HD DVD Region Coding?

[krazy]

Moderator Note: Split from Discussion on Fox R3 DVD Releases

[This is why] I'm glad the Philippines will be in the same Blu-Ray region as the US, that way they can just import straight from the US and not have to spend on manufacturing and (re)packaging for a local release.  This is also the reason why I favor BD over HD-DVD

[av_phile1]

This is why I'm glad the Philippines will be in the same Blu-Ray region as the US, that way they can just import straight from the US and not have to spend on manufacturing and (re)packaging for a local release.  This is also the reason why I favor BD over HD-DVD

Didn't notice this earlier.   HD DVD is not even region coded.  So you favor region coding then?

[krazy]

Didn't notice this earlier.   HD DVD is not even region coded.  So you favor region coding then?

Not yet region coded, that is.  There's already been talk of introducing region codes for HD DVD:
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/10/06/hd_dvd_to_get_region_coding/
if that does happen i'm betting they'll follow the existing DVD region codes which is worse than the simplified A/B/C coding of BD

[av_phile1]

Heard about this ealier but I guess will just wait for it to happen.  There are posters in other av forums who don't believe they would.  If the DVD forum bows to studio pressure rather than yield to what the consumers want, that remains to be seen.  In the meantime, HD DVD users are enjoying region free titles on their region free players.  And what region free  players they have will remain region free forever (or until they conk out.  )  And the fact that many BD exclusive titles in the US are released as HD DVD in Europe and Japan is a plus for them so they can order them online without worrying about region coding. 

[krazy]

Heard about this ealier but I guess will just wait for it to happen.  There are posters in other av forums who don't believe they would.  If the DVD forum bows to studio pressure rather than yield to what the consumers want, that remains to be seen.  In the meantime, HD DVD users are enjoying region free titles on their region free players.  And what region free  players they have will remain region free forever (or until they conk out.  )  And the fact that many BD exclusive titles in the US are released as HD DVD in Europe and Japan is a plus for them so they can order them online without worrying about region coding. 

But that doesn't necessarily mean that existing HD DVD players will remain region free forever.  I'm sure they'll find a way to "force" existing players to turn region coding on by requiring a firmware "upgrade" as a pre-requisite for future region-coded titles to play on existing players.  Remember, both BD and HD DVD use dynamic encryption which enables studios to "tell" the players how to behave by simply programming it into the disc. 

[av_phile1]

Perhaps, but I really doubt if HD DVD disc makers will make their new region coded disc not play on early generation region free machines.  They'd be alienating their markets.  And I read about backwards compatibility allowing this region coded HD DVDs to play on older region-free players.  Then again, who knows.   

[av_phile1]

But that doesn't necessarily mean that existing HD DVD players will remain region free forever.  I'm sure they'll find a way to "force" existing players to turn region coding on by requiring a firmware "upgrade" as a pre-requisite for future region-coded titles to play on existing players.  Remember, both BD and HD DVD use dynamic encryption which enables studios to "tell" the players how to behave by simply programming it into the disc. 

Here are some interesting statements made this month by no less than Amir Majidmerh of Microsoft and a steering committee board member of the DVD forum, popularly known as "amirm" at avsforum.com and avforums.com

HD DVD is pretty far from "going region encoded." There are proposals being studied but none is ratified yet and even if they are, they do not apply to existing software and hardware.

One has to remember that DVD Forum is an open organization, allowing people to propose many things, and those proposals are public. But such data does not lead to firm conclusions of something happening.

Underscoring mine.  And another:

Anyway, region coding is only being studied. Once there is a proposal, it would need to be approved by the board. And even after that, t will not apply to products already in market and will have to be phased in, some time in the future. A lot of "ifs" involved here.

So I would purchase HD DVD with confidence at this point, especially since none of the discs are region coded. BD on the hand, includes region coding in its format license (so good luck finding hacks to get around it) and its discs are already marked as such.

Amir
Microsoft (DVD Forum SC board member)

[krazy]

as the DVD forum said, nothing's sure yet: they may go region coding, they may not.  It may only be a proposal for now, but on the other hand it (region coding) hasn't been ruled out either.  My main point about BD's region coding has already been set from the start and you know what to expect.  Remember, it's the studios who determine/impose region coding, not the hardware manufacturers.  After all without the movies/software the DVD/HD DVD/BD formats (or any other modern digital format) wouldn't even exist.  Even Microsoft themselves experimented with active DRM (even worse than region coding) on thier short-lived WMV-HD DVD's where HTPC owners have to download license keys in order for the discs to play, and needless to say M$ doesn't allow people located outside the US to download the keys unless you use some kind of proxy server to get around the IP address check.