Box sets

[on:]

          Hello, I was wondering why the box sets were released in Europe and other parts of the world before they were released in america.  I know this is a stupid quetion, but Im just curious.  Thanks!

[Reply #1 on:]

Because fox are shady like that...

[Reply #2 on:]

Nobodys absolutely 100% sure exactly why FOX did this for Futurama (and some other box sets). Reasons given range from keeping the value of syndication deals high, to "testing the water" in less risky markets, to FOX simply pursuing a personal vendetta against Futurama.

The most probable explanation is FOX wanting to sell off the syndication rights to CN for as much as possible. If the box sets were released, then the value of the deal would fall and FOX wouldn't get as much money.

[Reply #3 on:]

I always thought the main reason was the laws being different in the US and UK, as to when they could be released after there original air date. Maybe that was just a cover-up though...

[Reply #4 on:]

I think the reason is to get the most out of the sells., say, if you realese all 4 boxes at the same time, ppl will buy one and then will probably wait a lot because they know that the others are aviable, but if you realese one and then wait a long time, ppl will buy the next one as soon as it comes out, i guess its a marketing strategy. but it pises me off 

[Reply #5 on:]

Do European versions work in American DVD players?

[Reply #6 on:]

No.  You need a region free DVD player, and it needs to be able to translate PAL (European/Japanese TV standard) to NTSC (US/Canadian Standard).  Apparently you can get these realitivly cheap on Ebay.  Just search region free DVD players.

[Reply #7 on:]

Ooooooh... thanks, Lionel

[Reply #8 on:]

I hate regional dvd formating. Why can't we all just get along?

* note that I am aware of the reason for encoding DVD's *

[Reply #9 on:]

Just curious... I'm gonna assume the that PAL is a better standard than NTSC? I mean, most things American-made aren't that good (but lets not go into that, plus I said 'most'), but they could at least put this translator thing in them.

Lousy, moneybagging technology industry! Bill Gates will die! RAAAAAAAARRRGRGHHHH!!

[Reply #10 on:]

Well NTSC is better than PAL for the most part since PAL has a 50hz refresh rate and NTSC has a 60hz refresh rate.  However, PAL60 kicks the snot out of NTSC.

If you buy a region free DVD player don't forget to get one that outputs to NTSC no matter what standard the disc is encoded in.

[Reply #11 on:]

If I can make sense of that, then I'll be sure to!

*salutes MetaFox*

Although believe me, it's hard for a 14-year-old like me to understand that stuff anyway. I'll go see if my parents have any idea....

[Reply #12 on:]

Get a DVD player for your computer, then you can set up the region...

[Reply #13 on:]

 

Originally posted by Asylum-Fry:
it's hard for a 14-year-old like me to understand that stuff anyway.

Nonsense!  If a superannuated flatus like me can understand it, so can you.  I wrote a simplified Video 101 at  http://www.peelified.com/cgi-bin/Futurama/15-000312-1/  in an attempt to answer questions about such things. 

As for which standard is "better", having worked with NTSC, PAL, and (heaven help me!) SECAM, I think I can safely say that in the real world, they're pretty much the same.  Deficiencies in one's physical installation (impedance mismatches, ground loops, etc.)will do much more damage to performance than which standard is used.

[Reply #14 on:]

When i was 14 i helped Otis make his DVD Player region free!

I always thought the colours on NTSC sucked.

[Reply #15 on:]

 

Originally posted by aslate:
I always thought the colours on NTSC sucked.

How so?  Phase instability?  Chroma level?  What criteria were used at arriving at this conclusion?  I must presume this assessment is based on simultaneous A/B comparisons.  Sounds more like a comparison of Super 8 and Imax.  It's really a moot point, since the standards are what they are.  NTSC is a product of the late '40s and early '50s while PAL came along later when the technology was a bit more advanced and implemented improvements learned from some of NTSC's failings.  We should all be grateful that at least we don't have to deal with field sequential.  As for the colors looking better in one format versus another, as I said, it has a whole lot more to do with the quality of the physical installation than the standard being used.  Color bars consist of red, blue, green, yellow, cyan, and magenta (not necessarily in that order), and when viewed on a properly installed baseband video system, they look the same regardless of the standard being used.  I have DVDs using both standards, and whether viewed on my NTSC TV or my computer (which is neither NTSC nor PAL), they all look just dandy.  If your playback equipment is multi-standard, you'll have equally good real world video.  Just something to keep in mind when selecting your box set.  (That's what this thread's supposed to be about, anyway; not discussing the virtues of one video standard over another.  Having said that, I'll withdraw.  Good day to all.)

[Reply #16 on:]

 

Originally posted by Lionel Hutz Esq:
No.  You need a region free DVD player, and it needs to be able to translate PAL (European/Japanese TV standard) to NTSC (US/Canadian Standard).  Apparently you can get these realitivly cheap on Ebay.  Just search region free DVD players.

I'd say only use Ebay as a last resort.  Why buy from an unknown source if you can find it in your area?  Check out this site to find info on region free players:  http://www.nerd-out.com/forum/ .
Check out the Daewoo players in the "Other DVD players" section.  If you have access to a Sam's Club wholsale store in your area you can probably find one of the Daewoo players they list.  I have the Daewoo 5700 I got from Sam's Club.  It's not too much at $90 and it has a PAL/NTSC convertor buit in.  You can make it region free by typing in commands on the remote (which you can find at the site I listed).  It gets the job done pretty well.  I believe there is also a new one, the Daewoo S150, that has similar functions for around $50.  I don't know too much about that one though.  Like others have said, if you're going to get one make sure it has the ability to convert PAL to NTSC.