--- Forwarded Message from Daniel Tom <[log in to unmask]> --- >Date: Wed, 06 Feb 2002 11:17:27 -1000 (HST) >From: Daniel Tom <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Code Free DVD Players >To: [log in to unmask] I know the problem of DVD region codes has been discussed previously on LLTI, specifically with regard to buying code free players and being locked into a region on Mac DVD players after several switches. My question is slightly different. We are looking into purchasing a DVD player as we are increasingly receiving requests from instructors. The various language departments also offer several film courses and the instructors would like to switch to using DVDs rather than videos. However, I suspect that the DVDs for the foreign films they use are available in the US and are region 1 encoded. Nevertheless, it was suggested that we get a code free DVD player in case faculty members go to Europe or Asia during the summer or for a conference and come back with DVDs that they purchased in those countries and want to use them in their classes. In your experience how often have you had this kind of request from your faculty? Has the demand been enough to warrant the purchase of a code free DVD player which of course is more expensive and in our case in Hawaii not available from a local vendor? In addition to the region code problem there is also the problem of PAL DVDs so you would also have to purchase a code free DVD player that is also capable of playing PAL DVDs on an NTSC monitor or an expensive video converter. I have consulted with our campus-wide instructional support unit and also with the audio-visual section of our undergraduate library. Each has a different viewpoint with regard to this question. Because US DVDs are or will be released with RCE (Regional Code Enhancing) as standard to prevent them from being played on code free players, the campus-wide instructional support unit has decided to purchase only region 1 DVD players. The library audio-visual department, however, has already purchased a few code free DVD players as well as several region 1 players. In other words the library is hedging it's bets so to speak by purchasing both and if indeed the US DVDs encoded with RCE will not play on the code free players then they still can be played on the region 1 players. As with everything else we are faced with budget constraints and may not have the luxury of buying one region 1 player and one code free player though it may come down to that. Two models I looked at on the web, Daewoo DVD-5700 and Sampo DVE-611, at the following site, http://www.220giftcenter.com, claim that they are "guaranteed to play all old, current and future DVD movies including DVDs that are RCE coded." How reliable this guarantee is is not known. These models are also supposed to play PAL movies on an NTSC TV. I would appreciate any comments and recommendations from those of you who have already dealt with these issues. Daniel Tom Language Telecommunications, Resource & Learning Center University of Hawaii E-mail: [log in to unmask] FAX: 808-956-5134 Voice: 808-956-5118