DVD in USA

[Reply #40 on:]

BOOHOOO!!!
unable to get the DVD in Singapore
only able to get vcds only
what a waste
u guys have it lucky (those who already have their claws on it)

[Reply #41 on:]

i know this is not really related to the DVD in USA, just an interesting note....

It seems the Season 1 DVD that i ordered from Amazon.co.uk is reigons 2 and 4... i live in australia (reigon 4), and had my computer all patched up to play, but then PowerDVD says its reigon 4... i have yet to try it on a standalone Region 4 player yet tho... It still seems to work when i uninstall DVDGenie and made sure PowerDVD is set back to R4. i was quite happy about this, being in australia... deprived of futurama!!!

[Reply #42 on:]

Wow, we have a member here from Singapore? Futurama's really gone global!

How many regions of DVD playing is there? I didn't know Australia had its own region. I always though the Americas had Region 1 and everyone else has Region 2. It would make sense because it's how the NTSC/PAL standards work.

[Reply #43 on:]

Sorry, but it's not just "USA" and "the rest"   
Europe/Japan is region 2, Europe uses (but for the french) PAL, Japan uses NTSC, so it has nothing to do with that. The regions were introduced by Hollywood to make sure the money flows like they want it, too. EG, usually Europe gets Movies and DVDs some months later and they do not want to change that really.
I seriously doubt that the Futurama DVDs are region 4 though... There would be no reason for that without FOX.au distributing them. (FOXhome.de/uk/au are competitors. It sounds stupid, but European DVD exports to au would be seen as stealing biz from Foxhome.au, even though it ends up in the same big pot in the end)

[Reply #44 on:]

I think I read somewher that there are 6 Regions. I can't remember them all off the top of my head tho 

[Reply #45 on:]

Yea thats right Erdrik, there are Six Regions:
Region 1 - 1: U.S., Canada, U.S. Territories
Region 2 - Japan, Europe, South Africa, and Middle East (including Egypt)
Region 3 - Southeast Asia and East Asia (including Hong Kong)
Region 4 - Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Central America, Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean
Region 5 - 5: Eastern Europe (Former Soviet Union), Indian subcontinent, Africa, North Korea, and Mongolia
Region 6 - Peoples Republic of China

[Reply #46 on:]

YOOHOO!!! Im not Stupid! Yay! lol 

[Reply #47 on:]

Also, i forgot to mention this before, but i noticed the DVD had a copyright notice for Australia in the long-winded roll of various copyright notices at the start.

That's all. Don't worry, i'll be quiet now.

[Reply #48 on:]

Question: is there anything stopping me from playing VHS tapes from Europe?

[Reply #49 on:]

 

Originally posted by Tzlk:
Yea thats right Erdrik, there are Six Regions:
Region 1 - 1: U.S., Canada, U.S. Territories
Region 2 - Japan, Europe, South Africa, and Middle East (including Egypt)
Region 3 - Southeast Asia and East Asia (including Hong Kong)
Region 4 - Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Central America, Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean
Region 5 - 5: Eastern Europe (Former Soviet Union), Indian subcontinent, Africa, North Korea, and Mongolia
Region 6 - Peoples Republic of China

Mappified:
 [img w=99 h=65]http://www.unik.no/~robert/hifi/dvd/world.gif[/img]

[thumbyfied]

[Reply #50 on:]

 

Originally posted by Chump:
Question: is there anything stopping me from playing VHS tapes from Europe?

Only the fact that Europe uses the PAL system and America uses NSTC instead. You can buy video playes which play both, that would be the only way to do it as far as I'm aware. I'm not sure but some TV's might only be compatible with one sort which would complicate matters even more.

Btw, I can't remember If your American system is NSTC or NSCT, same applies either way though.

[Reply #51 on:]

Like Otis said, both your VCR and your TV must be PAL to play European VHS tapes.

Or you need a PAL/NTSC converter between your PAL VCR and a NTSC television. The only page I could find about this is this one.

