Part of the DVD format allows for region encoding. America and Canada are Region 1. All players and discs sold here are set-up for Region 1. Europe is Region 2 (maybe) and the rest of the world is separted into about 5 or 6 other regions.
Basically, it allows Hollywood to sell different discs to different parts of the world for different prices. So if a Brit was in the States on business and wanted to pick up a Matrix DVD a few months before he could get in on the Island (and for a few bucks less) when he returned home, he would be unable to play it in his European DVD player. Yes, it is illegal to export region 1 players to other regions and the DVD Control Authority is vehemently against players that can have their Region Code changed (there are a few) and ofcourse they are against the whole DeCSS app that allows a user to rip the DVD movie files from a disc they buy and use them off their hd. This is being done widely on Linux machines, but the MPAA frowns on these people and sues them. Just ask Eric Correly a.k.a. Emmanuel Goldstein and the rest of the gang at 2600.com.
Simply put, Hollywood has a money making machine here that they will push and push and make as much money off of as they can for the next 5-10 years (probably more) until a new High Definition video format comes out to work with everyone's 100% digital systems with HDTV's, digital sound, etc. Then, "The only thing not digital will be your brain(tm)"
Posts: 151 | Location: Cincinnati, OH, USA | Registered: September 07, 2000
Yep, it's almost exactly like the PAL and the NTSC and some others. Though if you let someone 'work' on your PSX it would be able for me, for example, to play games from America.
And also copied games
Posts: 94 | Location: Schiedam, Holland | Registered: September 12, 2000
