European companies have significant economic interest in addressing this in
>> the widest possible means. On the one hand they will want to have the
>> broadest possible market available. On there other they have licensing and
>> distribution issues that they must address. Nevertheless, I have heard of
>> black-market ROM fixes on the Internet that circumvent this issue. There are
>> perhaps of course issues of legality here, but I have to wonder if one
>> cannot change any player one owns. Members of the DVD Forum are
>> contractually bound to respect the requirements of the Forum, but there is a
>> question as to whether anyone with the technical skills to change a ROM
>> should be able to do so. Of course if the ROM contains code that is a
>> violation of copyright laws, then they are probably at fault in implementing
>> it. I am of course not a lawyer but this seems to be a common sense issue
>> (not always a good basis of judgement in legal issues).
>>
>> > 3. In the event that foreign purchased DVD discs can be used in some
>> > fashion, how are European DVD films generally audio recorded? Are they
>> > likely to have multi-lingual tracks that can be selected? Are they likely
>> > to have multi-lingual subtitles that can be chosen among?
>> This is a very subjective issue and depends on the movie. There is a WIDE
>> variety of how companies are doing this. One interesting fact is that
>> sub-titles and audio in the SAME language are often VERY different. As an
>> extreme case, I just got permission to return an opened copy of Ponette to
>> Amazon.com because company that produced the disc (Fox Lorber of New York)
>> had used the sub-titled version from which the videotape was used, i.e. the
>> sub-titles were on the video itself and could not be turned off and on like
>> one can normally do with DVD. Between a disc that is "well-done" (whatever
>> we think that might mean) and this example, there is a lot of room for
>> variation.
>>
>> One element of DVD that I have found to be extremely exciting is my ability
>> to create compact discs in the Video CD format that will play on DVD
>> players. The Pioneer DVD V7200 player that we purchased this past fall will
>> only play CD-RW discs, but the newer Philips industrial player will play
>> both CD-R as well as CD-RW discs. I have impressed myself with what I can do
>> with a Hi 8 video camera, a Dell 450 MHz PC with 128MB of RAM, a fast 14 GB
>> Ultra DMA EIDE hard drive (I would get a little better performance and video
>> quality using a fast SCSI 2 hard drive) motion JPEG video encoder card,
>> Adobe Premiere, the Xing MPEG 1 encoder and Adaptec's CD Creator Deluxe.
>> Given that I can also take snippets from VHS and videodisc movies, as well
>> as use video from Hi 8 and JPEG graphics, the potential here for classroom
>> use is enormous.
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Mike
>> Michael Bush
>> Associate Professor of French and
>> Instructional Psychology and Technology
>> http://moliere.byu.edu/digital/
>>
>
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Edmund N. Dente
>Director, Language Media Center Ph: 617-627-3036
>Tufts University [log in to unmask]
>Medford, MA 02155
>
>"Nice night, if it doesn't rain."
> -Joan Blondell
> <<A Tree Grows in Brooklyn>>
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