Note: I have been known to be mistaken about this before, but that's at least my current understanding of things.

[Reply #52 on:]

I'm Canadian Otis, but I doubt that makes much difference.
I'll simplify your answers to:
Its about as easy as playing the DVD.
Though not impossible, horribly confusing.

[Reply #53 on:]

 

Originally posted by [-mArc-]:
I seriously doubt that the Futurama DVDs are region 4 though...

Why, they most certainly are! (For some strange reason, the didn't mark it as such, but if you check it with PowerDVD or DVD Genie, it shows:
Playable Regions: 2,4

[Reply #54 on:]

Hmm, don't know if this have been mentioned before, but here goes.

NOTE: DON'T GET YOUR HOPES UP!

Amazon.com now has an entry about region 1 DVD's. You can sign up for email notification when they have info on a possible DVD set, at the same time you're letting FOX know that you're interested in buying the set.

[Reply #55 on:]

Don't get your hopes up. Amazon does that sign up thing when they get a certain number of hits on searches (i think).  Back to the Future has been on a sign-up thing for about 2 years now.

[Reply #56 on:]

   

Originally posted by Teral:
Like Otis said, both your VCR and your TV must be PAL to play European VHS tapes.

I think most new TVs today are multisystem (both PAL and NTSC). Many VCRs in Europe, even those that are really cheap, can play PAL and NTSC, and I think all DVD players can. (Region protection or not. A region free DVD disc (region 0) with PAL format can be played in a region 1 NTSC DVD player.) My new DVD player has a PAL/NTSC/AUTO setting, that can force video output to any system. I use the AUTO setting, because I have a multisystem TV set. NTSC movies plays in the NTSC format, and PAL movies in the PAL format. Yes, it's that simple.
 

Originally posted by SQFreak:
Why, they most certainly are! (For some strange reason, the didn't mark it as such, but if you check it with PowerDVD or DVD Genie, it shows: Playable Regions: 2,4

I have seen region 2/4 discs before. (Star Wars 1?) This is common because Europe and Australia both use PAL (I think), and because the movies often are released at the same time Europe and Australia. (I guess)

[Reply #57 on:]

 

Originally posted by noone:
Don't get your hopes up. Amazon does that sign up thing when they get a certain number of hits on searches (i think).  Back to the Future has been on a sign-up thing for about 2 years now.

In addition, it is designed to deprive associates (CGEF/PEEL/mArc) off money. They don't give out referal bonus for things on the "email notify" thing. FOX knows how much the DVD is waited for (they just need to look at the Europe sales numebrs), so no point in that either.

[Reply #58 on:]

From a business perspective (Amazon), "email notify" thing is not an actual sale.  Referral bonuses should be given out only on executed sales (unless stipulated otherwise in the affiliate agreement).  Furthermore those notifications are sent out usually after release and the presales are available at least a month before release. 

Fox knows there is a market for region a region 1 dvd, but by the time the dvd set is released (if it is released) some of the initial fanbase, and demand, will have waned. Therefore it will probably sell less than if they sold it today, possibly jeopardizing future season sets.  However, that is a very pessimistic view. 

[Reply #59 on:]

One thing I don't quite understand is why the dvds are being released in region 2 before the usa.  I would think t would be the other way around.  does anyone know if there is a differance between the usa releases and the Region 2 releases?

As far as the region codes go.  there is also a region code 8 which is for airlines but thats pretty much irrelevent to regular people.  .

[Reply #60 on:]

It's to do with the stupid Syndication laws you have in the USA. There aren't any like that in the UK so we get the DVDs.

Anyway, it's nice to get something before you lot for a change.

[Reply #61 on:]

There aren't any true laws -- it isn't illegal to sell dvds before something is syndicated.  The company (Fox) just wants to get as much money as possible from it as possible.  Having a show that is available to buy causes a massive plummet in the value of syndication.

Since Futurama was syndicated on several stations in the UK (C4 and Sky, I believe), they went ahead and released the DVDs there.  Simple as that.

[Reply #62 on:]

You can now